Topic summary
Castle William
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Fort Independence (Massachusetts).
Castle William
The site of Fort Independence has been occupied by various fortifications since 1634. The first fort to be constructed on Castle Island resulted from a visit by Governor John Winthrop; it was partly financed by him and the council. Construction was planned and supervised by Deputy Gov. Roger Ludlow and Captain John Mason of Dorchester, producing a "castle with mud walls" with masonry of oyster shell lime in which cannon were mounted to defend Boston from attack by sea. The first commander of the fort was Captain Nicholas Simpkins in 1634. The first fort soon fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in 1644 following a scare due to the arrival of a French warship in the harbor. The fort was reconstructed out of pine logs, stone, and earth, with 10-foot walls around a compound 50 feet square. It mounted six saker cannons and three smaller guns. A later commander was Captain Richard Davenport, who supervised the post from 1645 until 1665 when he was struck by lightning and killed. His successor was Captain Roger Clap, who commanded the fort from 1665–1686.