Fort Levett

Fort Levett is a military fortification on Cushing Island off Portland's coast featuring several gun batteries including Battery Bowdoin and Battery Kendrick. These batteries are strategically positioned along the rocky shoreline to defend the harbor.

The fort was built in 1898 as part of the Endicott Program to protect Portland Harbor from threats. It served as a defense installation through both World War I and World War II until being deactivated in 1948.

The site takes its name from Christopher Levett, an English explorer who established the first European settlement in what became Portland. The remaining structures on the island serve as reminders of both early settlement and later military operations.

Access to the fort requires private boat transportation to Cushing Island since the former military structures sit on private residential property. Visitors should plan accordingly and arrange boat passage in advance.

The site preserves 28 original structures from its military period, including a guardhouse designed to house 24 prisoners and 12 guards. These buildings reveal how thoroughly planned the installation was for its defensive mission.

Location: Portland

Inception: 1898

GPS coordinates: 43.64306,-70.19528

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:04