Fort DuPont - Delaware City, DE
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 39° 34.390 W 075° 34.855
18S E 450105 N 4380546
Originally built as a coastal defense system in the Civil War Era, Fort Dupont laer played a role as a temporary POW camp for German and Italian soldiers during WWII.
Waymark Code: WM6P8E
Location: Delaware, United States
Date Posted: 06/30/2009
Views: 12
During the Civil War, Fort Dupont, along with Fort Delaware and Fort Mott formed the "Three Forts" coastal defense system to protect the ports and ship building sites in Wilmington, Chester and Philadelphia from enemy attack along the river. The three forts stretched across the Delaware River, essentially creating a wall of coastal forts.
Originally called Battery Point, it was renamed to Camp Reynolds in 1863 in honor of John Fulton Reynolds, a Union officer killed at Gettysburg. With the onset of the Spanish-American War in 1897, the fort was further fortified with additional batteries. The fort then changed its name again to Fort DuPont, in honor of Admiral Samuel DuPont, a Delaware naval hero, whose forces were successful at gaining possesion of Port Royal Harbor in 1861, and defeating a fleet of ironclads that attacked Fort Sumter in 1863. A cople of years later, additional mortar and rifle batteries were added, as well as buildings including a hospital, post office, ordnance storehouses, stbles and wooden framed officer's quarters.
From 1906 until 1915, Fort DuPont served as the headquarters of the Middle Atlantic Coast Artillery District. In 1922, the function of the fort changed from coastal defense to headquarters for the First Engineering Battalion until World War II. The guns were removed fro the site during this change. The First Engineers built permanent brick buildings, shaping how the fort looks today. In 1931, the First Enginers moved to another location.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Fort DuPont major role was in the training and preparation of US Army Reserve units for World War II. German and Italian in Romml's Afrika Corps captured in 1943 were sent to the POW camp set up at Fort DuPont. The temporary wooden barracks that housed the POWs no longer stands, the last collapsing from age just four years ago.
Decmber 31, 1945, Fort DuPont was decommissioned and turned over to the State of Delaware. The Division of Health and Social Services opened the Governor Bacon Health Center on the site.
In 1992, a large portion of the site along the Delaware River was turned overto the Division of Parks and Recreation, becoming For DuPont State Park. Over 127 acres of this state park allows visitors to stroll through the history here, and the marshes along the river are great for birdwatchng.
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