Fort Revere

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Fort Revere (1897-1947) - An Endicott Period Coastal Fort first established in 1897 as Nantasket Head Military Reservation on Nantasket Head, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Named Fort Revere in G.O. 43, 4 Apr 1900, after Paul Revere, a native of Massachusetts and Lieutenant Colonel of artillery in the Continental Army, who, on the night of 18 Apr 1775, made his famous ride from Charlestown to Concord, warning the inhabitants of the approach of the British. Deactivated in 1947 and declared surplus in 1948.

Fort Revere 1902 Barracks, 109 man.
Fort Revere 1902 NCO Duplex Quarters.
Fort Revere Aerial View.

Endicott Period (1890-1910)

Part of the Harbor Defense of Boston, Massachusetts.

Fort Revere Water Tower
Fort Revere Officer Quarters Museum

Two Endicott Period gun batteries Battery Ripley and Battery Field were constructed between 1898 and 1900. Both of these batteries were accepted for service on the same day, 26 Jan 1901. Both of these batteries were Barbette mounted, not on disappearing carriages. In 1903 work began on a large battery of six, 6" guns on disappearing carriages. That battery was completed and accepted for service on 28 Jun 1906. The battery was originally named Battery Sanders in 1904 but was administratively divided in 1906 into Battery Sanders (4 guns) and Battery Pope (2 guns). These batteries were again administratively realigned on 12 May 1909, each had three guns.

Fort Revere was laid out as a small, open plan, single company coastal fort. Construction on permanent post buildings began in 1901-1902 and continued through 1906 although most of the buildings were built in 1902. Only three sets of officer housing and two sets of NCO housing were built along with a single enlisted barracks housing 109 men. Support buildings included a headquarters, a hospital, a guard house, a PX and other necessary buildings.

Fort Revere Endicott Period Battery (edit list)
Battery
Click on Battery links below
No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes
Battery Ripley 2 12" Barbette 1898-1900-1901-1943 $ 110,646
Battery Sanders 3 6" Disappearing 1903-1906-1906-1943 $ 136,000
Battery Pope 3 6" Disappearing 1903-1906-1906-1917 Included above Guns to France
Battery Field 2 5" Balanced pillar 1898-1900-1901-1917 $ 14,050 Guns to France
Source: CDSG
Fort Revere Plan 1921


World War I (1917-1918)

After the start of World War I the guns of Battery Pope (3) and Battery Field (2) were ordered dismounted for use abroad. All of these guns were shipped to arsenals for modification and eventually made their way to France. Battery Pope and Battery Field remained unarmed.

The post was expanded during the war by the construction of temporary WWI buildings including barracks and mess halls. Some of these buildings can still be seen on the 1921 post plan. All of the temporary buildings were gone in the 1938 post plan.

World War II (1941-1945)

Fort Revere 1941 WWII Barracks, 63 man

The 30 Jun 1940 quartermaster report for Fort Revere set the post capacity at two officers, four NCOs and zero enlisted men. It seems that the only barracks for enlisted men had been taken out of service. The next year's report on 30 Jun 1941 indicated that ten barracks, four mess halls and officers quarters had been built in anticipation of the upcoming war. The post enlisted capacity was raised from 0 to 630. Later tents and hutments would further expand the capacity. A number of temporary support buildings were also built including a theater, a Post Exchange, day rooms and a firehouse. The permanent buildings were refurbished and made habitable. Over $212,000 was spent on new construction on Fort Revere during the 1941 fiscal year.

Fort Revere World War II Battery (edit list)
Battery
Click on Battery links below
No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes
Battery AMTB 941 2
2
90mm
90mm
AMTB Fixed
Mobile
1943-1943-1943-1946 $ 6,856
Source: CDSG

Deactivated on 31 Jul 1947 and declared surplus on 15 Feb 1948.

Current Status

Part of Fort Revere Park, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.


Location: Fort Revere Park, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

Maps & Images

Lat: 42.30455 Long: -70.90572

See Also:

Sources:

  • Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 408-409
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FUDS Archives Search Report, Findings, Fort Revere, Hull Massachusetts, Project No. D02MA021502, September 1995. Large PDF Download
  • U.S.Army, Supplement to the Harbor Defense Project of Boston, Massachusetts, (HDB-AN-45), 31 Jan 1945, CDSG

Links:

Visited: 18 May 2012

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