About this property
The Fort Hamilton Historic District is a historic district including all of Rose Island in Newport, Rhode Island. The district includes Rose Island Light and an early U.S. military fortification designed in part by Major Louis de Tousard. The fort was named after Alexander Hamilton, and was part of the first system of US fortifications. The earliest fortifications on Rose Island were built in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War around the time of the Battle of Rhode Island. Later construction took place from 1798 to 1801 but was left largely unfinished except for a long barracks building used by the U.S. Infantry. The Secretary of War's report on fortifications for December 1811 describes Fort Hamilton as "a regular unfinished work of masonry of four bastions, two of which are circular. (The fort can house) 300 men". In the 19th century Fort Hamilton was used as a quarantine station for the port of Newport, and the island served as a popular picnic destination. Starting in the late 19th century, the island became part of the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station, and during World War I and World War II the fort was used for munitions storage by the U.S. Navy as it conducted torpedo tests, also using facilities on nearby Goat Island and Gould Island. During World War II anti-aircraft guns were also added to the island, first Navy 5-inch guns and later Army 90 mm guns. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. National Register of Historic Places listings in Newport County, Rhode Island Wade, Arthur P. (2011). Artillerists and Engineers: The Beginnings of American Seacoast Fortifications, 1794-1815. CDSG Press. ISBN 978-0-9748167-2-2. Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. RI-58, "Fort Hamilton, Rose Island, Newport vicinity, Newport County, RI" HAER No. RI-58-A, "Fort Hamilton, Bomb-Proof Barracks, Rose Island, Newport vicinity, Newport County, RI" HAER No. RI-58-B, "Fort Hamilton, Northwest Circular Bastion, Rose Island, Newport vicinity, Newport County, RI" HAER No. RI-58-C, "Fort Hamilton, Southwest Circular Bastion, Underneath Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport vicinity, Newport County, RI" HAER No. RI-57, "Rose Island Lighthouse, Rose Island, Newport vicinity, Newport County, RI"
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Fort Hamilton Historic District
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Questions about this property
When was Fort Hamilton Historic District listed on the National Register?
Fort Hamilton Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 2001.
What type of historic resource is Fort Hamilton Historic District?
Fort Hamilton Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Fort Hamilton Historic District?
The period of significance for Fort Hamilton Historic District is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1798.
Can I research the history near Fort Hamilton Historic District?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Fort Hamilton Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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