Fort O'Brien (Machiasport, Maine)
Machiasport · Maine · American Revolutionary War, War of 1812
History & Significance
Established in response to the Battle of Machias (June 11–12, 1775), in which colonists led by Jeremiah O'Brien captured a British Royal Navy ship, this four-gun earthwork battery guarded the mouth of the Machias River throughout three major American conflicts. After its initial construction, the fortification was destroyed when British forces returned in 1777.
The fort was reoccupied by 1781 under the name Fort O'Brien. During the War of 1812, Captain John Leonard commanded the installation with fifty soldiers of the 40th U.S. Infantry; when the British approached after capturing Eastport and Castine, Leonard fired a volley from his guns, spiked as many as he could, burned the buildings, and retreated westward with British prisoners.
In 1814, the British destroyed the fortification and burned its barracks. A five-gun battery was installed in 1863 during the Civil War but saw no action. The fortification was deeded to the state by the federal government in 1923.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Earthwork ruins from American Revolutionary War and War of 1812
- Historic fortification on Machias River
- Reconstructed structures from multiple conflict periods
- Museum exhibits on Maine's maritime military history
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_O%27Brien
- https://www.maine.gov/mhpc/did-you-know/fort-obrien-c1775-machiasport-washington-county
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_O'Brien
- https://downeast.com/arts-leisure/road-1812/
- https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/docs/brochures/FortOBrien.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Machias
- https://machiasport.org/points-of-interest/