Fort Juniper (Salem, Massachusetts)

Salem · Massachusetts · American Revolutionary War

Quick BriefFort Juniper was a short-lived Revolutionary War earthwork garrison in Salem, Massachusetts, operational from 1775 to 1776 and armed with sixteen guns. Also designated Fort Number One during its existence, it served alongside other Salem-area fortifications to defend the harbor.

Coastal defense

History & Significance

Fort Juniper occupied a strategic position in Salem's harbor defenses during the opening phase of the American Revolution. Established in 1775 and known as Fort Number One, the installation mounted sixteen guns by 1776 to protect against British incursions and support Salem's merchant fleet and privateering operations.

The fort remained active only briefly, disappearing from military records by 1776 as other, more substantial fortifications—particularly Fort Lee on Salem Neck and Fort Pickering on Winter Island—became the primary defensive positions. Salem itself was a key location for revolutionary activity, including the failed British raid to seize supplies in February 1775 and the subsequent arming of local fortifications as tensions escalated toward open conflict. Fort Juniper left no visible remains and is overshadowed in historical memory by the surviving Revolutionary-era earthworks that still stand at Fort Lee and Fort Pickering.