Fort Greene (Newport), Rhode Island — History & Visitor Guide

Fort Greene (Newport) (Newport, Rhode Island)

Newport · Rhode Island · War of 1812

Quick BriefFort Greene in Newport, Rhode Island was a small fort built circa 1794 at Battery Park in the Point section of Newport, last active in the War of 1812. It was named for General Nathanael Greene of the Revolutionary War, who was born in Rhode Island. It was built as part of the First System of US seacoast fortifications circa 1794.

Coastal defenseOpen to visitors

History & Significance

The fort was built on the site of a previous battery built in the American Revolution with state resources, called the North Battery. In early 1776, residents of the Point neighborhood hastily threw up a semi-circular earthwork fort on pastureland, which the British occupied and improved in December 1776.

After the British abandoned Aquidneck Island in December 1779, the Americans returned to repair the damage. The North Battery was re-named Fort Greene in 1798 to honor Rhode Island's General Nathanael Greene, one of George Washington's most trusted officers.

Fort Greene mounted approximately 12 guns and was intended to house a company of about 100 men, but was never completed. The fort was described in the Secretary of War's report on fortifications for December 1811 as 'an elliptical stone battery now in a state of ruin'.

During the War of 1812, Fort Greene was again repaired, this time with a semi-circular brick wall facing the water, and in 1814–1815, the Secretary of War granted responsibility of the fort to the Newport Artillery Company. By 1905, the fort was in ruins; in 1926 the War Department sold the property to Newport's former mayor who gave it to the city, but during World War II the government purchased it back for ship repair and storage; in 1973 Fort Greene again became a city park.

Key Facts

StateRhode Island

LocationNewport

Established1794

Decommissioned1815

War / eraWar of 1812

Current statusRuins

Coordinates41.49694444, -71.32166667

Map

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🧳 Visiting

What you’ll see when you visit:

Curved seawall ruins from 1794 coastal defense fort
War of 1812 era fortification at Battery Park
Named after Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene
Waterfront setting in historic Newport harbor area
Early American seacoast defense system example

Best time to visitSpring (April-May) and fall (September-October) offer pleasant weather; summer brings crowds and heat, winter is cold and often windy along the Rhode Island coast.

Getting thereNewport State Airport (NPT) is 5 km away; the fort is located at Battery Park in Newport, Rhode Island.

From the nearest major airportRhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)🚗 29 mi by road⏱️ ≈ 46 min drive

Fort Greene (Newport) (Newport, Rhode Island)

History & Significance

Key Facts

Map

🧳 Visiting

Sources

Other Forts in Rhode Island

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