Fort Knox State Historic Site

After taking photos of the bridge, I walked over to Fort Knox.  The Fort was named after Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War and Commander of the Artillery during the American Revolution.  General Knox lived in Maine during the final years of his life.  America's other Fort Knox, in Kentucky, was also named after him.
Construction began in 1844, in response to lingering tension between the United States and Great Britain after the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.  The site was chosen because of its proximity to the narrow channel, through which all enemy ships traveling upriver would have to pass.  The fort saw two periods of military activity: between 20 and 54 troops were garrisoned here during the Civil War, and 575 troops from Connecticut lived in tents outside the fort during the Spanish-American War.



"B" Battery



View from the roof

Casemates, where cannons are housed

10 inch Rodman Cannon

Fort Knox had hot shot furnaces that heated cannonballs so hot that
when the balls hit wooden ships, the ships were set on fire.

Officers' Quarters

 This is the point in my self guided tour that things got a little interesting.  The weather was my idea of perfect; rainy off and on (keeping the crowds at bay).  I only saw one couple, at the end of the tour.  After checking out the officers' quarters, I kept going through doorways, and more doorways.

 

 

 I thought things were interesting, and took a lot of photos.  Little did I know, things were about to get even more interesting.  I entered Two-Step Alley, an underground tunnel spanning the length of the entire Fort.  Oh, and by the way, there were no lights.  I felt like a bat, with my eyes adjusting to the dark space.  I made the correct assumption that there were two steps, then you walk a few steps, then two more steps, and so on and so on.  It definitely did not feel like a dosey doe.  On the contrary, it was quite eerie, being in the cold, damp dark with water dripping, echoing in front of and behind me.  I was glad for the tiny windows that let in just a little light.

Entrance to Two-Step Alley

   

The way I came

The way I'm going

 

Looking straight up at a skylight made from brick

 

Casemates (the arcs are where the cannons would swivel)
 

I was pleasantly surprised by my visit to Fort Knox.  I expected a few good photo opportunities, but nothing like the experience I had.  To be able to walk around, by myself, on a dreary day, and explore above ground and underground.. priceless!  I visited the gift shop, and the gal there said they turn the whole Fort into a haunted house in October, complete with cobwebs and fog machine!  I think that would be just too much for me, but then again, I did just survive a free falling elevator at Disneyland a few weeks ago.