Fort McHenry (Baltimore, Maryland)
Baltimore · Maryland · War of 1812
History & Significance
Fort McHenry's pentagonal masonry design, engineered by French military architect Jean Foncin, replaced the earlier Fort Whetstone as Baltimore's primary harbor defense. When British forces moved north after burning Washington, D.C., in August 1814, the fort stood as the linchpin of Baltimore's defenses—then America's third-largest city and most important port.
Under Major George Armistead's command, the garrison of 1,000 regulars and volunteers mounted effective artillery resistance when Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane's fleet opened fire with bomb vessels and Congreve rockets on September 13. Approximately 1,500–1,800 cannonballs struck the fort over 25 hours, yet superior American fortifications and defensive works—including a chain of sunken merchant ships blocking the harbor entrance—prevented penetration.
When Francis Scott Key witnessed the garrison flag still aloft on September 14, he drafted verses that became immortal in American culture. The fort remained active through the Civil War (serving as a military prison) and World War II (as a Coast Guard facility), and was designated a national monument in 1939. It is now the nation's only doubly designated National Monument and Historic Shrine.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Pentagonal brick fortress with star-shaped design overlooking Baltimore Harbor
- War of 1812 bombardment site that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner"
- Historic cannons and period military exhibits
- NPS-managed museum with interpretive displays on early American naval defense
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/fomc/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McHenry
- https://www.battlefields.org/learn/war-1812/battles/fort-mchenry
- https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/art/exhibits/conflicts-and-operations/the-war-of-1812/the-battle-of-baltimore.html
- https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Baltimore-1814
- https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/fort-mchenry-and-the-war-of-1812/
- https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/%E2%80%9Cdefence-fort-mchenry%E2%80%9D-or-%E2%80%9C-star-spangled-banner%E2%80%9D-1814