Fort Porter
Encyclopedia
Fort Porter was constructed between 1841 and 1844 at Buffalo
in Erie County, New York
and named for General Peter Buell Porter
. The site was bounded by Porter Avenue, Busti Avenue and the Erie Barge Canal
. It was initially a square masonry two-story redoubt
, 62 feet square, with crenelated walls surrounded by large earthworks and moat. The fort was considered the largest masonry "blockhouse
" ever built; it burned in November 1863. The "castle" had been built in 1836 as a home for Col. James McKay. This was part of the government acquisition of land in 1841 and was used as the Commandant's Quarters.
Fort Porter had not been used for some time when the Civil War
started. It was used as Headquarters of the 74th Regiment, NYNG
. Ten 60 by 18 foot barracks were constructed and used as a recruiting center. In 1898, the post was reactivated for the Spanish–American War and used as Headquarters for 13th U.S. Infantry. In 1917, it was reactivated again for World War I
and used as U.S. Army Base Hospital 23 until the unit shipped out. At the close of World War I it was used as U.S. General Hospital 4 for returning wounded. In 1926, the property was sold to provide approaches to new Peace Bridge
at Front Park, and all evidence was removed. A boulder dedicated in 1899, as a token of the city's esteem for the regiment was removed to a place outside of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.
Fort Porter had an American football
team that was active in 1917 and in 1920, playing teams in the informal New York Pro Football League
.
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in Erie County, New York
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
and named for General Peter Buell Porter
Peter Buell Porter
Peter Buell Porter was an American lawyer, soldier and politician who served as United States Secretary of War from 1828 to 1829.-Life:...
. The site was bounded by Porter Avenue, Busti Avenue and the Erie Barge Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. It was initially a square masonry two-story redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
, 62 feet square, with crenelated walls surrounded by large earthworks and moat. The fort was considered the largest masonry "blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
" ever built; it burned in November 1863. The "castle" had been built in 1836 as a home for Col. James McKay. This was part of the government acquisition of land in 1841 and was used as the Commandant's Quarters.
Fort Porter had not been used for some time when the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
started. It was used as Headquarters of the 74th Regiment, NYNG
New York Army National Guard
The New York Army National Guard is a component of the New York National Guard and the Army National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
. Ten 60 by 18 foot barracks were constructed and used as a recruiting center. In 1898, the post was reactivated for the Spanish–American War and used as Headquarters for 13th U.S. Infantry. In 1917, it was reactivated again for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and used as U.S. Army Base Hospital 23 until the unit shipped out. At the close of World War I it was used as U.S. General Hospital 4 for returning wounded. In 1926, the property was sold to provide approaches to new Peace Bridge
Peace Bridge
The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects the City of Buffalo, New York, in the United States to the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, in Canada...
at Front Park, and all evidence was removed. A boulder dedicated in 1899, as a token of the city's esteem for the regiment was removed to a place outside of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.
Fort Porter had an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team that was active in 1917 and in 1920, playing teams in the informal New York Pro Football League
New York Pro Football League
The New York Pro Football League was a professional American football league active in the 1910s and based in upstate New York, primarily Western New York. Between 1920 and 1921, the league's best teams were absorbed into the National Football League, though none survive in that league today...
.