Fort Scammel (Portland, Maine)

Portland · Maine · War of 1812

Quick BriefFort Scammel, built on House Island in 1808, was a coastal fortification protecting Portland Harbor during the War of 1812 and beyond. Named for Revolutionary War officer Alexander Scammel, it saw combat action in early August 1813 and underwent major Civil War-era modernization under Army engineer Thomas Lincoln Casey.

Civil WarCoastal defense

History & Significance

Henry A. S. Dearborn oversaw construction of Fort Scammel on House Island in 1808 as part of the national second system of fortifications. The fort was named after Alexander Scammel (1747–1781), an officer during the Revolutionary War who died from injuries sustained during the Siege of Yorktown.

Along with Fort Gorges and Fort Preble, Fort Scammel was a critical element in the defense of the entrance to Portland Harbor. Built with a wooden blockhouse and small 24-pound and 32-pound cannons, Fort Scammel defended the southern and eastern entrances to the harbor.

Of all the forts in Casco Bay, Fort Scammell was the only fort to fire a shot and be fired upon in battle, in early August 1813. Thomas Lincoln Casey, an Army engineer officer known for his work on the Washington Monument, completely rebuilt the fort beginning in 1862 during the American Civil War, with a design centered on two three-tier stone-and-brick bastions connected by earth walls rather than stone curtain walls.

In the 1870s, additional earthworks to accommodate 10-inch and 15-inch Rodman guns were constructed. The island was later the site of an immigration quarantine station from 1907 to 1937, and was considered the 'Ellis Island of the North'.