Dedicated in 1847 and completed in the 1860's, Fort Warren is by far the largest and most fascinating fort we've visited in New England. It is situated on George's Island in the Boston Harbor and the boat ride alone is worth the trip out there. We sat on the upper deck of the Brant Point Ferry and enjoyed a narrated ride by a host that was one-third tour guide, one-third historian, and one-third comedian.
Arriving at the island we almost felt overwhelmed with where to begin, and I found myself sizing up the place while at the same time counting hours until our boat ride back, trying to decide how fast we'd need to whip through in order to see everything. We stopped just long enough to admire these guns at the entrance before heading into the pentagon shaped fort. Also, because I have very little knowledge of weapons, expect that I'll refer to anything from the smallest of pistols to the largest of bazookas as a "gun".
Going through the main entrance we found a winding stone stairway leading to the top of the fort where you can really take in the vastness of the island, which based on whether you're measuring at high tide or low tide will vary from 39 to 53 acres.
Fort Warren was built to hold 200 guns, and although most are long since removed a handful have been left sporadically throughout. Here is Logan barely able to contain his excitement at seeing one.
During the civil war Fort Warren served as a prison that was home to almost 800 military and political inmates. Most famous of these was then Vice-President of the Confederacy, Alexander H. Stephens, who spent 5 months captive on the island. More recently the fort served as a very brief holding cell for these two hardened rugrats.
Following the war and release of its prisoners, Fort Warren saw use as a training installation and went through a series of overhauls and upgrades. During WWI and WWII it served in our country's coastal defense, including being the control center for a mine field laid throughout the Boston Harbor. The fort was decommissioned in 1947, changed hands from the federal government to the State of Massachusetts in 1958, and in 1961 underwent restorations and was opened to the public.
Although most parts remain accessible I estimate that maybe a third of the fort was closed off from exploring, including the entire second level of the far side. But wouldn't you know, we visited at a time when for whatever reason a portable set of wooden steps was placed against an opening on the outside wall. Maybe they figured nobody in their right mind would climb these stairs and try crawling through a hole 15 feet in the air, but those people have never met my wife Tina.
And the next thing we know we were wandering through this long hallway that for some reason was off limits to the public.
It was down this hallway that I found what looked like a storage chest built into the floor, and because I was already breaking one rule by being here I decided why not break a second one and open the chest.
Of all the things I expected to find - weapons, war remnants, maybe a bunch of canisters with skulls and crossbones on them - what was inside I couldn't have guessed with a thousand tries. This large stone plague - and you're going to have to trust me on what it says because apparently I don't know how to use the flash on my camera - which reads "The Golden Rule, Treat Others As You Wish To Be Treated".
I'm going to speculate on this sign and why it's on this island. During it's time as a military prison Fort Warren had a reputation as one of the most humane places to be held captive. When the warden's son was send to battle during the civil war, several confederate officers being held prisoner at the fort actually gave the son letters that, in case he should be captured in the south, urged he be taken good care of. Could this plaque have been one small representation of the leadership that created this culture? If so, why is it tucked away in this forbidden room rather than on display? Enough weapons were being shown off on the island's museum, surely they could make room for this. Or they could even hang it in one of the forts fascinating, never-ending corridors such as this one.
But that would be a mystery for another day. We backtracked across a field of goose droppings and enjoyed our boat ride to the mainland, which fortunately didn't feature any more tour guides. We loved the narration on the way there, but coming back was made for enjoying a peaceful ride through the harbor and reflecting on our day, and each of us sharing the favorite part of our visit to Fort Warren.
During the civil war Fort Warren served as a prison that was home to almost 800 military and political inmates. Most famous of these was then Vice-President of the Confederacy, Alexander H. Stephens, who spent 5 months captive on the island. More recently the fort served as a very brief holding cell for these two hardened rugrats.
Following the war and release of its prisoners, Fort Warren saw use as a training installation and went through a series of overhauls and upgrades. During WWI and WWII it served in our country's coastal defense, including being the control center for a mine field laid throughout the Boston Harbor. The fort was decommissioned in 1947, changed hands from the federal government to the State of Massachusetts in 1958, and in 1961 underwent restorations and was opened to the public.
Although most parts remain accessible I estimate that maybe a third of the fort was closed off from exploring, including the entire second level of the far side. But wouldn't you know, we visited at a time when for whatever reason a portable set of wooden steps was placed against an opening on the outside wall. Maybe they figured nobody in their right mind would climb these stairs and try crawling through a hole 15 feet in the air, but those people have never met my wife Tina.
And the next thing we know we were wandering through this long hallway that for some reason was off limits to the public.
It was down this hallway that I found what looked like a storage chest built into the floor, and because I was already breaking one rule by being here I decided why not break a second one and open the chest.
Of all the things I expected to find - weapons, war remnants, maybe a bunch of canisters with skulls and crossbones on them - what was inside I couldn't have guessed with a thousand tries. This large stone plague - and you're going to have to trust me on what it says because apparently I don't know how to use the flash on my camera - which reads "The Golden Rule, Treat Others As You Wish To Be Treated".
The Golden Rule - Treat Others As You Wish To Be Treated
But that would be a mystery for another day. We backtracked across a field of goose droppings and enjoyed our boat ride to the mainland, which fortunately didn't feature any more tour guides. We loved the narration on the way there, but coming back was made for enjoying a peaceful ride through the harbor and reflecting on our day, and each of us sharing the favorite part of our visit to Fort Warren.
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the plaque with the golden rule was blocked off to the public due to political activists calling it a confederate monument, even though the fort was a union fort. Unfortunately politics trumps historical accuracy, and the valuable lesson is no longer shared or taught to visitors, which is a utter tragedy
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