Editor: Adam J. Youssi

Volume 45 Winter 2015-2016 Number 2

‘The Bulldog at Baltimore’s Gate’

Fort Howard and the Endicott Period

Rachel L. Harmon

Staff and officers at Fort Howard, 1939

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Hidden among the vines and leaves lies the could gain an upper hand in the battle. Fort Bulldog at Baltimore’s Gate - Fort Howard (BA- McHenry and Fort Carroll do not meet these 9391), a place with deep roots in Baltimore County specifications. history. Today the buildings of the fort act as a local Fort McHenry, built in 1802 as an early example hub of entertainment. Each year, during Halloween, of seacoast defense of the city, was active in the the buildings are used as a haunted attraction, “The War of 1812 during the Battle of Baltimore. The Dungeons at Fort Howard.” But how many know layout of Fort McHenry is a particular pentagon- the history of this historic and aging fort? shaped pattern that allows the buildings to be seen Long before it was Fort Howard, it was where more easily from the sea.7 the British landed during the War of 1812, just Fort Carroll was built in 1848, a few decades before their march into the Battle of North Point. before Fort Howard. Not an Endicott Era fort, it Later, before the Spanish-American War of 1898, was built in the middle of the lower Patapsco River. based on the Endicott mentality, the War The island on which Fort Carroll was constructed Department determined that Baltimore needed had been man-made as the site for the six-sided added defenses against foreign attack by sea. At the island fortress that would defend Baltimore from time the area was deemed a weak point in foreign attack. Sitting in the middle of Patapsco Baltimore’s outer harbor; thus plans for Fort River rendered Fort Carroll vulnerable to sea-borne Howard were underway.2 enemy attack.8

The Endicott Era The Beginning of Fort Howard

During the Endicott Era (1890-1910), the The Federal Government acquired the first Spanish-American War brought changes to the parcels of property on April 14, 1896. Over the next coastal defense of the United States. During the few years land was purchased that once belonged to war, measures to defend the coast from a possible Todd’s Inheritance and North Point. The first of six attack were hurried and improvised, showing a batteries was constructed in 1898 with guns being general need to modernize seacoast defenses.3 mounted a year later in 1899.9 The building of Fort Howard was inspired by The Baltimore Sun announced the name of the this period. The Endicott system created a way to new fort in an article on April 1900: defend against enemy warships from shore, allowing Navy vessels the time needed to reach the The reservation at North Point, where one of enemy. Fortifications were being mounted in the main defenses for Baltimore has been concrete in such a way that they were not visible located, will be known hereafter as Fort from the water.4 The aim of the Endicott system Howard, in honor of Col. John Eager was to equip major points along every coast of the Howard, a famous soldier of the Maryland line, who served with distinction in the war United States with the latest techniques and 5 of the Revolution … All along the Atlantic devices. seaboard from Maine to Galveston the new With the need for new defenses at the end of the batteries were being named.10 1890s, the modernization ideas of the Endicott Board were pushed. Along with the new forts being Fort Howard gets its name from Colonel John constructed, new coastal defense arsenals such as Eager Howard, a Baltimore native who had 6 torpedoes and submarine mines were set in place. contributed to the defense of Baltimore during the The objective of the Endicott Era was to build War of 1812 and was the leader of the Federalists seaside forts that could not be seen by enemy ships and their candidate for Vice President in 1816.11 as they sailed unknowingly into firing range, a Its position at the tip of the peninsula between different tactic from other forts built to protect Patapsco River and Back River in Baltimore County Baltimore’s coast. Endicott Era fortifications were prompted The Baltimore Sun to give Fort Howard hidden from direct enemy sight so that defense the nickname, ‘Bulldog at Baltimore’s Gate’. The

