Nomination for Fort Pickering

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form 10-300 (July 1969) PH0006/81 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE DB 73000 320 HE NO 4Fm TE: Massachusetts COUNTY: Essex NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FORNPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER (Type all entries - complete applicable sections) FEB 8 NAME COMMON: Fort Pickering RECEWED JUL 17 19/2 AND/O Fort°Fickering, Fort William, Fort Anne 00 2.

LOCATION STREET ANDUn Winter #6 REGISTER CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE Massachusetts CODE 025 COUNTY: CLASSIFICATION CATEGORY (Check One) OWNERSHIP STATUS L District Site Building Structure L Object Public Private Both Public Acquisition: In Process Being Considered Occupied Unoccupied Preservation work in progress PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Agricultural Government Commercial Industrial Educational Military Entertainment Museum Park Private Residence Religious Scientific - Transportation X Other (Specify) Open space OWNER OF PROPERTY OWNER'S NAME: United States Coast Guard STREET AND NUMBER: CITY OR TOWN: Washington LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: Registry of Deeds STREET AND NUMBER: Essex County Courthouse CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE: District of Columbia STATE Massachusetts REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS TITLE OF SURVEY: Inventory or Historic Assets of the Commonwealth DATE OF SURVEY: 1971 - Federal X State - County DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: Massachusetts Historical Commission, Office of the Secretary STREET AND NUMBER: State House, Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: STATE: Boston Massachu setts - Local DATE 1973 CODE 009 ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC Yes: Restricted Unrestricted No - Comments CODE CODE 025 Massachusetts Essex FEB CODE 025 STATE: COUNTY: ENTRY NUMBER DATE FOR NPS USE ONLY 7.

DESCRIPTION (Check One) Deteriorated CONDITION Excellent Good (Check One) Fair Ruins - Unexposed (Check One) X Altered Unaltered Moved XOriginal Site DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

Fort Pickering is located on the eastern and southern side of Winter Island. This 38 acre, ½ mile long island is situated on the western side of Salem Harbor and is connected to Salem Neck by a causeway. The fort site, which occupies roughly two acres, commands the western approach to the Har- bor. The present structures were built in 1863 by the Department of War and are generally in a ruinous, but restorable, condition. \The original defenses, set up at the site in 1644 or before, were similar to others in the Bay Colony. They were simple, unsophisticated earth and wood structures, which received sporadic attention during the seventeenth century- By 1706 the fort was rebuilt under the direction of the royal engineers who had originally been sent by King William III to fortify the colonies.

The first full description of the eighteenth century fort site was given in 1794 after Congress had passed legislation for improving coastal defenses. Engineers' plans of that date indicate that Fort William was irregular in shape with dimensions of 155' x 165'.. It contained separate structures for barracks, magazine and lodgement for the captain of the fort. The main battery of five heavy pieces faced the harbor behind a parapet of loose stone and earth. lIn October, 1794, Salem ceded the area of Fort William to the United - A new fort was immediately begun under the direction of S. Roche- fontaine, the engineer in charge of fortifications in the New England area. This fort was constructed of masonry and sods with a brick citadel for the garrison to live in, under which were a powder house and a bombproof.

Never garrisoned, the fort deteriorated until 1799 when it was repaired and re- named Fort Pickering. 1An engineer's report from 1811 describes Fort Pick- ering as an enclosed work of masonry and sods mounting six heavy guns, covered by a block house, a brick magazine and barracks for one officer and thirty men. Once again the fort deteriorated and in 1861 the government allocated monies to repair it. The outline of the present site of Fort Pickering strongly resembles that of the 1794 plans by Rochefontaine. The main structures are an earth-cov- ered block house, which is partially surrounded by a stone wall, and an earthen embankment. The embankment walls, approximately 4' high, are covered by earthen revetments and are in excellent condition in some places, notably at the southern end.

