Fort Greble (Jamestown, Rhode Island)
Jamestown · Rhode Island · Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II
History & Significance
Following recommendations of the Endicott Board in the late 1890s, Fort Greble was constructed as part of the Coast Defenses of Narragansett Bay, spurred by the Spanish–American War and including tunnels and gun emplacements, with the fort enlarged until 1902. Battery Hale, the first fortification completed in 1897, contained three 10-inch disappearing guns, followed by Batteries Mitchell, Sedgwick, and Ogden.
In 1898, troops arrived to begin construction of permanent housing and facilities spanning five years, including barracks for over 300 enlisted men and significant homes for officers and their families. The fort was home to as many as 495 soldiers during World War I under the command of Colonel Charles Foster Tillinghast Sr., with several guns dismounted for potential service on the Western Front in 1917–18.
The fort remained active until the mid-1920s as part of the Coast Defenses of Narragansett Bay, when it was placed in caretaker status due to defective cisterns. During World War II, Fort Greble served as a German prisoner-of-war camp before being discontinued from service in 1947. The island is currently owned by the State of Rhode Island and designated as a wildlife management area.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
Sources
- https://jamestownhistoricalsociety.org/from-the-collection-fort-greble-dutch-island/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Island_(Rhode_Island)
- https://rhodetour.org/items/show/291
Other Forts in Rhode Island
See all forts in Rhode Island →