Fort DuPont
Encyclopedia
Fort DuPont, named in honor of Rear Admiral
Samuel Francis Du Pont
, is located between Delaware City and the modern Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
on the original Reeden Point tract, which was granted to Henry Ward in 1675. The first fortification built was the Ten Gun Battery, an auxiliary to nearby Fort Delaware
during the American Civil War
. A twenty-gun battery was constructed on the reservation during the 1870s followed by a mine control casemate in 1892. In 1897-1905, Endicott Era emplacements were constructed for long-range rifles, mortars, and rapid-fire guns. In 1922, the post became headquarters for the 1st Engineer Regiment, which garrisoned the post until 1941. During World War II, Fort DuPont served as a mobilization station for deploying units, and contained a prisoner-of-war camp for captured German soldiers and sailors. After the war, Fort DuPont was declared surplus and offered to the Department of Veterans Affairs for use as a veterans hospital. After they declined, the state bought the site at a 100 percent discount and adapted existing structures for reuse. In 1948, it officially opened as the Governor Walter W. Bacon
Health Center. In 1992, a large portion was re-designated as Fort DuPont State Park, which became Delaware's 13th state park.
, the grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant.
Fort DuPont served as a mobilization station for deploying units. In 1941, the 1st Engineer Battalion
folowing re-designation, departed for overseas service. At the war's start, the post was the headquarters for the Harbor Defenses of the Delaware, with garrison units including the 21st Coast Artillery, 261st Coast Artillery, and 122nd Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft). In 1942, headquarters for harbor defenses was transferred, along with artillery troops, to Fort Miles
in Lewes, Delaware. Col. George Ruhlen was post commander from 1940 until 1944 and following retirement was succeeded by Col. Randolph Russell. In May 1944, the 1231st SCU prisoner-of-war camp was established using repurposed temporary buildings in the mobilization area. During the war, roughly 3,000 German POWs were housed at Fort DuPont. These POWs included members of the submarine U-858 that surrender off the coast of Lewes, Del., in 1945. POWs worked as dishwashers, waiters, grocers, butchers, and other support roles on post as well as working on other local installations such as the New Castle Army Airfield. German POWs even worked for civilian canneries, garbage companies, and even work for the city of Rehobeth Beach repairing sections of the boardwalk. Following the war, effective December 31, 1945, Fort DuPont was placed "in the category of surplus" according to AG 602 (dated October 5, 1945) issued by the federal government.
. In 1976, the Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Scannell Armory (named in 1992) was built on the site of the former POW camp. In 1996, this armory became the home station for the 153rd Military Police Company
, a unit in the Delaware Army National Guard
. Fort DuPont was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The Fort DuPont Historic District comprises roughly 350 acres and over 75 buildings, structures, and objects.
offers a resident curatorship program, which is an "opportunity for a public/private partnership in which the curator (which may be a couple) donates their own resources—time and/or money—to the restoration of an historic property in exchange for a long-term no-rent agreement. Because the cost to the curator is often much more than $100,000, the term of the lease is typically for the life of the curator(s)". Almost a dozen historic properties on Fort DuPont are available for residency as part of this curatorship program. There are also several buildings/structures that are available under a similar program zoned for regular businesses and non-profit organizations. In 2006, the Fort Delaware Society became the first successful curator following the adaptive reuse of the quartermaster office (Building 113) on Staff Lane. Since then, the Delaware Military Heritage & Education Foundation has signed on with the program, pledging to restore the Post Exchange & gymnasium (Building 36) and a non-commisioned officer duplex (Building 91), both for use as part of the Delaware Military Museum. In 2007, the post movie theater's very existence was threatened by years of neglect. State funding was scarce, due to the economy, but enough money was allocated to provide the 398-seat theater with a new roof, drains and gutters, stabilized marque, and minor window repair. In 2007, The News Journal published an article citing the theater's availability in the curatorship program. Delaware State Parks' historian, Lee Jennings said it would be "the perfect place for the community to gather..." and watch plays, musicals, vintage films, as well as modern movies.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Samuel Francis Du Pont
Samuel Francis du Pont
Samuel Francis Du Pont was an American naval officer who achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family; he was the only member of his generation to use a capital D...
