Fort Popham stands on Hunnewell Point in Phippsburg at the mouth of the Kennebec River. This semi-circular structure was begun in 1862 but never completed. It was then that the Union realized how vulnerable the area was to potential British incursions in support of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Concern was greatest for the shipyards in Bath and the State Capital in Augusta, further up the Kennebec.
In addition to the English settlement of 1607, others apparently recognized the strategic importance of the area at the mouth of the great river. Some evidence of wooden fortifications suggest such use.
Cannon Emplacements in Fort Popham in Phippsburg (2001)
After the Civil War, the area around the fort, and at nearby Fort Baldwin, was used to station troops and artillery during Worild War I and World War II. No shots were ever fired in battle.
It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in October of 1969. Overlooking the site is Sabino Hill on which is situated Fort Baldwin.
Fort Popham on the shore of the Kennebec. Photo in center is from Fort Baldwin.
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- Cannon Emplacements in Fort Popham in Phippsburg (2001)
Additional resources
Fort Popham, Maine, a Civil War Fort. compiled and edited by Diane G. Longley; original sketches by Cyrus W. Longley, 1864. 1986. (Damariscotta, Me. Victoria Print Shop)[University of Maine, Raymond H. Fogler Library, Special Collections]
Thompson, Augustus. Inspection Report of the 7th Co. Unassigned Maine Infantry Stationed at Fort Popham, Maine. Inspected by Capt. Augustus Thompson. 1865, April. [Maine State Library]