As children my brothers and I would often trek down to the end of our street and climb into a makeshift fort made out of a few rotting boards and some tree branches. It was flimsy and small, but our imaginations more than made up for what it lacked in space and design. I thought about that fort just the other day when some friends invited us to travel with them to Fort Williams, one of Maine’s most popular destinations for families.
In 1894, President McKinley named Fort Williams the first military defense in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Today, it is mainly used for family activities and recreation. The onetime war zone provides a safe haven for runners, bikers, picnics, baseball games and an assortment of other activities.
The fort-turned-park is steeped in history and provides families with rolling hills, shady trees, and a beach that is ideal for family picnics (not so ideal for swimming since the water temperature is about 60 degrees). It also offers a great vantage point to watch ships pass by. There is also a trail that takes you behind a lighthouse to a hill that offers a bird’s-eye view of the state’s famous rocky coastline.
Battery Hobart is one of the forts overlooking the ocean. It is named for Henry Hobart, one of Maine’s first military academy graduates, who was killed in action during the War of 1812. Historians say in the summer of 1913 a 6-inch gun that was mounted on the battery was removed and transported to Hawaii, where it was used at Pearl Harbor during World War II.
Another fort that remains on the grounds is the Goddard Mansion. The structure was built in 1858 for John Goddard, a colonel in Maine’s regiment of cavalry in the Civil War. The U.S. Army took over the property in 1898, and it was used for housing married enlisted men and their families stationed at Fort Williams.
So, if you are searching for ways to provide your children with hands on lessons in American history while still having fun in the great outdoors, Fort Williams may just be the place you are looking for.