Manchester State Park is a state park in

Kitsap County, Washington Kitsap County is located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 275,611. Its county seat is Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton. The county was formed out of King County and Jefferson County o ...

, United States. It is situated on the east side of the

Kitsap Peninsula The Kitsap Peninsula () lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound, in Washington state in the Pacific Northwest. Hood Canal separates the peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula on its west side. The peninsula, a.k.a. "Kitsap", encompasses all of Kit ...

with of shoreline facing

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

. It was at one time a harbor defense installation for the nearby

Bremerton Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremer ...

, then a fuel supply depot and

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

fire-fighting station. The park contains a former

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

warehouse, a mining casement, and a gun battery. Park activities include picnicking, camping, boating, fishing, hiking on of trails, birdwatching, volleyball, wildlife viewing, and horseshoes.

History

Manchester State Park, originally called Middle Point Military Reservation, was used as a fortification with Fort Ward on

Bainbridge Island Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington. It is located in Puget Sound. The population was 23,025 at the 2010 census and an estimated 25,298 in 2019, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County. ...

to protect the

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted ...

in Bremerton during the early 1900s. The

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 ...

established Middle Point while the defense of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard became a priority for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. Since Fort Ward could protect part of Puget Sound with its four

coastal artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...

batteries, the primary defensive tactic at Middle Point was the operation of a minefield in

Rich Passage Rich Passage is a tidal strait in Puget Sound, allowing access to Bremerton, Washington, Sinclair Inlet, and Dyes Inlet. It separates Bainbridge Island from the Manchester area of Kitsap Peninsula. Due to the activities at Puget Sound Naval ...

. The mines were electrically controlled from a mining casemate, being able to detonate at the will of the operator instead of from direct contact. In 1901, a torpedo warehouse was built at Middle Point as a place to store the

naval mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any ...

s that would be used in the minefield. Later, the warehouse was "used as an officers' club, barracks, and mess hall". Former mining casemate

Middle Point's gun battery, Battery Mitchell, was designed to have two 3-inch rapid-fire guns as an added defense for the Rich Passage minefield. However, the guns were never fitted due to Fort Ward having the necessary gun emplacements to protect it from Bainbridge Island. Battery Mitchell's layout includes rooms where ammunition would have been stored for the guns, and rooms where soldiers would have sought protection under enemy fire. The gun battery is named after Lieutenant Robert B. Mitchell. Although Middle Point never encountered any threats, the Navy controlled it through

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

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 opposing ...

as a fuel supply depot and fire-fighting station until it was decommissioned in 1958. After the state of Washington claimed it in 1970, the land became Manchester State Park, named after the town of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, Washington. It remained undeveloped until the state government was able to fund cleanup and construction of campsites. The park opened to the public on May 22, 1981.

Activities and amenities

Manchester State Park offers standard and RV campsites that are open year round, two picnic shelters, 1.9 miles (3.1 km) of hiking trails, public restrooms, and beach access. Water activities include boating, diving, kayaking, and saltwater fishing. Other activities include hiking, picnicking, birdwatching, volleyball, badminton, wildlife viewing, horseshoes, and mountain biking. The former torpedo warehouse is open to the public and can be reserved for special occasions, such as weddings and reunions. In 2015, three exhibit signs were installed at the park as a part of a park improvement plan. The signs explain the area's coastal defense history to visitors.

References

External links

Manchester State Park
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Manchester State Park Map
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission {{authority control State parks of Washington (state) Parks in Kitsap County, Washington