Long Point Battery (Provincetown, Massachusetts)
Provincetown · Massachusetts · Civil War
History & Significance
Military engineers had assessed Provincetown Harbor's strategic vulnerability since 1821, when an examination of the state's coastline concluded that the harbor should "unquestionably be secured by sufficient batteries." Not until 1862 was it determined that protection from Confederate commerce raiders could no longer be postponed.
The point was deserted by the time construction of two earthwork batteries began in early 1863, with completion in December of that year. The outer battery mounted three 32-pound guns with a powder magazine; the inner battery, connected by a 1,650-foot wooden walkway, held six 32-pound guns and two magazines.
In March 1864, Massachusetts ceded approximately 150 acres to the federal government, and the barracks housed a company of 98 enlisted soldiers from Massachusetts Volunteer Militia units. Soldiers initially served 90-day enlistments, later replaced by 100-day recruits until November 1864, and finally one-year re-enlistees who mustered out in May 1865.
The batteries remained operational until abandoned in 1872, but were never used in combat. Today, only the lighthouse and an earthen mound—the last remnant of the military post—remain.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Earthen mound remains of a Civil War-era coastal artillery fortification
- Historic lighthouse at Long Point
- Harbor views across Provincetown
- Civil War engineering and coastal defense history
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Point_(Cape_Cod)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Point_Light
- https://provincetownindependent.org/history/2025/07/09/forts-useless-and-ridiculous/
- https://historyofmassachusetts.org/massachusetts-in-the-civil-war/
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