Endicott Period

{| style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" width="800px"  (F) 42.320335, -70.927756, Fort Warren (1847-1947) (F) 41.478811, -71.337876, Fort Adams (1793-1946) (F) 37.836513, -122.479019, Fort Baker (1) (1897-199?) (F) 46.207124, -123.967141, Fort Stevens (1865-1947) (F) 46.278602, -124.053326, Fort Canby (1852-1947) (F) 48.16241, -122.67995, Fort Casey (1) (1900-1950) (F) 46.252546, -123.92047, Fort Columbia (1896-1947) (F) 32.685114, -117.237124, Fort Rosecrans (1852-1959) (F) 48.133659, -122.765973, Fort Worden (1897-1953) (F) 40.80525, -73.791561, Fort Schuyler (1833-1934) (F) 40.794676, -73.778687, Fort Totten (3) (1862-1995) (F) 32.759382, -79.857666, Fort Moultrie (1776-1947) (F) 37.004129, -76.307237, Fort Monroe (1819-Active) (F) 32.751944, -79.874722, Fort Sumter (1842-1947) (F) 24.547884, -81.810207, Fort Taylor (2) (1861-1947) (F) 32.027222, -80.890278, Fort Pulaski (1829-1873) (F) 39.589518, -75.567355, Fort Delaware (1847-1944) (F) 30.228073, -88.022944, Fort Morgan (1819-194?) (F) 43.649716, -70.225478, Fort Preble (1808-1947) (F) 47.579508, -122.521462, Fort Ward (2) (1901 - 1938, 1942 - 1958) (F) 48.09869, -122.697372, Fort Flagler (1897-1953) (F) 48.133659, -122.765973, Fort Worden (1897-1953) (F) 40.88336, -73.770212, Fort Slocum (2) (1896-1965) (F) 38.711115, -77.034845, Fort Washington (1809-1946) (F) 39.199968, -76.4427209, Fort Howard (1899-1940) (F) 39.5705321, -75.5833626, Fort DuPont (1896-1945) (F) 39.60463, -75.5509186, Fort Mott (1872-1943) (F) 38.9343347, -75.3317177, Fort Saulsbury (1917-1946) (F) 33.8928968, -78.0172634, Fort Caswell (1826-1865) (1894-1926) (1941-1946) (F) 27.6127727, -82.7353442, Fort De Soto (1898-1948) (F) 27.599662, -82.7612114, Fort Dade (1899-1946) (F) 37.82667, -122.42222, Fort Alcatraz (1859-1934) (F) 39.20889, -76.53417, Fort Armistead (1) (1896-1928) (F) 37.83111, -122.52333, Fort Barry (1904-1965) (F) 39.214757, -76.519303, Fort Carroll (1848-1921) (F) 29.274233, -94.816775, Fort Crockett (1897-1953) (F) 30.248465, -88.075569, Fort Gaines (1821-1946) (F) 40.6086584, -74.0325308, Fort Hamilton (1825-Current) (F) 40.463889, -74.002778, Fort Hancock (2) (1857-1972) (F) 38.71659, -77.053514, Fort Hunt (1899-1946) (F) 29.356668, -89.455447, Fort Jackson (2) (1832-1928) (F) 37.807778, -122.429722, Fort Mason (2) (1852-1975) (F) 37.86278, -122.42167, Fort McDowell (1900-1946) (F) 37.782299, -122.505434, Fort Miley (1899-1948) (F) 30.327527, -87.290272, Fort Pickens (1829-1947) (F) 43.755062, -69.783711, Fort Popham (1862-1924) (F) 48.432457, -123.450971, Fort Rodd Hill (1894-1956) (F) 29.3334284, -94.769429, Fort San Jacinto (1898-1947) (F) 39.16611, -76.47806, Fort Smallwood (1890-1928) (F) 29.3624847, -89.465425, Fort St. Phillip (1841-1943) (F) 40.563889, -73.891111, Fort Tilden (1917-1974) (F) 40.605506, -74.054163, Fort Wadsworth (1865-1994) (F) 37.8108, -122.4769, Fort Winfield Scott (1853-1914) (F) 36.986786, -76.301143, Fort Wool (1) (1826-1946) (F) 41.255799, -72.029521, Fort H.G. Wright (1898-1948) (F) 41.201527, -72.120051, Fort Michie (1896-1948)

Endicott Period (1890-1910)
In 1885 US President Grover Cleveland appointed a joint army, navy and civilian board, headed by Secretary of War William C. Endicott, known as the Board of Fortifications. The findings of the board illustrated a grim picture of existing defenses in its 1886 report and recommended a massive $127 million construction program of breechloading cannons, mortars, floating batteries, and submarine mines for some 29 locations on the US coastline.

Prior efforts at harbor defense construction had ceased in 1876. Since that time the design and construction of heavy ordnance advanced rapidly, including the development of superior breechloading and longer-ranged cannon, making the US harbor defenses obsolete. In 1883, the navy had begun a new construction program with an emphasis on offensive rather than defensive warships. These factors combined to create a need for improved coastal defense systems.

The Endicott Board's recommendations would lead to a large scale modernization program of harbor and coastal defenses in the United States, especially the construction of modern reinforced concrete fortifications and the installation of large caliber breechloading artillery and mortar batteries. Typically, Endicott period projects were not fortresses, but a system of well-dispersed emplacements with few but large guns in each location. The structures were usually open-topped concrete walls protected by sloped earthworks. Many of these featured disappearing guns, which sat protected behind the walls, but could be raised to fire. Mine fields were a critical component of the defense, and smaller guns were also employed to protect the mine fields from mine sweeping vessels.

See Also:
 * Endicott Period Forts
 * Endicott Period Batteries
 * Harbor Defense
 * Defense Installations Portal

Sources:
 * Wikipedia - Endicott Period
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