Fort Howard PAGE 3

‘bulldog’ would guard Baltimore against all would- on county park property and the other near the be intruders with its modern weapons and capable Veterans Hospital.17 gunners.12 Time as an Active Fort The Buildings at Fort Howard The soldiers who manned the batteries at Fort The buildings that make up Fort Howard were Howard were some of the best in the world at the constructed at different times, when it was actively time. In 1908 after many drills and practices, they used as a military base. Today, only a fraction of set the world record by hitting a moving target more the buildings that made up the original fort are open than 5,000 yards away, nine out of ten tries. The to the public. Four of the original six batteries, that shell that missed was said to be defective.18 were each part of the first buildings, can be Years after construction at Fort Howard, the explored by the public. The oldest batteries on the United States entered World War I in 1917. The property are Battery Stricker and Battery Harris. garrison at the fort was doubled though the enemy Both were built in 1898 above ground and made of never came close. Its soldiers engaged in drills and concrete and firebrick. Stricker was once equipped mock firings on merchant ships. Fort Howard with two 12-inch disappearing guns to defend fought no battle, but its soldiers were ready to Baltimore’s coast. In 1899, Battery Key was defend Baltimore at any moment.19 completed with deep concrete lined pits that After World War I the fort lay dormant until sheltered four 12-inch mortars in each of its pits, 1922 when Fort Howard was ordered to step up eight mortars all together. Battery Nicholson was once again in Baltimore’s defense.20 On September completed later in 1900 and housed two 6-inch 25, 1922, the Baltimore Sun commented on an disappearing guns.13 increase of soldiers at Fort Howard: These four batteries can still be explored today with parts of Battery Key having been altered to Fort Howard will accommodate this winter accommodate a restroom for visitors. more officers and enlisted men than ever The two remaining batteries were named Battery before during peacetime … The regiment Lazear and Battery Clagett. They were twin numbers 600 men and 40 officers. Hitherto batteries that were built practically the same as the the fort has been held between 300 and 400 men.21 others. Battery Lazear has been demolished, and its former location remains Federal property while The exact reason the fort had been rearmed Battery Clagett is covered in vines and other during peacetime is unclear. However, the growth.14 rearmament, ultimately, did not last long. Two All of the buildings that make up Fort Howard years later, in 1924, the Secretary of War reported were completed in concrete, and according to The to Congress that Fort Howard would be declared Baltimore Sun in 1908, were the first army surplus and no longer needed.22 buildings to be constructed of concrete.15 At the Before it became inactive, Fort Howard housed time of its construction Fort Howard housed the one of the first Citizens Military Training Camps most modern weapons of its day, which were for African-Americans, before the military services manned by efficient artillery companies.16 were racially integrated.23 Here recruits would learn Two Azimuth Towers were built early in Fort what it was like to go through rigorous military Howard’s history in order to increase the accuracy training during a thirty-day training period.24 of the artillery. These were twin towers built of In 1940, some of Fort Howard was transferred to brick and were used to plot compass bearings, look the Veterans Administration to become a hospital out for enemy ships during the Spanish-American that still stands today. War in 1898 and the First World War, and as a Even after it was declared surplus by the plotting tower for Fort Howard’s mine crew. Today military, the grounds at Fort Howard were used for both towers are covered in vines and ivy with one

PAGE 4 History Trails military purposes alongside the Veterans Hospital. afternoon to see the soldiers drill. The only request During the Vietnam War, the military constructed a was that visitors not bring cameras.29 realistic Vietnam village named Du Duc Nuc to Soldiers could also partake in various sports that train soldiers for war. During training, natives were took place at Fort Howard. There were football and played by United States veterans that played the baseball games, with Fort Howard’s baseball team either friendly or hostile Vietnamese. Maryland often being featured in a column of The Baltimore Senator Daniel Brewster, a veteran of Vietnam, Sun called “Gossip of Baltimore’s Amateur visited the site and commented on how authentic Balltossers.”30 the constructed village looked.25 Fort Howard had become obsolete after only 30 Selling Fort Howard years as an active fort, as the technology of warfare evolved. With the changes in technology and the The suggestion to dismantle Fort Howard as a expansion of Camp Meade in Anne Arundel military base and sell the land first arose from John County, it and some other small forts were W. Weeks, the Secretary of War in 1924.31 A bill abandoned. Their soldiers moved to Camp Meade.26 was introduced into the Senate in an attempt to authorize the sale of multiple obsolete forts. The Life & Entertainment at Fort Howard Baltimore Sun reported in December 4, 1924:

Life for a soldier at Fort Howard was hard work. His bill also cited more than 35 other Soldiers had to be up by 5:30 am every morning to obsolete forts and reservations under the complete their duties around the fort. They would supervision of the Secretary of War. At the have to work the guns, practice and maintain them same time, Representative John Philip Hill and complete their post duties. However, as a is preparing a bill covering that part of the War Department’s general program which former soldier at Fort Howard, Don Biley, recalls, 27 relates to the development of a permanent soldiers completed most of the work by noon. army post at camp Meade … Mr. Hill’s Second lieutenant Biley was stationed at Fort measure also would provide for the sale of Howard in 1910. Years later in the Baltimore Sun, Fort Howard which, if the program is he recounted his memories of life as a soldier at adopted, no longer will be needed for Fort Howard: military purposes. It has been suggested that Baltimore buy the property for a water- Life at Fort Howard was exceedingly front park, the Baltimore Sun reported on pleasant. Young ladies came down from the Dec 4, 1924.32 city for tennis and swimming, for teas and dances and parties at the Sparrows Point Though when it came to Fort Howard, Congress Country Club. When there were football had other ideas. Losing the positioning on the games at the Naval Academy, officers and peninsula guarding Baltimore City was not their dates piled into the post launch and something to which Congress would agree to at the cruised happily to Annapolis. And, of time. The Baltimore Sun reported the Congressional course, we spent a good deal of time in the decision just a few days later on December 14, city.28 1924: A hiking club called the Wanderlust Society of This fort, it was learned at the War Baltimore was even invited to visit the fort in 1914, Department today, will not be disposed of where soldiers escorted members around the fort, until the department’s board program of showed them hospitality and gave them a luncheon improved coast defenses, already submitted in the mess hall. After their visit, a lieutenant to Congress, is carried out in so far as it extended a public invitation to the Wanderlusters affects Cape Henry. It will be retained as a and the rest of the public to visit the fort in the protection to Baltimore, in theory at least,

