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United States of America

Fort Gorges

Fort National Register of Historic Places listed place

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Fort Gorges, Civil War fortress in Portland Harbor, United States

The D-shaped granite structure on Hog Island Ledge contains 56 gun positions and three levels of chambers built entirely from local stone materials.

Construction of Fort Gorges began in 1858 as part of the third system of US coastal defense, following concerns raised during the War of 1812.

The fort represents mid-19th century military engineering, featuring one of the largest remaining Civil War Parrott rifles mounted on the second level.

Access to Fort Gorges requires private boat transportation or kayak rental, and visitors need flashlights to explore the dark powder storage chambers.

The fortress became obsolete upon completion in 1864 due to advancements in artillery technology, resulting in zero military engagements throughout its existence.

Location: Portland

Inception: 1865

Website: https://friendsoffortgorges.org

GPS coordinates: 43.66306,-70.22139

Latest update: May 11, 2025 03:25

Photo author: Richard Craven
Photo license: CC BY-SA 2.5

Photo author: This file comes from the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) or Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS). These are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consist of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written reports. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing. Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse This image or media file contains material based on a work of a National Park Service employee, created as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, such work is in the public domain in the United States. See the NPS website and NPS copyright policy for more information.
Photo license: Public domain

Nature sites and historic places in Maine

32 elements

Maine features state parks, lighthouses and historic sites. The region includes waterfalls, lakes, islands and coastal areas. Visitors find old forts, hiking trails and nature preserves. The landscape ranges from mountain areas to sandy beaches. Parks like Baxter and Acadia allow exploration of wilderness.

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Fort Gorges

Fort Gorges, Civil War fortress in Portland Harbor, United States

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