The block house has two brick vaults, openings of which are outlined in granite; a well preserved granite wall, approxi- mately 8' high, runs the length of its western side. About 20 yards south of the blockhouse is a rectangular mound 20' high, containing a vault in its southwestern corner. The location of this structure corresponds to the barracks location in Rochefontaine's drawings. Complete enclosure of the lLI/ fort is prevented by an access way to a nearby Coast Guard facility. -RECEVEO JUL-17 1972 00 'NATIONAL -REGISTER 9

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE PERIOD (Check One or More as Appropriate) Pre-Columbian| 15th Century 16th Century * 17th Century X) 18th Century *) 19th Century 20th Century SPECIFIC DATE(S) (If Applicable and Known) 1644, 1794, 1864, 1898 AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Abor iginal :Education Prehistoric X] Engineering Historic Industry Agriculture - Invention Architecture Landscape Art Architecture Commerce Literature Communications Military Conservation Music Political- Religion/Phi- losophy Science Sculpture Social/Human- itarian Theater Transportation -. Urban Planning Other (Specify) STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

Fort Pickering is the oidest remaining fortified site in Salem and one of he oldest in Massachusetts.V Although the exact date of its construction is hot known, the fort was in existence by 1644. The fort was named for King William in 1699; it was renamed for Queen Anne in 1704 but throughout the eighteenth century was known locally as Fort William. In 1774, Fort William served as a garrison for the 59th British Regiment under the command of Colonel Hamilton; this regiment later participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill. During the Revolution, the fort was garrisoned and protected the large fleet of privateers operating out of Salem Harbor. - Fort William was ceded to the United States government in 1794 and was rebuilt at that time.

Its name was changed in 1799 to Fort Pickering in honor of Timothy Pickering, a resident of Salem who was Secretary of War and then Secretary of State under President Washington and agai n under President Adams. In the same year, the famous frigate Essex was built under the protection of Fort Pickering's guns. The fort was still con- sidered important to coastal defenses in 1864, when it was again rebuilt by the federal government to include powder magazines and additional earth- works. It was garrisoned during the Spanish American War in 1898 but was later abandoned. 1.0) .1. 3102: 101 11 RECÊIVEO JUL 17 1972 NATIONAL REGISTER /ICI TETTE

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England, ed. by Nathaniel Shurtleff, 5 vols., Boston, 1854 Chronicles of the First Planters of Massachusetts Bay, 1623-1636, ed.by Alexander Young, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1846 Essex Institute Historical Commission Records Salem in 1700, Sidney Perley, Essex Antiquarian, Vol. 9, p.121 1794 Engineers' Plans, S. Rochefontaine, Essex Institute 0F:T 0.

CEOGRAPHICAL DATA LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY OF LESS THAN-TEN ACRES* CORNER LATITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds R LATITUDE LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Minutes - Seconds " 420 31, 36 - Degrees 70 - 54, 02 , NW NE " 329e 000e sas SE 99 SW APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: C.

two acres ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE FORM PREPARED BY NAME AND TITLE: Miss Anne Wardwell, Survey Director DATE ORGANIZATION Massachusetts Historical Commission April 30, 1971 STREET AND NUMBER: State House, Beacon Street CITY OR TOWN: Boston STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICATION STATE Massachusetts NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION CODE 025 As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na- tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forthby the National Park Service.

The recommended level of significance of this nomination is: National State Local I hereby certify that this property is included in the Nationa1 Register. Rihes Utler Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation x.X. Dono Secretary of the ommonwealth and Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission Date 2/8/>3 ATTEST: Mrao Mord Date June 28, 1972 Date RUCTIONS GP0 909.087 4709710 Z0NE 19 346680 PROPERTY FORT Working number TECH REVIEW PICKERING 717.72.1065 STATE Mass Essex Photos Maps REVIEW 11-1-22 HISTORIAN Not natioully ségnificent: Olaay farler 142/12 ARCHEOLOGIST ARCHITECT ok KH 2/5/73 BRANCH CHIEF OR B EDITORIAL REVIEW 30 KEEPER -8 National Register write-up Federal Register entry 3/6 Acknowledge Send-back Re-submit Register no. FEB 8 1/17/72 1973 Su D2 NPS Number Title: 3/8/73. Foet Pickeris C Loc.

ESSRX, ReMaiN PROPERT 1 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STATE Massachusetts NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY Essex PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with photograph) FOR NPS USE ENTRY NUMBER PEB NAME coMMON: Fort Pickering AND/OR HISTORIC: Fort Pickering, Fort William, Fort Anne LOCA TION STREET AND NUMBER: Winter Island CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE: Massachusetts PHOTO REFERENCE PHOTO CREDIT: Fred Abodeely, Salem News DATE OF PHOTO: June, 1972 NEGATIVE FILED AT: CODE COUNTYO 025 RECEIVEN JUL 17 1972 HATTONAL REGISTER Salem Evening News, Salem, Massachusetts IDENTIFICATION DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC. Remains of Fort Pickering as seen when facing south on Winter Broken lines indicate approximate boundaries of the Fort.

