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 The Earthen Works Fort - Fort Taber Park - New Bedford, MA Posted by:  Lat34North
N 41° 35.602 W 070° 54.110
19T E 341492 N 4606376
On this site stood an earthen works fort. The exact location of the Fort is known because of the detailed drawing (right) which was rendered by Capt. Henry Martyn Robert. Located at Fort Taber Park on S Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford, MA.
Waymark Code: WMMTBM
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 11/02/2014
Views: 1
On this site stood an earthen works fort. The exact location of the Fort is known because of the detailed drawing (right) which was rendered by Capt. Henry Martyn Robert, superintendent of construction of the stone fort. Capt. Robert later gained fame for his books on parliamentary procedure, Robert’s Rules of order.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, the stone fort was only a small number of courses in height. Concerned citizens and whaling merchants of New Bedford, with the support of Mayor Isaac C. Taber, built an earthen works fort and equipped it with artillery from Fort Phoenix, Fairhaven. On May 11, 1861, it was dedicated in named in honor of Mayor Taber. The earthen works fort boasted three 24 pound smoothbore coastal cannons and two 12-pound rifled cannons, all of which were mounted on wooden barbette carriages. The New Bedford Home Guard was stationed at the fort, 1861 – 1862. When the stone fort was completed, the earthen works fort was dismantled. However, locals continued to call the new stone structure “Taber’s Fort,” until the Army officially named it Fort Rodman in 1898.
The small granite blocks in the long Mark the location of the old earthen fort works, Fort Taber.
Agency Responsible for Placement: Other (Place below)
Agency Responsible for Placement (if not in list above): City of New Bedford, MA
County: Bristol
City/Town Name: New Bedford
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
Year Placed: Not listed
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