Didn’t the cannons boom here once? Fort Andrews, a coastal defense stronghold, whispers tales of soldiers, guns, and a harbor guarded against unseen enemies. This is Fort Andrews.
Fort Andrews stands on Peddocks Island. It is a key piece of Boston Harbor’s defense system. The fort’s story is etched into every crumbling wall. It echoes in the empty gun emplacements. Construction began in 1898. It was part of the Endicott program. This program modernized Boston’s harbor defenses. Fort Andrews was substantially complete by 1904.
It was named after Major General George Leonard Andrews. He was a Civil War commander. He also helped build nearby Fort Warren. Fort Andrews became an active Coast Artillery post. Hundreds of soldiers manned its mortars and guns. They controlled the southern approaches to Boston and Quincy Bay.
Let’s talk about the big guns of Fort Andrews. The fort boasted impressive armament. Battery Whitman and Battery Cushing were mortar complexes. They protected the southern approaches to Boston Harbor. Battery Whitman was planned as a four-pit battery. It would have had sixteen mortars. They could reach both northern and southern channels. Their range was seven miles. As built, Battery Whitman had two pits in a north-south alignment. Battery Cushing had two pits in an east-west alignment. Sixteen 12-inch coast defense mortars were housed here. These mortars hurled projectiles weighing over 1000 pounds. Three mortar pits are still visible today.
Battery McCook had two 6-inch guns. Battery Rice had two 5-inch guns until 1917. Battery Bumpus had two 3-inch guns. These guns sat in concrete emplacements. They were on the bluff northeast of the fort. They overlooked Nantasket Roads. This was the main channel to Quincy Bay. The gun emplacements remain.
World War I brought changes to Fort Andrews. Battery Rice’s two 5-inch guns went to Fort Story in Virginia in 1917. They needed an emergency battery. The 5-inch gun was withdrawn after the war. These guns were never replaced. Battery McCook’s two 6-inch guns were ordered dismounted. They might have served on field carriages on the Western Front. These guns never left the fort. They were remounted in 1920.
Almost half of Fort Andrews’ mortars were removed in 1918. Reloading four mortars per pit was inefficient. A similar rate of fire was possible with two mortars per pit. Many 12-inch mortars became railway artillery. They might have served on the Western Front. Battery Cushing was reduced to four mortars. Battery Whitman was reduced to six mortars.
By the 1920s, Fort Andrews had about thirty structures. There were large brick barracks. Each housed over 100 soldiers. There were elegant officers’ quarters. There was also a 50-bed hospital. The fort even had a radio transmitting station. It was one of the Army’s earliest.
After World War I, Fort Andrews was mothballed. It was brought back into action during World War II. By the 1930s, the fort’s mortars were outdated. Long-range guns at Fort Ruckman and Fort Duvall superseded them. In 1942, the fort’s massive coast defense mortars were scrapped. Its 6-inch and 3-inch guns guarded the southern approaches to Boston Harbor.
The fort also served as a prisoner-of-war camp. Italian prisoners were housed here during World War II. They worked as laborers after Italy surrendered to the Allies in 1943.
In 1946, the Army decommissioned Fort Andrews. In the 1970s, Massachusetts purchased Peddocks Island. It became a public park. Today, some buildings and batteries still stand. They remind visitors of the fort’s role. It defended Boston Harbor for half a century.
Fort Andrews had many fire control structures. These housed the evolving Coast Artillery fire control system. The oldest is the East Side fire control building. It was completed in 1904. It had a commanding view of the southern harbor channels.
Take a moment to imagine the dedication it took to build and operate Fort Andrews. Think of the soldiers who stood guard here. Fort Andrews is a reminder of a time when the threat of war loomed large. It is a testament to the ingenuity and determination of those who sought to protect Boston.