Fort Rodman
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Fort Taber District or the Fort at Clark's Point is a historic
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
-era military fort on Wharf Road within the former Fort Rodman Military Reservation in
New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
. The fort is now part of Fort Taber Park, a 47-acre town park located at Clark's Point. Fort Taber was an earthwork built nearby with city resources and garrisoned 1861-1863 until Fort Rodman was ready for service.


Fort Taber

After the Civil War began in April 1861, it was apparent that the Fort at Clark's Point was still years from completion. Fort Taber, a small earthwork with six cannons, was built nearby with city resources, and named after New Bedford's mayor during that period. It provided a temporary defense until the stone fort was garrisoned in 1863. Fort Taber is marked by a stone outline today, directly behind the stone fort. It was noted at the time that the stone fort's presence interfered with effective fire from Fort Taber, and a battery of field artillery was emplaced east of Fort Taber.Fort Rodman article at FortWiki.com
/ref>
/ref> The Fort Taber name was unofficially used to refer to the Fort at Clark's Point for many years, even by the garrison in letters home, and is used to refer to the stone fort in some recent references.


Fort Rodman


Civil War era

Also known as the Old Stone Fort, Fort Rodman (known as "Fort at Clark's Point" until 1898) began construction in 1857 under the third system of US fortifications, and in 1862 construction became overseen by Henry Robert, author of
Robert's Rules of Order ''Robert's Rules of Order'', often simply referred to as ''Robert's Rules'', is a manual of parliamentary procedure by U.S. Army officer Henry Martyn Robert. "The object of Rules of Order is to assist an assembly to accomplish the work for which ...
and an Army Corps of Engineers officer.Fort Taber Park at New Bedford city website
The fort, as built, had emplacements for 72
cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
in three tiers; a fourth tier was originally planned, but this was removed from the design to allow more timely completion.Weaver, pp. 115–120 Construction was halted in 1871, and the fort as planned was never completed. The fort is awaiting restoration and is not open to the public.


Endicott period

With new batteries being constructed under the Endicott program in 1898, the U.S. Army officially named the military reservation at the site and the fort as Fort Rodman Military Reservation, in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Logan Rodman, a New Bedford native with the 38th Massachusetts Infantry who died in the assault on Port Hudson, Louisiana in 1863. It was the primary fort of the Coast Defenses of New Bedford, and was garrisoned by the
United States Army Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery d ...
. Along with gun batteries, facilities for planting and controlling an underwater minefield were built. The site was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1973. The Endicott period batteries at Fort Rodman were built 1898-1902, with other batteries added later as follows:Berhow, p. 206 Battery Walcott was named for William H. Walcott of the
17th U.S. Infantry The 17th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment. An earlier regiment designated the 17th Infantry Regiment was organized on 11 January 1812, but it was consolidated with four other regiments as the 3rd Infantry in the post ...
in the Civil War. Battery Barton was named for William Barton of the Revolutionary War. Battery Cross was named for Charles E. Cross, an engineer officer killed at the
Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...
in the Civil War. Battery Craig was named for Presley O. Craig, 2nd U.S. Artillery, killed at the First Battle of Bull Run in the Civil War. Battery Gaston was named for William Gaston,
1st U.S. Dragoons The 1st Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army regiment that has its antecedents in the early 19th century in the formation of the United States Regiment of Dragoons. To this day, the unit's special designation is "First Regiment of Dragoons ...
, killed in 1858 fighting Native Americans. Battery Milliken was named for Alfred S. Milliken, an engineer officer killed in World War I.


World War I through World War II

After the American entry into World War I many 5-inch guns were withdrawn from forts for potential service on field carriages on the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
. However, Battery Cross's two guns were removed in 1917 and installed on the Army transport ship USAT ''Kilpatrick''. They were returned to Fort Rodman in March 1919, and scrapped in 1921 under a general removal from Coast Artillery service of 5-inch guns. The 8-inch guns of Batteries Walcott and Barton were dismounted for potential service as railway artillery in June 1918, but were remounted later without leaving the fort. In 1920 the
Driggs-Seabury Driggs-Seabury Ordnance Company was founded in 1897 by William H. Driggs and Samuel Seabury, both US Navy officers, in partnership with William's brother Louis Labadie "L. L." Driggs, originally to produce guns for the US Army and US Navy design ...
M1898 3-inch guns of Batteries Craig and Gaston were removed due to a general removal from service of this type of gun; they were not replaced. Battery Milliken was built 1917-1921 as part of a general upgrade of the Coast Artillery with existing 12-inch M1895 guns on new long-range carriages, initially in open mounts. Compared with disappearing carriages, this increased the range of this type of gun from to . This effectively replaced the fort's previous 8-inch guns, but those were not removed until World War II. Battery Milliken housed the post switchboard, and during World War II this was operated by the Women's Army Corps, for which the latrines were re-arranged. In 1925 the Coast Defenses of New Bedford were renamed the
Harbor Defenses of New Bedford The Harbor Defenses of New Bedford was a United States Army Coast Artillery Corps harbor defense command. It coordinated the coast defenses of New Bedford, Massachusetts and the nearby Cape Cod Canal from 1900 to 1950, beginning with the ...
, as were all similar commands.''Coast Artillery Organization: A Brief Overview'' at the Coast Defense Study Group website
/ref> In 1938 a battery of two 155 mm guns on "
Panama mount Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a List of transcontinental countries#North America and South America, transcontinental country spanning the Central America, southern ...
s" (circular concrete platforms) was built at Fort Rodman. In 1940-1941 numerous temporary buildings were constructed on site to accommodate newly mobilized units. In 1942 the two 8-inch guns of Batteries Walcott and Barton were scrapped, leaving only the 12-inch Battery Milliken and the 155 mm battery active. Battery Milliken was
casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which artillery, guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to Ancient history, antiquity, th ...
d for protection against air attack during the war. HD New Bedford was garrisoned by the 23rd Coast Artillery from February 1940 through October 1944. This unit was a battalion for most of the war, but was redesignated as a regiment September 1943 through February 1944.Stanton, pp. 459, 484 In 1946, with the war over, Fort Rodman was disarmed and subsequently turned over to the Commonwealth.