, is located between Delaware City and the modern Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is a 14-mile long, 450-foot wide and 40-foot deep ship canal that cuts across the states of Maryland and Delaware, in the United States. It connects the waters of the Delaware River with those of the Chesapeake Bay and the Port of Baltimore...
on the original Reeden Point tract, which was granted to Henry Ward in 1675. The first fortification built was the Ten Gun Battery, an auxiliary to nearby Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware is a harbor defense facility, designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten, and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as a prison for Confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. A twenty-gun battery was constructed on the reservation during the 1870s followed by a mine control casemate in 1892. In 1897-1905, Endicott Era emplacements were constructed for long-range rifles, mortars, and rapid-fire guns. In 1922, the post became headquarters for the 1st Engineer Regiment, which garrisoned the post until 1941. During World War II, Fort DuPont served as a mobilization station for deploying units, and contained a prisoner-of-war camp for captured German soldiers and sailors. After the war, Fort DuPont was declared surplus and offered to the Department of Veterans Affairs for use as a veterans hospital. After they declined, the state bought the site at a 100 percent discount and adapted existing structures for reuse. In 1948, it officially opened as the Governor Walter W. Bacon
Walter W. Bacon
Walter Wolfkiel Bacon was an American accountant and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party who served three terms as Mayor of Wilmington and two terms as Governor of Delaware...
Health Center. In 1992, a large portion was re-designated as Fort DuPont State Park, which became Delaware's 13th state park.
Civil War
Ten Gun Battery, briefly called Fort Reynolds, was built from 1863 to 1864 on the farm of 1st Lt. Clement Reeves of the 5th Delaware Infantry Regiment. The first soldiers to garrison the post were artillerist from Capt. John Jay Young's Independent Battery G, Pittsburgh Heavy Artillery. Sgt. Bishop Crumrine of Young's Battery wrote, "This fortification is not properly a Fort but rather a water battery. Situated just across the river from Fort Delaware on the Delaware City side, it has five sides. The two longest sides being next to the river is a heavy breast work on which Six 10-inch and four 15-inch guns are mounted."Spanish-American War
During the Spanish-American War and the following few years, major construction took place to upgrade the defense capabilities of the three forts defending the major ports along the Delaware River. Construction took place at Forts Mott, Delaware, and DuPont, in the form of Endicott Era batteries that mounted long-range rifles, mortars, and rapid-fire guns. These emplacements, although completed after the war, included Batteries Read and Gibson (8- and 12-inch rifled guns), Batteries Rodney and Best (16-inch mortars), and Batteries Elder and Ritchie (3- and 5-inch rapid-fire guns respectively). On July 22, 1899, Army General Orders, No. 134, official designated "the battery at Delaware City" as Fort DuPont, named in honor of Rear Adm. Samuel Francis Du Pont. During this time, according to the Fort DuPont Flashes, the post was garrisoned by members of the 4th U.S. Artillery under the command of Maj. Van Arsdale Andruss.World War I
During World War I, Fort DuPont continued serving the role of coastal defense as well as training post for local draftees and deploying artillery units. Following the war, the long range guns in Batteries Read and Gibson were dismounted and shipped elsewhere. Units such as the 7th Trench Mortar Battalion used the site for basic and advanced training before heading to France in October 1918.Depression Era
Following the Great World War, Fort DuPont transitioned as a quartermaster depot, and engineer post with the arrival of the First Engineers in May 1922. During this time, only Battery E, 7th Coast Artillery manned remaining artillery guns at Fort DuPont. On December 12, 1932, six sets of officer quarters were floated from Fort Mott in Pennsville, N.J. One set of quarters was floated over the year prior. From 1934 until 1936, Fort DuPont and the 1st Engineer Regiment were commanded by Col. Ulysses S. Grant IIIUlysses S. Grant III
Ulysses Simpson Grant III was the son of Frederick Dent Grant, and the grandson of General of the Army and President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant. He was an American soldier and planner...
, the grandson of President Ulysses S. Grant.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Fort DuPont served as a mobilization station for deploying units. In 1941, the 1st Engineer Battalion
1st Engineer Battalion
The 1st Engineer Battalion is one of the oldest and most decorated engineer battalions in the United States Army.-19th century:The battalion's history can be traced back to 15 May 1846 when a company of Miners, Sappers, and Pontoniers was formed at West Point, New York. Alpha Company, 1st Engineer...
folowing re-designation, departed for overseas service. At the war's start, the post was the headquarters for the Harbor Defenses of the Delaware, with garrison units including the 21st Coast Artillery, 261st Coast Artillery, and 122nd Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft). In 1942, headquarters for harbor defenses was transferred, along with artillery troops, to Fort Miles
Fort Miles
Fort Miles was an American military installation located on Cape Henlopen near Lewes, Delaware. Although funds to build the fort were approved in 1934, it was 1941 before the fort was constructed. It was built to defend Delaware Bay and River and to protect domestic shipping from enemy fire within...