- U = F - Form 10-301 (July 1969) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES PROPERTY MAP FORM (Type all entries - attach to or enclose with map) STATE Massachusetts COUNTY Essex FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER FEB 8 DATE 1973 2. NAME COMMON: Fort Pickering AND/OR HISTORIC: Fort Pickering, Fort William, Fort Anne LOCATION STREET AND NUM BER: Winter Island CITY OR TOWN: Salem STATE: CODE COUNTY: 025 Massachusetts MAP REFERENCE SOURCE: U.S.G.S. Marblehead North SCALE: 1:24,000 DATE: 1956 REQUIREMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS 1. Property broundaries where required. 2. North arrow. 3. Latitude and longitude reference. / 101 RECEHVET JUL 17 1972 NATIONAL REGISTER CODE 009 BEVERLY Beach IW 6O MI. TO MASS IA Cone -Sand 32'30" BEVERLY Patch Bererly Lynch :/ Park Cove 1.

l sehthouse Sand CuHospital Pi VisiWoodbury Pt "Mingo,puach, CoDe Vits Smith Johns Point * Rock Alter Hear *eysCúrtis Pt + HARBOR Monument Bar 4711 Salem Willows :Yacht Club! N 1710 Salem Neck 2Juniper Pt " Cove Abbot Rock : SALEM Winter W3 ysland 10 Great Haste Island:0. Haste Rock 10 Cat Cove Si U S Coasi Guard Air Station Halftide Aquavitae Middle Ground ***greaok Aquavitae Little -SALEM Coney 1 Rock Coney V Isiand 20 Coney Ledge ahannel Wellman: BOUNDAEY Midchannei Rock SA 4709 SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS FORT PICKERING U.S.G.S. Marblehead North 1:24,000 1956 110 RECEIVED JUL 17 1972 NATIONAL REGISTER 9) Williams Rock itlebottom o Grays South Rock Chappel Ledge illman irth Chann Cat Isia ISALEM : Archer Roch 4708 550 000 FEET Green Stors to Junior %Marblehead 3High Sch > Boston Yacht Club Crocker Park Gordon Rock E Marblehead .Ighthouse.

-5 MARRLEHEAI Corinthian Yacht Clutz" HARBOR H EAD Lasque Ledge Marblehead Roch .. Marbiehead Neck 42-30 Boden Rks 70'52'30" 1770 000 FEET 347 SSAMPSCOASSTOWN HALLI 4.4 MI Mapped, edited, and published by the Geological Survey Control by USC&GS, Massachusetts Harbor and Land Commission, and Massachusetts Geodetic Survey Culture and drainage in part compiled from aerial photographs taken 1938. Topography by planetable surveys 1942. MN GN Culture revised by photogrammetric methods from aerial photographs taken 1955. Field check 1956 *1, Irography compiled from USC&GS charl 240 (1956) 284 MILS 16M, TO MAS'S 120 SALEM ICIVIC CENTERIS? MI 150 NSE DCPLACIDAN The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Secretary Prate House, Boston 02133 July 7, 1972 Till! John F. X.

Davoren 10 Secrelany of the Commanaulik ECEIVED JUL 17 1972 00 NATIONAL REGISTER cu Registration and Nominations Branch National Register of Historic Places Room 3207-A 1100 L Street, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20005 Certified Mail Attention: Miss Mary Means Dear Sirs: Enclosed are National Register submissions for: Essex County. Wenham, Claflin-Richards House. 2. 3. Essex County. Beverly, The John Balch House. Essex County. Salem, Fort Pickering. *XXXXXXSexx*xXXXXX-x*-XXxxXXX*XX-XX1xx* These have been declared eligible for submission by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the State Review Board, and have been signed by Secretary of the Commonwealth, John F. X. Davoren, Chairman, Massachusetts Historical Commission and designated the State Liaison Officer. Sincerely yours, TihariuMalil Richard W.

Hale, Jr./ Acting Chairman Massachusetts Historical Commission RWH/akc enclosures ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER STATE :4002028 Date Entered FEB&1923 Name Iocation Fost Pichering Fort Taber District Salag Esson Coanty Wer; Bedford Bristol County Also Notified Fon. Edward M. Kennedy Hon. Elward h. Srooke ton. 0eheol 0. cesieton ton. Corcy D. Stndas Director, Northeast Region PHR NRowland : mm 2/8/73 State Mialoon Officer Tor: J0P. Y. Davorea Beoratary of the Carponveatib Chaircan, Massachasetts Historical Conission 40 Icston, HassnchuseLt3 02:33