Since construction commenced in 1861, the entrance to the Kennebec River has been guarded by Fort Popham, a Civil War era fort that was built to protect the shipbuilding interests in the upriver City of Bath, as well as the state capital in Augusta. Over the years since the State of Maine purchased Fort Popham in 1924 from the United States Government, the structure has become unstable and in need of significant renovations to remain safe and reopen currently closed areas of the Fort in an effort to accommodate the almost 100,000 visitors per year to this State Historic Site.
Although uncompleted, Fort Popham is an important example of military engineering from the period of the Civil War. This significance was acknowledged by the listing of the Fort in the National Register of Historic Places on October 1, 1969.
The Friends of Phippsburg, The Department of Conservation, and other State agencies are working diligently to secure adequate funding for Fort Popham. It is our hope through this innovative partnership that we can raise adequate funds to stabilize Fort Popham before it deteriorates to a point that repairs will be significantly more costly and damage irreversible.
You can assist the Friends of Phippsburg and Department of Conservation and be part of saving this piece of Maine and United States history by donating to our efforts. Please take one of our flyers outlining possible giving opportunities.
More information about Fort Popham can be found at www.friendsofphippsburg.org or www.maine.gov/doc
Enjoy your visit to Fort Popham and Phippsburg, Maine.
Comments 0 comments