Fort Ebey (Island County, Washington)
Island County · Washington · World War II
History & Significance
Built on Partridge Point in 1942 as a World War II coastal defense near the mouth of Puget Sound, the fort was named for Isaac Neff Ebey, a pioneering homesteader. Fort Ebey was the last fort developed as part of the Puget Sound coastal defense, and due to the location's clear view westward through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the open Pacific Ocean, it was deemed essential for an enhanced defense of the region during World War II.
Battery 248, the site's only fortification, was designed with technology not available at other Puget Sound defense facilities, including radar and camouflage to hide the location from aerial view. In 1943, two six-inch guns were installed; the guns could fire a projectile weighing 108 pounds at moving targets up to 15 miles away every 12 seconds.
Battery 248 was never fired against an enemy target. After the war, Fort Ebey's guns were cut up and melted down for scrap, as changing methods of warfare, including long-range bombing and missile technology made the coastal forts obsolete. On April 9, 1965, Washington State Parks and Recreation Director Charles H. Odegaard applied to the US General Services Administration to purchase the 204 acres of the former Fort Ebey land, and on November 5, 1965, the land was transferred to the WSPRC for a cost of $57,500.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- WWII-era concrete gun battery with two 6-inch coastal defense guns
- Saltwater shoreline and bluff trails with Puget Sound views
- 651-acre state park with beach access and recreational trails
- Original military fortification structures from 1942 coastal defense
Sources
- https://parks.wa.gov/about/news-center/field-guide-blog/fort-ebey-state-park-history
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Ebey_State_Park
- https://cdsg.org/fort-ebey/
- https://www.parks.wa.gov/507/Fort-Ebey