Fort Gorges
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Fort Gorges
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Fort Gorges
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| Location | E of Portland on Hog Island, Portland Harbor |
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| Nearest city | Portland, Maine |
| Coordinates | 43°39′47″N 70°13′17″W / 43.66306°N 70.22139°WCoordinates: 43°39′47″N 70°13′17″W / 43.66306°N 70.22139°W |
| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Built | 1858 |
| NRHP Reference # | 73000114 |
| Added to NRHP | August 28, 1973 |
Fort Gorges is a former United States military fort built on Hog Island Ledge in Casco Bay, Maine. Built from 1858 to 1864, no battles were fought there and no troops were stationed there. Advancing military technology, including iron clad ships and long range guns, made the fort obsolete before it could be used. The fort is now a park, accessible only by boat. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Following the War of 1812, the United States Army Corps of Engineers proposed that a fort be built on Hog Island Ledge, in Casco Bay at the entrance to the harbor at Portland, Maine. Named for the colonial proprietor of Maine, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, it was constructed to support existing forts, including Fort Preble in South Portland and Fort Scammel built on nearby House Island in 1808. Congress, however, did not fund construction of Fort Gorges until 1857. The walls of the fort were begun the next year, and when the American Civil War broke out in 1861, work quickly advanced.
The fort was designed by Colonel Reuben Staples Smart. The chief architect in charge of construction was Thomas Lincoln Casey, who later became Chief of Engineers. It is similar in size and construction to Fort Sumter, but is built of granite instead of brick.
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