Thank you for considering a fort miles historical association membership. There is more than enough history in this area to write a novel, but ill try to keep things a bit shorter than that. Take a look at our interactive event calendar below, and join us as we bring history to life. Brendan mackie is a member of the delaware army national guard and the fort delaware society. Today, fort miles is home to the fort miles museum, encompassing a gun battery, six barracks buildings, a fire control tower, an orientation building, and an artillery park. Welcome to fort miles, the official website of the harbor defenses of the delaware living history association, which includes the 261st coast artillery and 1252nd service command support unit. Dday celebration with author sarah rose history book festival and fort miles celebrate the 75th anniversary of dday with a presentation and discussion of dday girls with author sarah rose. On 3 june 1941 it was named for lieutenant general nelson a. The guns of fort miles were never fired in anger but the fort at cape henlopen state park offers a glimpse of delaware s wartime history. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Positioned at the mouth of the delaware river, fort miles provided long range, heavy caliber protection from enemy capital warships as well as rapidfire protection from fastmoving subs and torpedo boats.
Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Fort miles is a special place for history enthusiasts, veterans, families, or anyone interested in learning about delaware stories, delaware heroes, and delawares. Now that its forever part of cape henlopen state park, you can hike the parks trails and head straight for abandoned bunkers, barracks, and coastal watchtowers. World war ii history, veterans to be remembered at fort miles. Fort miles is in cape henlopen state park near historic lewes and the site of d. Once finished the large gun emplacements and sighting towers at cape may point, new jersey, and at fort miles, cape henlopen, delaware, rendered fort delaware totally obsolete. In 2005, gary and lee wrote a book about fort miles, published by arcadia publishing. Fort miles historical association archives state of. Interested in where the harbor defenses of the delaware s reenactors will be next. See more ideas about delaware, history and wilmington delaware. Fire control towers, four to fivestory round base concrete towers with flat observation decks, were set up. Dont miss these essential experiences at fort miles. Delaware goes to war brings military history to life.
Fort delaware, delaware city, delaware page 2 legends of. Bunkers of cape henlopen state park lewes, delaware. However, it would be seven years before the fort was completed on december 4, 1941a mere matter of days before japan attached pearl harbor. Fort miles historical association honors fallen delawareans. Fire control towers, four to fivestory roundbase concrete towers with flat observation decks, were set up. The history of fort miles exemplifies americas call to action to stem the tide of war against german invasions along the atlantic seaboard that, at the onset of world war ii, appeared virtually unstoppable.
The state of delaware deeded pea patch island, located in the delaware river between delaware and new jersey, to. As the primary fort of the harbor defenses of the delaware, it was built to defend delaware bay and the. One recent video is an overview of the fort miles area of cape henlopen state park, a good way to see and learn the history of delawares critical world war ii military installation with tours currently not taking place. We toured the wwii historical areas and found them very interesting. Building on our core base of over 400 members is critical to continue to enhance and expand the operations of the fort miles museum. In addition, there were 109 union guards 26 others are still unknown, and 39 civilian detainees who died at the fort. Fort miles historical area cape henlopen state park. National park service explorers and settlers pennsylvania. Fort delaware is a former harbor defense facility, designed by chief engineer joseph gilbert totten and located on pea patch island in the delaware river. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. View all hotels near fort miles historic area at cape henlopen state park on tripadvisor.
History of the growth of fort miles as east coasts most heavily armed. The tour takes tells the story of fort miles and its strategic importance to protecting the delaware bay and its ports from german warships. Cap crews were responsible for the majority of drone target training conducted at fort miles during wwii. May 22, 2017 9 insane things that happened in delaware you wont find in history books. Fort miles historic area at cape henlopen state park. For more information on the film and lecture series please call. Everyone knows that delaware is full of colonial history. Since 2003, fort miles historical association and delaware state parks have worked in partnership to operate and expand the museum and. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. So in addition to taking in history, spectacular views, some pretty talented skateboarders are also thrown into the mix.
