Picture this 17th-century fort site on Winter Island in Salem, Massachusetts, watching over Salem Harbor for centuries. Construction of the original fort began in 1643, when Winter Island—then an island separated from the mainland—was held as common land by the Proprietors and used for fishing and fortification. Over time this position served as a strategic coastal defense and military barracks for Salem Harbor through many eras, from the Anglo-Dutch Wars through World War II, and it saw use as a military installation into the 20th century.
In the same coastal network, Fort Miller—known as Fort Darby prior to the Civil War—in Marblehead also defended Salem’s approaches from the 1630s through the American Civil War. Fort Pickering is a First System fortification named for Colonel Timothy Pickering, born in Salem, who was adjutant general of the Continental Army and secretary of war in 1795. Around 1702, the original Fort William on this island was renamed, part of the island’s long story.
Today the remains of the fort are open to the public as part of the Winter Island Maritime Park, operated by the City of Salem. Notice Salem Harbor and the parklands stretching beyond this fort site.