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    Collection

    Portland Press Herald Still-Film Negatives Collection

    Document Type

    Still Image

    Call number of Original

    127844B

    Contributing Institution

    Portland Public Library Special Collections & Archives

    Location

    Portland, Cumberland, Maine, USA

    Creation Date

    2-14-1975

    Format of Original

    35mm gelatin silver negatives

    Description

    Views of Fort Gorges, in Casco Bay. Built between 1857 and 1865, the harbor fort was named after Sir Ferdinando Gorges (Governor of the Fort at Plymouth, ca.1606 and colonial proprietor of Maine), and is located east of Munjoy Hill and west of Great Diamond Island and Peaks Island. Its construction was intended as a post War of 1812 harbor defense, designed by Col. Ruben Staples Smart, inspired by Fort Sumter. During World War II, the U.S. Army used Fort Gorges as a storage place for submarine mines. The City of Portland acquired Fort Gorges in 1960, and has made the historic site accessible to the public.

    Top image: Fort Gorges from northwest. Peaks Island in distant background.
    Center image: Fort Gorges from southwest.
    Bottom image: Interior view of Fort Gorges.

    Photos published in the Evening Express, on 14 February 1975.


    A Great Diamond Island post card, showing Fort Gorges, can be seen at this link.

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    Keywords

    Portland, Me., Casco Bay, Harbor forts

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    Rights Statement

    In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.