Main Gateway

Two sets of gates protected the main entrance, or sally port. During improvements made in the 1840s, a drawbridge was added to make the approach to the gates more difficult. Operated by a unique system of iron counterweights and chains, the drawbridge was designed to close rapidly in case of land attack. The entrance was also guarded by cannon, with thirteen guns mounted on the parapet covering the approaches to the gateway. To protect the area next to the wall and gateway, two casemates, or gun rooms, were built into the wall flanking the bridge.

Fort Hunt, Virginia · United States