Fort Dearborn (Rye, New Hampshire)
Rye · New Hampshire · World War II
History & Significance
Rumors of a federal fort at Odiorne Point circulated from June 1941, but the plan gained urgent momentum after the U.S. entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In January 1942, the federal government acquired 360 acres through forced sale from twenty-three property owners and the Town of Rye.
The fort was deemed operational in May 1943 and named for General Henry Dearborn, a veteran of the Revolutionary War who served as Secretary of War under President Thomas Jefferson. The installation was part of the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, alongside Fort Stark, Fort Constitution, and Fort Foster, and was garrisoned from 1940–1944 by the 22nd Coast Artillery Regiment.
Though the massive 16-inch guns were test-fired once, the fort never saw combat—it remained little more than a strategic "what if." In 1961, the federal government transferred the former military installation to the State of New Hampshire for public recreation. Odiorne Point State Park, as it is now called, opened informally to visitors in 1962.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- World War II gun emplacements and bunkers in concrete
- 16-inch and 6-inch casemated artillery batteries
- Coastal defense installation built in 1942
- Located within Odiorne Point State Park with ocean views
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odiorne_Point_State_Park
- https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/odiorne-point-state-park
- https://www.northamericanforts.com/East/New_Hampshire/Fort_Dearborn/history.html
- https://newcastlenh.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Fort+Dearborn,+Rye
- https://newenglandnomad2015.com/2016/08/24/odiorne-point-state-park-rye-nh/
- https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/2023/09/14/odiorne-point-transformed-by-war/
- https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2016-09-01/how-a-world-war-created-a-state-park-on-n-h-s-seacoast
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Dearborn
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Dearborn
- https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/22nd_Coast_Artillery_(United_States)
Other Forts in New Hampshire
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