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until the mouth of the bay is better It is one of the few – maybe the only – fortified.33 natural areas left in the country’s densely populated, heavily industrialized southeast While Fort Howard’s positioning at the mouth of corner … Residents of eastern Baltimore the Patapsco River was important to Congress and county and the city looking for a little rest the War Department, the guns were already out of and relaxation along the 3,900 feet of bay date. If a more technologically modern battleship front shoreline have replaced the soldiers who once bustled about.41 got through at that time, Fort Howard’s guns would not have been able to win.34 The site that holds the old Veterans Hospital is Two years later in 1926 the Secretary of War no longer accessible to the public, the buildings was finally authorized to dispose of Fort Howard; having fallen into disrepair. Plans for building a however, it remained active as a military post until development for veterans and seniors lingers as a August of 1940. Baltimore City had attempted to possibility for the site. The community shares purchase the land for recreational purposes multiple concerns about the exact size of this project as well, times in the 1920s and 30s but was continually however, since it would be the site for 1,415 denied.35 housing units along with shops and other On August 2, 1940 the Veterans Administration buildings.42 took over part of the fort in order to build a modern In 2014 Fort Howard Development LLC, the hospital.36 Later that month the evacuation of Fort developer of this project, signed a lease with the Howard began as the $1.5 million dollar veterans’ Veterans Administration to move forward with the hospital construction was started, the Baltimore Sun redevelopment of the property. However, Baltimore reported.37 County Councilman Todd Crandell opposes these

plans and has stated that he will not support the Veterans Administration and Waterpark Plans legislation that would be necessary.43

Area residents themselves are against a project Only a portion of the land was transferred to the the size of what Fort Howard Development LLC Veterans Administration. Though Baltimore City’s has planned for the area, though they are not attempts to purchase the fort for recreational completely against development in the Fort Howard purposes had failed earlier, in 1972 Baltimore area. Years prior, the North Point Community County Recreation and Parks finally purchased 62 Council had mentioned they would support up to acres of the property, which the Veterans 300 units, not even half the size of the proposed Administration was not using.38 project. However, they would prefer a new Veterans In 1977 Baltimore County developed plans for Hospital instead.44 improvements to the fort and the land, to turn it into For today, the part of the fort that remains the a park. The proposed budget supporting their plan property of Baltimore County Recreation and Parks was between $1.4 and $2.8 million. The county is open to the public from sunrise to sunset. People intended to turn the 62-acre fort into a waterfront sometimes picnic there, and look around at the park with a visitors center, docks, swimming, a original buildings of the fort or fish off its shores nature center, playgrounds, skateboard park and and enjoy the beauty of the coast. picnic facilities. In the plan, it would have taken six years to complete the project.39 Any plan for Fort

Howard has yet to come to fruition in part because of area residents’ concerns about traffic and the disruptive scale of the project.40

Many visitors to Fort Howard Park seemed to have liked it the way it was, as reported by The

Baltimore Sun in 1983:

