FORT GORGES

I took this picture of Ft. Gorges from the Eastern Promenade in Portland on March 12th. Unfortunately, there are no ferry that actually go to the fort anymore.


When the War of 1812 ended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needed a fort to protect Casco Bay in case of any future naval battles. In 1864, the fort was completed with twenty-six guns to defend it. In 1865 the fort was named to honor Sir Ferninando Gorges, a colonial proprietor of Maine.

The fort was used for about 80 years when in 1946, it was determined to be military surplus and not needed by the military. By 1960, the City of Portland took ownership of the fort an determined it as an historic site. It was later placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.

OBSERVATIONS: As taking this picture from the Eastern Promenade, I noticed that the fort's roof is covered with moss and scrub brush. It doesn't appear to be kept in very good condition and seems to be falling apart.

REFERENCES:
http://www.smccme.edu/docs.php?section=5&navid=2&levelfour=166&docid=79
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Gorges
http://www.forttours.com/pages/fortgorges.asp