Fort Phoenix (Fairhaven, Massachusetts)
Fairhaven · Massachusetts · American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War
History & Significance
The Battle off Fairhaven on 14 May 1775 was the first naval engagement of the American Revolutionary War, fought in Buzzards Bay off Fairhaven and resulting in Patriot militia retrieving two vessels captured by HMS Falcon. Captains Daniel Egery and Nathaniel Pope led approximately 25–50 local fishermen, farmers, and militiamen aboard the whaling sloop Success armed with swivel guns and small arms.
The patriots captured the 13 man crew of the Royal Navy, the first naval prisoners of the war. Following this engagement, the original fort was built by Capt. Benjamin Dillingham and Eleazer Hathaway between 1775 and 1777, outfitted with eleven cannon, several captured in the Bahamas by John Paul Jones.
On 5–6 September 1778, the fort was destroyed by the British when they raided the harbor, though a force under Major Israel Fearing drove off the British. In 1784 the site was named "Fort Phoenix" after the mythical bird that rose from its own ashes.
The fort was rebuilt in 1798, and rebuilt again in 1808 with 12 guns with Commonwealth resources. In the War of 1812, HMS Nimrod bombarded the fort on 13 June 1814 when the local militia refused to surrender some guns; after an exchange of fire Nimrod sailed away. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Key Facts
Map
View larger map ↗ · © OpenStreetMap contributors
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Restored Revolutionary War-era fort with period cannons at harbor entrance
- Commanding views of Fairhaven-New Bedford harbor
- Public park setting with historical reenactments
- Site of 1778 British attack and subsequent American rebuilding
- Interactive military history spanning three major American conflicts
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Phoenix
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_off_Fairhaven
- https://www.mass.gov/locations/fort-phoenix-state-reservation
- https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/MA-02-005-0020
- https://grokipedia.com/page/battle_off_fairhaven
- https://journeywithmurphy.com/2022/06/fort-phoenix-the-battle-of-fairhaven/
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/battlefields/bedford-fair-haven
Other Forts in Massachusetts
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