Fort Williams

The first time I visited Fort Williams was in the early 1990s, where armed with just a folding map and sense of adventure my wife and I made the one hour drive to Cape Elizabeth from our apartment, in roughly two hours. Several wrong turns aside however, we enjoyed it so much we've been going back ever since, most recently this past summer when we introduced the place to my parents for their very first time.

Fort Williams started as 14 acre sub-post to nearby Fort Preble, but by 1899 had grown to 90 acres and been distinguished as its own fort - named after the late Major General Seth Williams - and now included an officer quarters, barracks, a hospital, and even a fire station.

Fort Williams played a part in both world wars. During WW1 the fort was manned by National Guard and artillery troups, and during WW2 it served at the headquarters to the Harbor Defenses of Portland. It never saw action in these or any other war, but its guns were test fired as early as 1898 prior to the Spanish-American War.

In 1943 all guns were removed from the fort, and by 1950 it had transformed from a defensive post to an administrative installation for the military. The installation closed in 1962, and two years later it was purchased by Cape Elizabeth for $200,000.

Many ideas for what to do with the site were bantered about in the following years, with some going to far as proposing the site be town down and converted to low-income housing. Those bullets were dodged though, and in 1979 the land was opened to the public as Fort Williams Park.

One of the most beautiful structures at the park is the Goddard Mansion, constructed prior to the fort's existence in 1858. The Army acquired the mansion as part of its expansion in 1900, and it served as NCO quarters for non-commissioned officers. Time has taken its toll, and in 1975 the town offered the mansion up for salvage in order to have it removed. Fortunately for people like me there were no takers, so to make it safe for the public the mansion was gutted through a controlled fire in 1981, the basement filled in, and in 2009 the insides were gated by a protective fence.

The Original Rondinone Explorers

Fort Williams also features a magnificent cliff walk, a 1,700 foot coastal path that brings you not only throughout the ruins of the fort, but also past the state of Maine's oldest lighthouse, Portland Head Light, built in 1791.

Portland Head Light

You're not going to have 200+ years of history without a few interesting stories to tell. On Christmas Eve of 1886, the 188-foot Annie C. Maguire crashed onto the rocks of Portland Head, stranding twelve passengers and crew. Fortunately, all twelve were rescued safely by lighthouse keeper Joshua Strout and two others.

Site of the Annie C. Maguire Shipwreck

With regular visits here over the past 25 years it's hard to imagine there'd be anything left for us to find, but the place just keeps on surprising us. During our last trip my son and I went wandering along the southern tip to explore the rocks, and there we found some archways carved into the stone. Not quite sea caves but a pretty cool find nonetheless, and a perfect ending to what certainly won't be our last visit to Fort Williams Park.

Links:
Fort Williams Park
The ship that crashed into Portland Head Light on Christmas Eve
The Goddard Mansion