Fort Tompkins

Fort Tompkins commanded the approach to the harbor where the American fleet was under construction. It was built on ground elevated by a system of wooden cribs filled with stone, and it was armed with 20 cannon behind an earthen breastwork. Its largest cannon, a 32-pounder, could be pivoted to cover both land and water approaches. To destroy the navy yard and the ship under construction later named the General Pike, the British had to take the fort. As British forces pushed the Americans slowly back toward the harbor, the fort played a critical role. Its guns continued firing despite the heat and smoke from the burning barracks and storehouses, and some Americans in the fort fought from its blockhouse until the British retreated. Fort Tompkins was never taken. After the Battle of Sackets Harbor in 1813, the fort was continually improved to withstand expected attacks from Kingston, Upper Canada. By 1829, however, it had fallen into disrepair. Between 1847 and 1850, the U.S. Navy constructed two brick officers quarters and service buildings on the site, and by the 1860s the fort had been reduced to what is visible above ground today, its earthen walls graded down by successive commandants to create lawn areas around the officers houses. In 1967, the leveled fort became part of the state historic site.

Sackets Harbor, New York · United States