Fort Wayne (Detroit)
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| Fort Wayne | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | Detroit, Michigan |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1849 |
| Architect: | Meigs,Montgomery C. |
| Architectural style(s): | No Style Listed |
| Added to NRHP: | May 06, 1971 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 71000425 |
| Governing body: | Local |
Fort Wayne is located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, at the foot of Livernois Avenue in the Delray neighborhood. The fort is situated on the Detroit River at a point where it is about a mile to the Canadian shore. The original 1848 limestone barracks (with later brick additions) still stands, as does the 1845 star fortification (renovated in 1863 with brick exterior facing). On the fort grounds but exterior to the original star fort are additional barracks, officers quarters, hospital, shops, recreation building, commissary, guard house, garage, and stables. Building continued on the site until 1931.
The fort sits on 96 acres. Since the 1970s, 83 acres, including the original star fort and a number of buildings, has been operated by the city of Detroit. The remaining area is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers as a boatyard.
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[edit] History prior to and during fort construction
Fort Wayne is Detroit's third fort. The first, Fort Detroit, was built by the French in 1701. This fort, constructed shortly after Cadillac landed, was manned by the French until it was surrendered to the British in 1760 during the French and Indian War. The second fort, Fort Lernoult, was built by the British a few years later, and was manned by the British until 1796. When the United States took over Detroit, Fort Lernoult was renamed Fort Shelby.
During the War of 1812, General William Hull surrendered Fort Shelby to the British during the Siege of Detroit without offering any resistance. The British later abandoned the fort and American troops reoccupied it. However, following the end of the war, Fort Shelby fell into disrepair. In 1826, it was sold to the City of Detroit and demolished.
In the late 1830s, Canadian and American rebels organized to free Canada from the British, leading to a series of battles known as the Patriot War. American troops were mustered to suppress the American volunteers and maintain America's official neutrality in the conflict. However, at the same time, the United States government realized there were a lack of fortifications along the northern border to repel a potential British attack, and in particular, no counterpart to the British Fort Malden located in Amherstburg. In 1841, Congress appropriated funds to build a chain of forts stretching from the east coast to the Minnesota Territory, including one at Detroit.
Soon afterward, the Army sent Lieutenant Montgomery C. Meigs to Detroit. Meigs bought up riverfront farm property three miles below Detroit, at the point on the Detroit River closest to Canada. Construction on the fort began in 1843, with Meigs superintending. The original fortifications were cedar-faced earthen walls. The fort was completed in 1851, costing $150,000. The Army named the new fort for Revolutionary War hero General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who had taken possession of Detroit from the British in 1796.
[edit] Architecture and construction
The original fort is star-patterned, with walls of earthen ramparts faced with cedar, covering vaulted brick tunnels that contain artillery ports. The design was based on fortifications developed by Sebastian Vauban, a 17th century French military engineer, and modified by Dennis Hart Mahan. Artillery emplacements are atop the walls, designed for 10-inch cannons mounted to fire over the parapet, although there is no indication that artillery intended for the fort was ever installed. There is a dry moat surrounding the fort, and a demilune facing the river.
Although the star fort today is substantially similar to the original construction, some changes have been made. Starting in 1863, under the supervision of Thomas J. Cram, the walls of the fort were reconstructed, replacing the original cedar facing with brick and concrete. In addition, the entranceway to the fort has been altered. The original entrance to the fort was a small sally port in the southeast bastion. In 1938, an arched entrance was constructed through the fort's walls to accommodate vehicular traffic; later, the arches were removed to fit larger trucks.
Within the star fort (and built at approximately the same time) is a Federal style, three-and-a-half story limestone troop barracks, consisting of five independent but adjacent sections. Each section contains a ground floor mess, two floors of barracks rooms, and an attic. Brick additions were added to the rear of the building in 1861, housing washrooms and kitchens. Next to the barracks is a powder magazine, also constructed of limestone. Additional buildings originally built within the star fort, such as officer's housing, have long since been destroyed.
