Officials contemplate the feasibility of restoring historic Battery Blair.
CAPE ELIZABETH — in the 1970s, a sewer project helped transform Fort Williams into a park. Soil dug from another part of town was used to build the roads and playing fields, fill the foundations of demolished buildings and cover the gun batteries along the shoreline.
I read this headline the other day with much joy, having one of those “It’s about freakin’ time” moments. Fort Williams has been one of my favorite historical sites in Maine for years now, and I’ve done some research on it preparing for a video and book release on the subject. It’s a shame to see all of the military aspects covered over by all of the fill as it hides a specific treasure, and a valuable piece of Maine history from the public. While it’s nice that people can go and walk their dogs and fly a kite, it’s also important that we remember who we are and where we came from. Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth is just one of these hidden treasures that exhibit a strong sense of the importance that Maine once held.
Of course, there are other Batteries just as important as Battery Blair, as well as buildings and facilities beyond the gun emplacements, but Battery Blair held the big boys, the 12″ Rodman’s on disappearing carriages. These guns were a fascinating weapon as their bulk could be hidden, and when needed for firing simply raised to their height, fired and then lowered below the parapet walls, partly by the force of recoil, for reloading. This arrangement allowed for the ground level types of coast defenses that hid the profile of theretofore standard masonry defense works such as we see at Fort Popham and Fort Knox. These installations were much harder, and in some cases impossible to detect from the sea.
There is much to tell of this historical landmark, and I for one am glad they are starting to consider restoring it to what it should be. Exposing the original construction of these batteries and returning much of the park to its original luster will go a long way towards pulling tourists to the area for day trips. I wish them luck and hope they are able to get this project off to a flying start, with little red tape to bar their progress. As I get more of my Maine forts book and video done, I’ll post progress and information here for you to read up on. Till then, happy history!