in Lewes, Delaware. Col. George Ruhlen was post commander from 1940 until 1944 and following retirement was succeeded by Col. Randolph Russell. In May 1944, the 1231st SCU prisoner-of-war camp was established using repurposed temporary buildings in the mobilization area. During the war, roughly 3,000 German POWs were housed at Fort DuPont. These POWs included members of the submarine U-858 that surrender off the coast of Lewes, Del., in 1945. POWs worked as dishwashers, waiters, grocers, butchers, and other support roles on post as well as working on other local installations such as the New Castle Army Airfield. German POWs even worked for civilian canneries, garbage companies, and even work for the city of Rehobeth Beach repairing sections of the boardwalk. Following the war, effective December 31, 1945, Fort DuPont was placed "in the category of surplus" according to AG 602 (dated October 5, 1945) issued by the federal government.
Post World War II
In 1948, the post reopened as the Governor Bacon Health Center operated by the Delaware Division of Health and Social Services. In 1992, a large portion was rededicated as Fort DuPont State ParkFort DuPont State Park
Fort DuPont State Park is a Delaware state park located in Delaware City, Delaware. The fort itself, named after Rear Admiral Samuel Francis duPont, was used as a military base from the Civil War through World War II, and was part of a three fort defense system, with Fort Delaware and Fort Mott...
. In 1976, the Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Scannell Armory (named in 1992) was built on the site of the former POW camp. In 1996, this armory became the home station for the 153rd Military Police Company
153rd Military Police Company (United States)
The 153rd Military Police Company is a unit in the Delaware Army National Guard. The 153rd MP Company, founded in 1996, is home stationed at Fort DuPont in Delaware City, Delaware...
, a unit in the Delaware Army National Guard
Delaware Army National Guard
The Delaware National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a...
. Fort DuPont was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The Fort DuPont Historic District comprises roughly 350 acres and over 75 buildings, structures, and objects.
Restoration and Preservation
During WWII, about 300 buildings and structures lined the streets of Fort DuPont. By 2011, less than 80 historic buildings and structures remain. In 1947, temporary mobilization barracks were torn down by the state prior to the opening of the health center. The mobilization hospital complex, recreation hall, and chapel were integrated into the health center's master plan. Today, only the chapel and one hospital building survive. The others have collapsed and were torn down. Most of the quarters on officers row were cannibalized and demolished by 1980. Sections of Fort DuPont are governed by six different state agencies, which often leads to confusion over who is responsible for maintaining specific roads, buildings, and structures. Since the health center downsized in the late 1970s, state funding is limited and doesn't allot for basic maintenance and care of the buildings. Houses built in the 1890s to 1900s are plagued by collapsed chimneys, damaged roofs, broken windows, rotting porches, and in desperate need of a simple coat of paint. The twenty-gun battery is barely visible in summer months due to reclamation by invasive species. According to the Natural Lands Trust, most buildings/structures are at a point where they can be stabilized but waiting any longer could prove detrimental. In 2011, the State of Delaware approved a $250,000 bond bill that will fund the creation of a master plan, which will focus on restoration, preservation, and adapting historic structures for modern use.Resident Curatorship Program
Currently, Delaware State ParksDelaware State Parks
Delaware State Parks are operated and maintained by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation, part of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control...
offers a resident curatorship program, which is an "opportunity for a public/private partnership in which the curator (which may be a couple) donates their own resources—time and/or money—to the restoration of an historic property in exchange for a long-term no-rent agreement. Because the cost to the curator is often much more than $100,000, the term of the lease is typically for the life of the curator(s)". Almost a dozen historic properties on Fort DuPont are available for residency as part of this curatorship program. There are also several buildings/structures that are available under a similar program zoned for regular businesses and non-profit organizations. In 2006, the Fort Delaware Society became the first successful curator following the adaptive reuse of the quartermaster office (Building 113) on Staff Lane. Since then, the Delaware Military Heritage & Education Foundation has signed on with the program, pledging to restore the Post Exchange & gymnasium (Building 36) and a non-commisioned officer duplex (Building 91), both for use as part of the Delaware Military Museum. In 2007, the post movie theater's very existence was threatened by years of neglect. State funding was scarce, due to the economy, but enough money was allocated to provide the 398-seat theater with a new roof, drains and gutters, stabilized marque, and minor window repair. In 2007, The News Journal published an article citing the theater's availability in the curatorship program. Delaware State Parks' historian, Lee Jennings said it would be "the perfect place for the community to gather..." and watch plays, musicals, vintage films, as well as modern movies.