Fort Varnum (Narragansett, Rhode Island)

Narragansett · Rhode Island · World War II

Quick BriefBuilt in response to the outbreak of war in Europe and the Fall of France in 1940, Fort Varnum served as a coastal defense fort guarding the entrance to Narragansett Bay during World War II. The installation was named for General James Mitchell Varnum of the Revolutionary War. Its guns were scrapped in 1947 following the war, and the site continues operation today as Camp Varnum of the Rhode Island Army National Guard.

Coastal defenseActive base today

History & Significance

Fort Varnum was built as part of a general modernization of US coast defenses begun in 1940 with the outbreak of war in Europe and the Fall of France. Located in the Boston Neck area of Narragansett, the fort was built to relocate previously-emplaced weapons to a more useful location nearer the entrance to Narragansett Bay.

Battery House, consisting of two 6-inch M1900 guns on pedestal mounts, was relocated from Fort Getty in Jamestown, while two 3-inch M1903 guns were planned for Battery Armistead from Fort Kearny. The planned 3-inch guns arrived in unusable condition and were stored without ever being mounted.

Better light weapons were provided in 1943 as Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery 921, with four 90 mm guns. Several fire control stations were built in Narragansett disguised as beach cottages; most have been destroyed, though some survive at Camp Varnum.

In 1947, Fort Varnum's guns were scrapped along with almost all other US coast artillery weapons. The 243rd Regional Training Institute of the Rhode Island Army National Guard at Camp Varnum carries the lineage of the 243rd Coast Artillery.