Fort Holmes (Mackinac Island, Michigan)
Mackinac Island · Michigan · War of 1812
History & Significance
Fort Holmes never functioned as an independent military fortification but was always a dependent outpost of nearby Fort Mackinac. The British improved the redoubt throughout the course of the war (1812–1814) to help defend the adjacent Fort Mackinac from a possible attack by the U.S. Army.
The 1814 American attack came in the summer of 1814 although the fort was not directly involved in the battle—the outcome was grim for the United States, with 15 soldiers killed, including Major Holmes. The fort was occupied by United States troops for just a few years after the War of 1812.
The wood and earthen fort deteriorated, prompting restorations in the 1930s and again in the 2010s. In 2015 the Mackinac Island State Park completed a second reconstruction of Fort Holmes that resumes the appearance that the redoubt had in 1817. The site was included as Mackinac National Park (1875), the second national park established in the United States after Yellowstone, and transferred to state control in 1895 as Mackinac Island State Park, the first state park in Michigan.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Earthen redoubt at island's highest point with panoramic views of Straits of Mackinac
- Reconstructed blockhouse with War of 1812 interpretive exhibits
- British-era fortification protecting neighboring Fort Mackinac
- Scenic hilltop location accessible to summer visitors
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Holmes
- https://www.mackinacisland.org/blog/post/fort-holmes-on-mackinac-island/
- https://northernmichiganhistory.com/the-battle-for-mackinac-island/
- https://www.mackinacparks.com/blog/forts-mackinac-and-holmes-in-1815/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinac_Island_State_Park
- https://www.uptravel.com/listing/fort-holmes/1469/