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Sources 26 “City is Urged to Purchase Fort Howard,” Baltimore Sun, Dec. 4, 1924. 27 1 Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: Don Biley, “I Remember…Bulldogs at Baltimore’s Gate,” Fort Howard. Baltimore Sun, April 4, 1954. 28 Ibid. http://mdihp.net/dsp_search.cfm?search=property&id=4180& 29 viewer=true&updated=N&criteria1=A&criteria2=AL. “Hike to Fort Howard: Officers Show Wanderlusters the 2 Sights and Serve Lunch,” Baltimore Sun, March 16, 1914. “The Endicott Era Defenses,” National Park Service, 30 http://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/endicotteradefen “Gossip of Baltimore’s Amateur Balltossers,” Baltimore Sun, April 9, 1914. ses.htm. 31 3 Richard W. Stewart, American Military History, Volume 1 Ibid. 32 Ibid. (Washington D.C.: Center of Military History, United States 33 Army, 2009), 374. “To Keep Fort While Building Bay Defenses,” Baltimore 4 “The Endicott Era Defenses,” National Park Service, Sun, Dec. 14, 1924. 34 Ibid. www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/endicotteradefenses.ht 35 m. Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: 5 Fort Howard. Stewart, American Military History, 374. 36 6 Ibid. Ibid. 37 7 Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: “Begin Evacuation of Fort Howard,” Baltimore Sun, Aug. 29, 1940. Fort McHenry. 38 http://mdihp.net/dsp_county.cfm?search=county “U.S. to Build Hospital at Fort Howard,” Baltimore Sun, July 24, 1940. &id=39207&viewer=true&updated=Y&criteria1=F&criteria2 39 =BC “Fort Howard Waterfront Plan Set,” Baltimore Sun, April 8 20, 1977. Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: 40 Fort Carroll. “Fort Echoes with Sounds of Play,” Baltimore Sun, June 26, http://mdihp.net/dsp_county.cfm?search=county&id=3686&vi 1983. 41 Ibid. ewer=true&updated=N&criteria1=F&criteria2=BA 42 9 Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: Allison Knezevich, “Fort Howard Redevelopment Plans Fort Howard. Moving Forward,” The Baltimore Sun, March 17, 2012, 10 “Names for New Forts,” Baltimore Sun, April 7, 1900. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-03-17/news/bs-md-co- 11 Henry C. Rauch, “John Eager Howard,” Baltimore Sun, Jan. fort-howard-update-20120317_1_development-plan-fort- howard-development-llc-department-of-veterans-affairs. 2, 1949. 43 12 Katherine White, “Hospital Blocks Access to Park at Old Pamela Wood, “Balto. Co. Councilman Says He’ll Block Fort Site,” Baltimore Sun, Dec. 10, 1979. Fort Howard Redevelopment,” The Baltimore Sun, June 5, 13 Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: 2015:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore- Fort Howard. county/dundalk/bs-md-co-fort-howard-20150605-story. 14 html. Ibid. 44 15 “To Build at Fort Howard,” Baltimore Sun, Nov. 11, 1908. Ibid. 16 George D. Riley, “The Watchdog at Baltimore’s Front Gate: Fort Howard,” Baltimore Sun, June 9, 1912. 17 Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: Fort Howard. 18 Riley, “The Watchdog at Baltimore’s Front Gate.” 19 Maryland Historical Trust Inventory of Historic Properties: Fort Howard. 20 “Fort Howard Is Ordered Back as Military Post,” Baltimore Sun, June 17, 1922. 21 “Fort Howard to Have Its Largest Garrison,” Baltimore Sun, Sept. 25, 1922. 22 “City is Urged to Purchase Fort Howard,” Baltimore Sun, Dec. 4, 1924. 23 “Books in Brief,” Maryland Historical Magazine, 90, no. 4 (1995): 511. 24 Charles Johnson, Jr., African Americans and ROTC (North Carolina: Mcfarland & Co: 2002), 59. 25 “Realistic Vietnam Village Used in Holabird Training,” Baltimore Sun, Nov. 4, 1965.

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About the Author Submissions While History Trails' subject matter has Rachel L. Harmon, a Baltimore County resident, is traditionally focused almost entirely on local a recent graduate of Towson University where she concerns, we are interested in expanding its scope completed a Bachelor’s in History. In 2015 she was into new areas. For example, where one article an intern at HSBC working on writing projects and might focus on a single historic building, person, or inventorying and photographing museum artifacts. event in the county, others may develop and defend After graduation she has continued to volunteer a historic argument, compare and contrast here at HSBC and hopes to find employment as an Baltimore County topics to other locales, or tie archivist. seemingly confined local topics to larger events. Articles abiding by the Chicago Manual of Style Documentary-Note (or Humanities) system will be given priority. A convenient, and abbreviated, guide to Chicago style citations may be found in Kate L. Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (University of Chicago Press, 2007). Digital and/or hard copies of articles may be Board of Directors submitted to the attention of the History Trails editor at the address below. E-mailed and digital Tom Graf, President copies are preferred. Dale Kirchner, Vice-President Len Kennedy, Secretary

H. David Delluomo, CPA, Treasurer Evart Cornell, Ed. D. Phyllis Bailey Brian Cooper Geraldine Diamond 9811 Van Buren Lane Edward R. English, III Cockeysville, MD 21030 John Gasparini, Ph.D. (Phone) 410-666-1878 (Web) www.hsobc.org John Gontrum, J.D. (Email) [email protected] Larry Trainor Jeff Higdon, J.D. Vicki Young Find us on social media: Honorary Board

Hon. Helen D. Bentley Louis Diggs Rhoda Dorsey, Ph. D. Robert Dubel, Ph. D. Adrienne Jones Charles Scheeler