Numerous additional buildings have been built on fort grounds outside of the star fort. A row of wooden Victorian officer's homes was built in the 1880s. In 1937, these homes were completely refurbished and clad in brick by WPA workers. One home was restored in the 1980s to its original appearance. A Spanish-American War guardhouse, built in 1889, is in the center of the fort grounds. The guard house was restored in 1984. In 1890, a brick hospital was built, with a later addition in 1898. In 1905, a new guardhouse, still in use today, was built near the gate to the fort grounds. Around the same time, four barracks buildings for enlisted men were built, as well as a service club (1903), headquarters (1905), and post office. By 1928, duplex housing for senior NCOs. In 1939, more NCO houses were built in a row facing Jefferson Avenue.
[edit] Historical use
Before any cannon had been installed at the newly-constructed Fort Wayne, the United States and Britain peacefully resolved their differences, eliminating the need for a fort on the Detroit River. Fort Wayne remained unused for a decade after its initial construction, manned only by a single watchman.
In 1861, the American Civil War again made Fort Wayne relevant. British sympathy for the Confederacy renewed fears of an attack from Canada, leading to a reconstruction and strengthening of the fort walls. Two weeks after the beginning of the war, the Michigan 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment was mustered into service at Fort Wayne. For the rest of the Civil War, the fort served as a mustering center for troops from Michigan, as well as a place for veterans to recover from their wounds. Alfred Gibbs was the first commander to occupy the fort, serving his parole at Fort Wayne after being captured by the Confederacy.
After the Civil War and until 1920, Fort Wayne served as a garrison post, with regiments rotated from the western frontier for rest. During the Spanish-American War, troops from the fort headed to Cuba and the Philippines. Starting in World War I, Fort Wayne became instrumental in acquisition of cars, trucks, and spare parts for the military. The motor vehicle supply function reached its peak in World War II, when Fort Wayne was designated Motor Supply Depot and additional buildings were constructed for warehousing and shipping. Over 2000 mostly civilian workers were employed at the fort during the war.
During the Great Depression, the fort was opened to homeless families and it housed the Civilian Conservation Corps"[2]. The fort was again used to provide housing to displaced families after the 1967 12th Street Riot, with the last families staying at the fort until 1971.
At the end of World War II, plans were made to close the fort. In 1948, the star fort and original barracks were turned over to the City of Detroit's Historical Commission for operation as a military museum. In the 1950's, anti-aircraft guns were installed at the fort, later upgraded to Nike-Ajax missiles. However, even during the Cold War, Fort Wayne served as an entrance station for the armed services, with thousands of enlistees and draftees being sworn in during the Korean War and Vietnam War.
The remainder of Fort Wayne was turned over piecemeal to the city of Detroit, with the last bit of property delivered in 1976.
[edit] Current use
From 1949 until 2006, the Fort Wayne Military Museum was operated by the Detroit Historical Museum. Since early 2006, the fort has been operated by the Detroit Recreation Department, assisted by the Friends of Fort Wayne, the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, and the Detroit Historical Society.
The fort is currently open on weekends in the late spring, summer, and fall. Also on the grounds is the Tuskegee Airmen Museum and an ancient burial mound. It hosts historic reenactments (usually Civil War), spring and fall flea markets, concerts, youth soccer league matches, Hispanic and Boy Scout events and is open for some civic events like the 300th birthday of Detroit and sometimes the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival. Areas can be rented for special events and family reunions as well.
[edit] References
Conway, J., and Jamroz, D. F., (2007). Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-5112-8
[edit] External links
- Detroit Recreation Department
- Historic Fort Wayne (Detroit) official site
- Historic Fort Wayne Coalition (Detroit), unofficial site
- Historic Fort Wayne Preservation Group (Detroit), unofficial site
- Aerial color photo of Fort Wayne in Detroit and surroundings
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