Fort Severn
Encyclopedia
For the trading post in Canada see Fort Severn First Nation
Fort Severn, in present-day Annapolis, Maryland
, was built in 1808 on the same site as an earlier American Revolutionary War
fort of 1776. Although intended to guard Annapolis harbor from British attack, it never saw action during the War of 1812
. United States Naval Academy
acquired Fort Severn and two other military bases. The Naval Academy acquired Fort Severn from United States Army on 19 October 1845. The Academy used the structure for classrooms until its demolition in 1909.
family acquired land on the Severn River near Annapolis, Maryland
, in 1753. This family and the city of Annapolis contributed land for the construction of the fort. An American Revolutionary War
fort of 1776 existed in the area.
might attack the area during the War of 1812
, but no conflict occurred at the fort during the war.
Soldiers continued to garrison Fort Severn after the war. The post surgeon took meteorological observations during 1822. Fort Severn occupied 10 acres and several antiquated wooden buildings by 1845.
In 1845, Secretary of War William L. Marcy
agreed to transfer Fort Severn to the jurisdiction of Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft
, effective 19 October 1845. In so doing, Secretary Bancroft overcame ongoing congressional opposition to an onshore naval school.
for young naval recruits and midshipmen. The Naval Academy started in October 1845 with 56 midshipmen and seven professors.
The leaders developed a new curriculum requiring midshipmen to study at the Academy for four years (equivalent to classical college education) and to train aboard ships each summer. That format forms the basis of the far more advanced and sophisticated curriculum at the Naval Academy today. The curriculum in the nineteenth century included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French.
placed a plaque in remembrance of the original fort at its former site.
Fort Severn, in present-day Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, was built in 1808 on the same site as an earlier American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
fort of 1776. Although intended to guard Annapolis harbor from British attack, it never saw action during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
acquired Fort Severn and two other military bases. The Naval Academy acquired Fort Severn from United States Army on 19 October 1845. The Academy used the structure for classrooms until its demolition in 1909.
American Revolution
Walter DulanyWalter Dulany
Walter Dulany was a politician in Colonial Maryland, who served as Mayor of Annapolis from 1766 to 1767. His family house and land at Windmill Point later became the location for the United States Naval Academy.-Early life:...
family acquired land on the Severn River near Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, in 1753. This family and the city of Annapolis contributed land for the construction of the fort. An American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
fort of 1776 existed in the area.
Fort Severn: 1808-1845
The War Department constructed Fort Severn in 1808 on a 10-acre lot in Annapolis, Maryland. At a time of worsening tensions between the United States and Great Britain and an embargo against trade, the War Department built Fort Severn as a defense for Annapolis. Located on Windmill Point, Fort Severn offered protection to harbor of Annapolis, which would have been a key target of the British forces. Although constructed as a more substantial fort than the original, this second Fort Severn never saw military action. Americans suspected that the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
might attack the area during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, but no conflict occurred at the fort during the war.
Soldiers continued to garrison Fort Severn after the war. The post surgeon took meteorological observations during 1822. Fort Severn occupied 10 acres and several antiquated wooden buildings by 1845.
In 1845, Secretary of War William L. Marcy
William L. Marcy
William Learned Marcy was an American statesman, who served as U.S. Senator and the 11th Governor of New York, and as the U.S. Secretary of War and U.S. Secretary of State.-Early life:...
agreed to transfer Fort Severn to the jurisdiction of Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft
George Bancroft
George Bancroft was an American historian and statesman who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state and at the national level. During his tenure as U.S. Secretary of the Navy, he established the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1845...
, effective 19 October 1845. In so doing, Secretary Bancroft overcame ongoing congressional opposition to an onshore naval school.
Naval Academy use
The Navy turned Fort Severn into a classroom building at United States Naval AcademyUnited States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
for young naval recruits and midshipmen. The Naval Academy started in October 1845 with 56 midshipmen and seven professors.
The leaders developed a new curriculum requiring midshipmen to study at the Academy for four years (equivalent to classical college education) and to train aboard ships each summer. That format forms the basis of the far more advanced and sophisticated curriculum at the Naval Academy today. The curriculum in the nineteenth century included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French.
Demolition
Due to deteriorating structure, the Naval Academy demolished the old Fort Severn edifices in 1909. United States Naval Academy expanded in personnel and aereal extent. Modern granite buildings replaced the old wooden structures of Fort Severn. On 28 March 1977, the local chapter of Daughters of the American RevolutionDaughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
placed a plaque in remembrance of the original fort at its former site.