Fort miles historic area at cape henlopen state park lewes. No matter how big or small, your donations are needed and appreciated. In fact, you can even visit a restaurant that will make you feel like youve stepped back to the 1600s at jessops tavern in new castle. The first of the original states to ratify the federal constitution, delaware occupies a small niche in the bostonwashington, d. It was by a chance invitation from the sussex squadron, that i was invited on a tour of the fort miles gun emplacement of battery 519. Fire control towers of fort miles and the delaware coast. Secret, stateoftheart installations built within the. Media in category fort miles, delaware the following 33 files are in this category, out of 33 total. Fort miles historical website north american forts. The property is massive and a great place to hike, bike, or just walk on the beach. Set among the dunes near cape henlopen, where the delaware bay meets the atlantic ocean, this was one of our nations most important east coast defensive fortifications during world war ii.
The awesome hike in delaware that will take you straight to an abandoned fort. The detail is surprising and easily defines the amount of effort put into the research by the author. It also has a bit of a hill, which skateboarders make full use of. There is more than enough history in this area to write a novel, but ill try to. Lee is interpretive program manager and historian at fort delaware state park. Board an authentic wwiiera troop transport truck, and see the park from a new perspective. When you enter the park, bear right to get to fort miles and the lookout tower. Dday celebration with author sarah rose lewes chamber. Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. Our goal is to help create the finest world war ii museum located at an authentic world war ii coastal defense facility. List of books and articles about delaware history online. The areas protected included the cities of philadelphia, camden, and wilmington along with the. Fort miles was a united states army also navy after 1963 installation located on cape henlopen near lewes, delaware. Mar 08, 2020 fort miles historical area at cape henlopen state park in lewes delware is an amazing and historical park.
Plans for fort miles were first approved in 1934 as a way to defend the delaware river and delaware bay, as well as to protect americas domestic shipping from enemies. Stayathome resources for kids and families delawares. If the book read as well as its introduction this volume would have been a great read. The fire control towers of fort miles and the delaware coast were an early, effective form of homeland security.
New research by fort delaware society archivist jocelyn p. The new fort miles museum tour is a must see attraction. Fort miles was a united states army installation located on cape henlopen near lewes. Nelson appleton miles, this powerful seacoast fortification was built during world war ii to defend the vital industries of the delaware valley. The swedes captured the fort by surprise in 1654, but their triumph was brief. Bunkers of cape henlopen state park lewes, delaware atlas.
Historic fort miles in delaware historic rehoboth attractions. The military eventually created specialized units to fly target training drones. Peter stuyvesant, governor of new netherland, sailed to the delaware region in 1651 and established fort casimir on the delaware shore at the site of presentday new castle. In fact, we have an entire national park that spans half of the state, noting important historic places in the first state. Fort miles, delaware images of america series by gary.
Fort miles was constructed during world war ii as a vital coastal defense installation to deter potential german attacks on key us. Lewes april 28, 2012 after a long journey by water and rail, a storied 16inch gun barrel was unveiled today at the battery 519 museum at the fort miles historical area in cape henlopen state park, where it will be stationed. It gives a comprehensive military history of the cape from the. Including its history, the zwaanendael museum, fort miles, the prime hook national wildlife refuge, and more johnathan black on.
The connection was that two of fort saulsburys guns were relocated to battery 519 during wwii. Learn how the different parts of fort miles worked together to defend delaware s coast. Photo courtesy of delaware state parks cultural resources unit. Fmha is working to establish the finest world war ii museum at an actual army base. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Fort miles was the main defense of the delaware during world war ii. The coast artillerys forgotten last stand during the.
History of the beginning of the settlement of this delaware county in 1631 to the 20th century. However, it would be seven years before the fort was completed on december 4, 1941a mere matter of. Brendan mackie is a member of the delaware national guard and the. Hotels near fort miles historic area at cape henlopen state park. Authentic photographs and charts are used throughout to create a realistic mental picture and emphasize the military and communal importance throughout the. Hattier noted ongoing improvements at fort miles are symbolic of the vision of the late lee jennings, cofounder of the fort miles historical association and former historian for the delaware. The fort miles historical association fmha, formed in 2003 and working in partnership with delaware state parks dsp, serves to restore the fort miles museum and historical area and assist with its operations. Gary wray cofounded and now serves as president of the fort miles historical association. Our goal is to help create the finest world war ii museum located at an authentic. I was glad to see some print attention was finally paid to fort miles. Experience fort miles museum and historical area delaware state.
