Fort William and Mary (New Castle, New Hampshire)
New Castle · New Hampshire · Revolutionary War, War of 1812
History & Significance
Erected by local colonial forces prior to 1632, the original fortress reported directly to the royal governor of the Province of New Hampshire and guarded access to the harbor at Portsmouth. Originally known as "The Castle," it was renamed Fort William and Mary circa 1692, after the accession of William III and Mary II to the British throne.
Richard Cutt, brother of John Cutt, was the first commander of the newly renovated fort and infantry company by order of the Massachusetts General Court in 1673; Elias Stileman was his lieutenant and replaced Cutt when the latter died in 1676. On December 14, 1774, local Patriots led by John Langdon stormed Fort William and Mary guarding the mouth of the busy seaport, overcame a six-man caretaker detachment, and seized the garrison's powder, which was distributed through several towns in the colony for potential use in the looming conflict with Great Britain.
On December 15, 1774, patriots led by John Sullivan again raided the fort, this time seizing numerous cannons, later used in the pivotal Battle of Bunker Hill. The Governor and his family were driven from their home in Portsmouth in the summer of 1775 and forced to take refuge in the fort, guarded by two warships, before Britain abandoned the colony.
In 1800, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established upriver, and the fort was rebuilt under the Second System of U.S. coastal defense fortifications with brick masonry walls doubled in height and new brick buildings added inside, completing the work in 1808 and renaming the defense "Fort Constitution". During the War of 1812 the fort was occupied and expanded with Walbach Tower, a Martello tower with a single 32-pounder cannon, being built in 1814. The Fort Constitution site was given back to the State of New Hampshire by the American military in 1961 and turned into a state park.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Colonial British fortress overlooking the Piscataqua River mouth
- Site of December 1774 Patriot raid for gunpowder and supplies
- Historic lighthouse open to the public
- Multi-century military structures and fortifications
- Island location with water views in a state park
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_William_and_Mary
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_of_Fort_William_and_Mary
- https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/capture-of-fort-william-and-mary-1774/
- https://nhsar.org/the-raid-on-fort-william-and-mary-in-1774/
- https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/2024/12/12/first-shots-the-raid-on-fort-william-and-mary-december-14-15-1774/
- https://exhibits.nhd.uscourts.gov/6.htm
- https://www.northamericanforts.com/East/New_Hampshire/Fort_Constitution/history.html
- https://www.nhstateparks.org/getmedia/b465a35d-f502-4abc-9e31-af7e74046b12/FortConstitutionMilitaryHistory.aspx
- https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/paul-revere-rode-new-hampshire/
- https://thelibertytrail.org/history/stories/new-hampshire-and-beginning-american-revolution
Other Forts in New Hampshire
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