Fort Adams

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Fort Adams
Newport, Rhode Island

Type	Coast Artillery Post
Built	1799; 1841
In use	1799-1824; 1841-1953
Controlled by	United States
Commanders	Captain John Henry

Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island was established on July 4th, 1799 as a First System coastal fortification. Its first commander was Captain John Henry who was later instrumental in starting the War of 1812.

The first Fort Adams was designed by Major Louis de Tousard of the Army Corps of Engineers. This fort mounted 12 cannon and was garrisoned during the War of 1812 by Wood's State Corps of Rhode Island militiamen.

After the War of 1812, there was a thorough review of the nation's fortification needs and it was decided to replace the "old" Fort Adams with a newer a much larger fort. The new fort was designed by Brigadier General Simon Bernard, a Frenchman who had served as a military engineer under Napoleon. Bernard designed the new Fort Adams in the classic style of Vauban and it became the most complex fortification in the Western Hemisphere.

Construction of the new fort began in 1824 and continued at irregular intervals until 1857. From 1825 to 1838 , construction was overseen by Colonel Joseph Gilbert Totten, the foremost American military engineer of his day. In 1838, Totten became chief engineer of the Army and served until his death in 1864.

The new Fort Adams was first garrisoned in August 1841 and was an active Army post until 1950. During this time, the fort was active in five major wars (Mexican-American War, American Civil War, Spanish-American, World War I and World War II) but never fired a shot in anger.

During the Civil War, Fort Adams was used as the United States Naval Academy. In May 1861, the Academy was moved to Newport from Annapolis Maryland due to concerns about the political sympathies of the Marylanders. In September 1861, the Academy moved to the Atlantic House hotel in Newport and remained there for the rest of the war.

3-15th Infantry Regiment was Organized at Fort Adams in March 1864.

As time went by, the Fort's armament was upgraded to keep up with technological innovations. Major kinds of ordnance used at the Fort included muzzle loading cannon in the 19th Century, breech loading rifled artillery pieces in the early 20th Century and anti-aircraft guns during and after the World War II.

Fort Adams also served as the headquarters for all fortifications in Narragansett Bay, as well as, a training center in wartime.

In 1953, the Army gave Fort Adams to the Navy which used the fort's grounds for family housing. In 1965, the fort was given to the state of Rhode Island for use as a state park. In 1974, Fort Adams was declared a National Historic Landmark. In 1994, the Fort Adams trust was formed, which provides guided tours at the fort and oversees ongoing restoration work at the fort.