One of the more interesting and all encompassing locations in Halifax is the waterfront boardwalk, known locally as The Harbourwalk. It stretches for about 1½ kilometres along the Halifax waterfront. On the harbourwalk one will find active warships, the
ONLY - Ship to serve the Royal Canadian Navy in Both World Wars, the
ONLY - Remaining Royal Canadian Navy Corvette, ferry rides across the bay, sculpture, monuments and memorials to historic persons and war veterans, the
OLDEST and LARGEST Maritime Museum in Canada, the
OLDEST - Working Clock in Canada, a
Segway Rental Business, seafood restaurants, historic sites and buildings and, of course historic markers. The historical markers tell the story of the city of Halifax and its people.
This marker harks back to the fortifications built to defend the cities and towns of Atlantic Canada during the War of 1812. While the included painting is of the Carleton Martello Tower in Saint John, the text below deals with a nearer tower, the Duke of York Martello Tower in Halifax.
The War of 1812 prompted the construction of many defensive buildings in Atlantic Canada and some remain standing today. Pictured here in 1820, Carleton Martello Tower in Saint John, New Brunswick, is a national historic site operated by Parks Canada.
Image: Library and Archives Canada
From the marker
Duke of York Martello Tower
Part of the
Harbour Defense of Halifax.
One of five Martello Towers built for the defense of Halifax Harbor. The towers were mainly designed to provide land side protection for water facing batteries. The five Halifax Harbor Martello Towers were:
• Prince of Wales Martello Tower (1796) at Point Pleasant
• Duke of Clarence Martello Tower (1798) in Fort Clarence at Dartmouth
• Duke of York Martello Tower (1798) at York Redoubt
• Fort Charlotte Martello Tower (1812) at Fort Charlotte (2) on George's Island
• Sherbrooke Martello Tower (1814) at Magruder's Beach on McNab's Island.
The tower was built to replace a blockhouse that had been built to protect a two gun water facing battery. As the battery expanded to eight guns the tower was built to protect the land side of the battery and the stockade that surrounded the battery and the tower.
The Duke of York Tower was built of ironstone as a circular tower 30' high, with a diameter at the base of 40 to 50'. The tower was originally two stories high with guns positioned on the roof, barracks on the second level and a magazine on the first level. A central staircase provided access to all levels. Atop the roof was a signal mast that served to communicate with the
Halifax Citadel and other harbor posts.
Although rendered obsolete as a defensive fortification by the 1860s the tower remained intact and continued in use as a signal station until a fire destroyed the upper floor in the 1890s. In 1877, prior to the fire the tower was made a part of the new enclosing wall of the redoubt and two camponiers were built into the wall alongside two sides of the tower. The upper floor was removed after the fire and the tower was reduced to the present single story.
From the Fort Wiki