| Castle Island | |
| Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston | |
 Fort Independence at Castle Island
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Massachusetts |
| Region | Suffolk County |
| Municipality | Boston |
| Location | Day Boulevard |
| - coordinates | 42°20′17″N 71°0′40″W / 42.33806°N 71.01111°W |
| Area | 22 acres (9 ha) [1] |
  Location of Castle Island
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| Website: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/castle.htm | |
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Castle Island is a 22-acre (8.9 ha) major recreation site located in South Boston on the shore of Boston Harbor, and the site of a five sided fort first built in 1643.[1] The present fort, built between 1834 and 1851, is the eighth generation of forts. First named Fort William and Mary by the English, it was renamed Fort Independence in 1779 and is one of the oldest fortified sites in British North America. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
During the Siege of Boston at the start of the American Revolution "Castle William" served as the main base of military operations for the British. The leaders of the Massachusetts royal administration took refuge there with their families, as did some prominent loyalists or "tories." Major Pelham Winslow of the prominent loyalist town of Marshfield, Massachusetts was the Commander of Castle William for a time during the Revolution.
Long recognized for its strategic location, the fort helped protect Boston from British attack during the War of 1812. The island is also the site of a monument to Donald McKay, the builder of the famous clipper ships Flying Cloud and Sovereign of the Seas.
Castle Island was originally some distance offshore, but land reclamation for expansion of port facilities has extended the mainland towards it, and it is now connected to the mainland by pedestrian and vehicle causeways. Today it is operated as a state park by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and is open to tours in the summer.
Local lore has it that an unpopular officer was walled up in the fort's dungeon following a duel in which he killed a more popular man. Edgar Allan Poe learned of the legend while serving on Castle Island in the Army, and his short story "The Cask of Amontillado" is said to be based on it.[2]
During the Second World War the U.S. Navy used the site for a ship degaussing station.
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Visiting Castle Island
Castle Island is open to the public year round. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend Fort Independence is open to guided tours every Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 3:30 pm. During June, July and August, the fort is open on Thursday nights from 7:00 pm until dusk to allow for visitors to walk the ramparts. All interpretive programming is conducted by the Castle Island Association with the assistance of the DCR. Sullivan's, a takeout food stand, is open March 1 through the last Sunday in November as are public restrooms.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Castle Island, Pleasure Bay, M Street Beach and Carson Beach". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/metroboston/dorc_sh.htm. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
- ^ University of Massachusetts Magazine
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:Castle Island |
- Castle Island Assoc Website - offering free public tours in summer of the Fort
- Massachusetts History Society Website
- Edgar A. Poe 1827-1829 military service {reference only}
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