Associated batteries

Several additional small-caliber batteries defended New Bedford and
Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since ...
during World War II. Chief among these was Battery 210 at
Mishaum Point Military Reservation Mishaum Point Military Reservation was a coastal defense site located in Dartmouth, Massachusetts as part of the Harbor Defenses of New Bedford. History The Mishaum Point Military Reservation was built on land purchased in 1943. Its mission was ...
in
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. It had two 6-inch M1 guns in long-range shielded mounts with a large bunker for ammunition and
fire control Fire control is the practice of reducing the heat output of a fire, reducing the area over which the fire exists, or suppressing or extinguishing the fire by depriving it of fuel, oxygen, or heat (see fire triangle). Fire prevention and control ...
between them. It currently has a private residence built on it. A two-gun 155 mm battery was at the location until the 6-inch battery was completed in 1945, along with the harbor entrance control post for New Bedford. Defending the passage to New Bedford between Dartmouth and Cuttyhunk Island were two batteries of 90 mm guns, one at
Barneys Joy Point Military Reservation Barneys Joy Point Military Reservation was a World War II coastal defense site located in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. History The Barneys Joy Point Military Reservation was built on land acquired by the US government in 1943. Its mission was to p ...
and one on Cuttyhunk Island, part of the
Elizabeth Islands Military Reservation Elizabeth Islands Military Reservation was a World War II coastal defense site located on Cuttyhunk Island and Nashawena Island in the town of Gosnold, Massachusetts. History The Elizabeth Islands Military Reservation was built on land acquired ...
. These were called Anti- Motor Torpedo Boat Batteries (AMTB) 931 and 932, respectively. The AMTB batteries had an authorized strength of four 90 mm guns, two on fixed mounts and two on towed mounts. An additional 90 mm battery, AMTB 933, was on
Nashawena Island Nashawena Island is the second largest of the Elizabeth Islands of Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies between Cuttyhunk Island to the west and Pasque Island to the east. The island has a land area of and an official permanen ...
, just east of Cuttyhunk Island. Protecting the southern entrance to the
Cape Cod Canal The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south, and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The approximately canal traverses the neck o ...
was a two-gun 155 mm battery on Panama mounts, replaced in 1943 by AMTB 934, at Butler Point Military Reservation in
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.


Present

The fort's guns were all scrapped by 1948. The fort grounds and garrison buildings became a military reserve center, and eventually a
wastewater treatment Wastewater treatment is a process used to remove contaminants from wastewater and convert it into an effluent that can be returned to the water cycle. Once returned to the water cycle, the effluent creates an acceptable impact on the environme ...
plant was built on part of the site.
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth or UMassD) is a public research university in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It is the southernmost campus of the University of Massachusetts system. Formerly Southeastern Massachusetts Un ...
(Southeastern Massachusetts University prior to 1991) occupies some of the fort's buildings. The reserve center closed in the 1970s. Today most of the former fort is a public park, but as of 2016 the stone fort and gun batteries are fenced off, and the Endicott batteries are overgrown. The stone fort has occasionally been opened for special events.


Lighthouse

The
Clarks Point Light The Clarks Point Light is located in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Originally constructed as a wooden tower, it was replaced with a stone tower in 1804. This in turn was replaced by a structure on the parapets of Fort Rodman which was deactivated in ...
stands on the parapet of the fort. Originally established as a freestanding tower, it was moved to the fort in 1869 because the fort's walls obscured the beacon from some angles. it was deactivated in 1898, but was relit in 2001 by the city as a private aid to navigation.


Fort Taber Historical Association Museum

The Fort Taber Historical Association Museum is located at Fort Taber Park, and features a miniature model of the fort, uniforms from different eras during the fort's active use, photos and military memorabilia. It is operated by the Fort Taber/Fort Rodman Historical Association and opened in 2004.


Park amenities

The park includes several gun
batteries Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
, and
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
,
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, and
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
re-enactments are held in the park. The stone fort and 20th-century batteries are fenced off but can be viewed. A World War II
M-4 Sherman } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...
tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...
recovered from the debris of Exercise Tiger is on display in the park, and serves as the US memorial for the dead of the Exercise. A commemoration ceremony is held annually.


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in New Bedford, Massachusetts * Seacoast defense in the United States *
United States Army Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery d ...
*
List of coastal fortifications of the United States The United States and the colonies that preceded it built numerous coastal defenses to defend major cities, ports and straits from the colonial era through World War II. Some listed were built by other nations and are now on United States territo ...
* List of military installations in Massachusetts


References

* * * *


External links


Fort Taber Park
- City of New Bedford
Fort Taber/Fort Rodman Park at Destination New Bedford

Fort Taber/Fort Rodman Historical Association

List of all US coastal forts and batteries
at the Coast Defense Study Group, Inc. website
FortWiki, lists most CONUS and Canadian forts

NorthAmericanForts.com, lists most US forts
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Historic districts in Bristol County, Massachusetts Rodman Rodman Buildings and structures in New Bedford, Massachusetts History of Bristol County, Massachusetts Museums in Bristol County, Massachusetts American Civil War museums in Massachusetts Geography of Bristol County, Massachusetts Parks in Bristol County, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in New Bedford, Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts 1861 establishments in Massachusetts