Fort Howe (1)

 (1777-1819) - A Colonial post established in 1777 during the Revolutionary War by Brigade Major Gilfrid Studholme in present day Saint John, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada. Named for Lieutenant General Sir William Howe then commander of British forces in North America. Refurbished and regarrisoned during the War of 1812. Destroyed by fire and abandoned in 1819.

History
Established in 1777 during the Revolutionary War by Brigade Major Gilfrid Studholme and a detachment of soldiers on a hill overlooking the Saint John Harbor and the mouth of the Saint John River. The selected site overlooked the sites of previous fortifications (Fort La Tour and Fort Frederick (4)) and provide a sweeping view of the town and the harbor. At the end of the Revolutionary War Saint John attracted Loyalist driven from the United States and the town expanded.

The fort was originally built out with a prefabricated blockhouse and armed with four 6 pounder cannons. The post was expanded in 1778 to include another blockhouse, a separate barracks and eight additional cannons. A stone magazine was added later at the base of the hill. The fort deteriorated after the Revolutionary War but was refurbished and regarrisoned during the War of 1812.

The fort was destroyed by fire in 1819 and the property was sold off at public auction in 1823. The site continued in intermittent use and remained a military reservation until 1914. The site housed an anti-aircraft battery during World War II.

The Fort Howe site became Fort Howe National Park on 30 Mar 1914 but was returned to the City of Saint John in 1930 and ceased to be a national park. The site was designated a National Historic Site in 1966 but did not rejoin the national park system and it remains a city park.

Current Status
Part of Fort Howe City Park in Saint John, Saint John County, New Brunswick, Canada. A Canadian National Historic Site. The site of the original blockhouse is marked with a stone monument fitted with four plaques, three of which commemorate the fort, the Indian treaty of 1778 and Major Gilfrid Studholme. The fourth plaque is blank. A fantastic view of the city and harbor.

A 1967 reproduction blockhouse is located nearby on the same ridge. Several display guns are located by the blockhouse including two period guns and a World War II howitzer. The blockhouse was not open during our visit.

Sources:

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Howe
 * New Brunswick Military Heritage Project - Fort Howe
 * Canada's Historic Places - Fort Howe
 * Wikipedia - Fort Howe