Fort Stevens, Military fort in Warrenton, United States
Fort Stevens is a former military site on the south shore of the Columbia River mouth, built in 1863–64 as an earthwork battery called Fort at Point Adams. Its Endicott-period concrete batteries, including Russell, Walker, Lewis and Mishler, held eight 254-mm guns that could be lowered out of sight between firings. The long, low concrete structure in the photograph has a dark flat-faced band with evenly spaced rectangular openings, lighter lower walls with narrow vertical slots, and a roof covered with dry, yellowish ground.
The site began in 1863 during the Civil War and remained active until 1947, when coastal defense was abandoned. In June 1942, a Japanese submarine shelled the battery, making it the only mainland military post in the US to face enemy fire in World War II.
The fort's name honors Isaac I. Stevens, the Washington Territory governor killed at the Battle of Chantilly in 1862. Visitors can join underground tours of Battery Mishler, whose tunnels were converted into a harbor defense command post in 1942. The military history museum displays uniforms, tools, and personal items of the soldiers stationed here.
Trails in the park suit walkers and cyclists, but wheelchair users will find paved routes only in some areas. The beach with the shipwreck lies roughly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of the main batteries and is reached by sand paths.
The wreck of the Peter Iredale, a British sailing ship, still rises from the sand and draws photographers at sunset. Wind and salt water have turned the rusty steel ribs dark red, and at low tide you can walk up to what remains of the hull.
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