Fort Edgecomb (Edgecomb, Lincoln County, Maine)
Edgecomb, Lincoln County · Maine · War of 1812
History & Significance
Fort Edgecomb was built as part of the second system of US fortifications, guarding the then-important port of Wiscasset, one of the largest shipbuilding centers in New England, in response to a war scare with the British over US trade with France during the Napoleonic Wars and Thomas Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807. US engineer Moses Porter supervised the fort's construction.
The octagonal blockhouse featured two stories with loopholes and cannon ports; the fort's main armament was a water battery to defend the river, originally mounting five cannons including a 50-pounder columbiad and four 18-pounder smoothbore cannons, each in its own bastion arranged in three tiers. Although built for defense, the fort's first use was to enforce the embargo, which was unpopular with Maine's merchants, and it is said that one of two times Fort Edgecomb's cannon were fired was in salute at James Madison's inauguration on 4 March 1809.
In 1814, the fortress became an important base in defending against a possible British attack on mid-coast Maine. It remained manned until 1818, and was reactivated during the Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, with its boundaries increased to create a historic district in 1991.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Octagonal wooden blockhouse on Davis Island in Sheepscot River
- Two-story structure built for War of 1812-era coastal defense
- Water battery with period cannons
- Held British prisoners of war during the conflict
- Views of historic shipbuilding port of Wiscasset
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Edgecomb
- https://www.maine.gov/mhpc/did-you-know/fort-edgecomb-c1808-edgecomb-lincoln-county
- https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/ME-01-015-0100
- https://maineanencyclopedia.com/edgecomb/
- https://downeast.com/arts-leisure/road-1812/
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=259015