Fort Popham is a Third System style granite fort built by the U.S. War Department beginning in 1862. Modifications were made and the fort was used again in the Spanish American War and in World War 1. Another fort, probably wooden, existed here and protected Kennebec River settlements and industry during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. It also served as a base for mining operations that also protected the river from enemy vessels.
This fort was designed to house a huge armament of 28 cannons, including fourteen 8-inch Rodman guns, ten 100 pounder Parrott rifles, and four 20 pounder Flank Howitzers to protect against land attack. Later, an additional five guns, all of them 15 inch Rodman cannons, were placed in a separated firing platform about halfway between the fort and the mainland. Remnants of this battery still exist.
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