You probably know that delaware has been a state, colony, and territory with a long and storied history, and. The dynamic coastal environment that has shaped the natural and cultural history of cape henlopen state park continues to enchant visitors. Fort miles was once a key player in the delaware bay defense plan, protecting the ports of wilmington and philadelphia, but it has since been left for curious delawareans to explore. Just click the schedule a pickup button below, choose a date for your donation pickup, leave your clearly labeled donations outside on the day you choose, and our driver will pick. Seating is limited to 60 and tickets are available that day in the fort miles museum. Miles, who was the last to serve as the commanding general of the army.
Did you know there were drones at fort miles during world. Fort miles is a special place for history enthusiasts, veterans, families, or anyone interested in learning about delaware stories, delaware heroes, and delawares role in wwii. It gives a comprehensive military history of the cape from the beginning to the end. Apr 19, 2014 though the surrender at fort miles has been omitted from school history books, heacock said the reenactment has helped spread the word about the bases role in wwii. Special event delaware goes to war saturday, april 25 10 a. The images within the book have been graciously shared by the fort delaware society, delaware public archives, and private collections. Take a guided tour, enjoy an interpretive program, visit the art gallery, take in a special event, and celebrate the greatest generation. This series of coastal defense watch towers have been standing for over 70 years, long after they fulfilled the purpose for which they were designed and constructed. Fort miles historical association film and lecture series select saturdays p. Who knew so much ww2 history was inside cape henlopen park. Join higher dimension as we take a trip to fort miles. Guided tours by uniformed interpreters and opportunities to climb a concrete spotting tower offering scenic vistas of the seascape and surrounding areas are just two of the many activities which make this.
This program is a great starting place for the rest of our events. Big ww ii gun unveiled at fort miles state of delaware. Discover sussex county like you have never seen it before. Your used books make a big difference in the lives of americas veterans and their families. An unidentified cap crewmember working on an oq2 near rehoboth beach. The fort was built to defend delaware s atlantic coastal waters and delaware bay. Fort miles was the largest east coast combatready post during world war ii, with 2,500 personnel trained to protect the coast and the entrance to the delaware bay and delaware river. The awesome hike in delaware that will take you straight. Whether you are a first time traveler or avid visitor of this region of the world. For members of the visiting public, fort miles events are covered by your entry fee at cape henlopen state park. That same year saw publication of an arcadia press book, fort miles, by gary wray, who has served as the historical associations president. Built in 1941, this massive coastal fortification was designed to defend assets along the delaware river and bay, as well as the city of philadelphia, during the second world war.
In 1941 the cape henlopen military reservation, also called camp henlopen, was named after general nelson a. The awesome hike in delaware that will take you straight to. Come learn about them and how fort delaware was developed with our pea patch history tour. Winter programs listed on our upcoming events calendar take place at alternate offsite locations until ferry service resumes in april.
Flash forward to 1941, when the fear of german uboats invading philadelphia via the delaware river led to the formation of fort miles. The fort delaware garrison was increased in size until these new defenses were completed. The harbor defenses of the delaware was a united states army coast artillery corps harbor defense command. Stuyvesant returned with an expedition in 1655 and conquered all new sweden. We discovered fort miles by accident on our recent vacation. These included both coast artillery forts and underwater minefields. Garvin was joined by legislators, the fort miles historical association, and other supporters today at a ribboncutting celebrating numerous improvements at fort miles.
Jamison compiled the names of 2,925 confederate prisoners of war using the forts record books from nara. Although funds to build the fort were approved in 1934, it was 1941 before construction began on the fort. The fort miles museum and historical area has expanded with a new parking lot and paved road, enabling visitors to access the area more easily. Fort miles, delaware images of america series by gary wray, lee. Fort delaware is closed for the season and will reopen on april 25, 2020. What was known as fort miles all but disappeared when, in 1963, the federal government began turning the land over to delaware s state park system.
Since its establishment, cape henlopen was manned by the united states army in fort miles. Built in 1941, the massive coastal fortification was designed to defend assets along the delaware river and bay such as oil refineries and factories, as. Though the surrender at fort miles has been omitted from school history books, heacock said the reenactment has helped spread the word about the bases role in. During the american civil war, the union used fort delaware as a prison for confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and privateer officers. It made fort saulsbury obsolete, although that fort continued its military service during the war. Fort miles has beautiful views overlooking the bay. Fort miles historical association lewes chamber of commerce.
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