Fort Severn

Fort Severn was a naval installation in Annapolis located at Windmill Point and built with wooden structures to protect the harbor. The facility provided protected grounds for military training and education.

The United States Navy acquired the site in 1845 and established it as the first home of the United States Naval Academy. This marked a major shift in how the nation trained its naval officers.

The fort functioned as a training ground where naval students learned mathematics, navigation, gunnery, and languages through daily study. Midshipmen worked here gaining hands-on experience alongside classroom instruction.

The wooden buildings stood until 1909 when they were demolished to make room for Academy expansion. A commemorative marker on the grounds marks where the original structures once stood.

A commemorative plaque placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1977 marks the former fort's location. This marker preserves the memory of a site crucial to early American naval history.

Location: Annapolis

Inception: 1808

GPS coordinates: 38.98180,-76.48120

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:42