Credits

Beneath the surface of the ground at Fort McHenry National Monument lay known and unknown archeological treasures of the past history of this unique site. Today over 600,000 visitors come to visit this national site, and many ask questions about how the Fort was constructed, why it was placed in this location, and how it was used by the military. The history of this fortification has a direct connection to the changes in military technology and the political climate of the times. The archeological resources at Fort McHenry reflect the complex interplay of factors. Technology, politics, economy, and geography are a few of the most important factors that impacted the evolution of the defense fortifications of Baltimore. This 43-acre parcel of land reveals a story in American history that spans from 1776 until the last military occupation as a U.S. Coast Guard Station during World War II.

Fort McHenry is composed of a number of interconnected parts. These include archeological features consisting of strata, artifacts, and the evidence of structures, which remain under the surface of the ground. To provide an accurate interpretation of the past, archeological records must be integrated with the historical and architectural records. Archeology adds to the preservation and understanding of the Fort’s architecture, modifications associated with new technologies, social and economic position of the soldiers in the garrison, as well as military adaptations for a variety of uses.*

Historical records indicate “Whetstone Point” was used as a defense position as early as 1776. The geographical location at the end of a peninsula of land, on the edge of the water leading into Baltimore's port, was a logical placement for a fortification to protect the harbor. Construction of a new masonry Star Fort, known as a unit of the First American System of Fortifications was undertaken between 1794-1806. The Second American System (1807-1814) brought redesign to strengthen the defenses. The size of the property was doubled in the early 1800s with the acquisition of additional land and new guns. Advances in military technology during and immediately after the Civil War prompted remodeling of Baltimore’s primary defenses. Renewed emphasis on the Fort’s role in defense led to further construction of a 60 foot high earthen water battery. Fort McHenry remained a military post until 1912 and then was even used for a brief time as a city park. The U.S. Army returned during World War I to construct an enormous hospital complex on the grounds surrounding the “old” Star Fort. Following the complete removal of the hospital complex, Fort McHenry was designated a national park under the administration of the War Department and, in 1933, the site was transferred to the Department of Interior, National Park Service. Consequently, there are ten major periods of construction, activity, modification or rehabilitation. They are: Fort Whetstone (1776-1783), First American System of Fortifications (1794-1806), Second American System (1807-1814), Third American System (1817-1866), post Civil War (1866-1890), World War I hospital (1917-1925), War Department Restoration (1926-1933), National Park Service (1933-present), and World War II U.S. Coast Guard Station (1942-1945 by legislative authority superior to the National Park Service). Evidence of any or all of these periods of activity can still be found beneath the suface of the ground.

In 1958, the National Park Service recognized the value of historical scholarship and took the lead in conducting archeological research at National Park sites of primary historical importance. A chronology of the work done by professional archeologists at Fort McHenry begins with Hubert Smith’s excavations in 1958 and continues up to the present day. A full chronology is included on a separate page.

1958 Excavation - 1814 flagstaff cross brace timbers

Since 1958, there have been over fifty archeological investigations to determine the location or use of earlier buildings or features of the site. In other areas, construction work for installation of utilities was monitored and revealed evidence of earlier structures and artifacts. If you view the Site Map illustration you will see the location of areas at the park that have been investigated in the past decades.

1997 Fort Wall Excavation

For example, in 1958 Hubert Smith directed an excavation to determine the alignment of the original northeast Boundary Wall that was noted on the 1819 plan showing the boundary wall. In 1837, when additional land was purchased the original brick Wall was dismantled and reconstructed at the perimeter of the grounds in its present location. Smith found the footing of the original wall 75 feet north of the Star Fort bastion #5. However, he also uncovered a small rectangular area paved with stone slabs, surrounded by a roughly dressed fieldstone edging or footing. It has been speculated that this feature is the foundation of a bombproof or magazine dating to the Fort Whetstone earthworks pre-dating the Star Fort we see today!

Stone slab foundation - 1776 Powder Magazine

In 1982 a different type of archeology project was undertaken. Archeologist William Stokinger was brought to the park during the routine installation of water main pipes for new restrooms. While digging the trench for the water main, Stokinger documented the discovery of the foundations of three 1843 stables used during the Civil War era. He also identified the foundations of a Civil War prison compound and remnants of the World War I military hospital complex mortuary!

With the passage of the Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, Congress mandated the “protection of archeological resources and sites which are on public lands.” Furthermore, this Act requires that all “archeological resources which are excavated or removed from public lands will remain the property of the United States, and such resources and copies of associated archeological records and data will be preserved.” Therefore, over 30,000 artifacts are stored and preserved at Fort McHenry for study and analysis.

The park museum collection of archeological artifacts includes a wide diversity of material that is cataloged by classification type. Metal, glass, textile, ceramics, paper, and bone, are just a few of the classification categories. Artifacts such as cannon balls, mortar fragments, kitchen cranes, horseshoes, leather shoes, buttons, ceramic containers, and beer bottles are identified in the museum collection. Material recovered from an excavation is cleaned, described, numbered, and stored in bags or boxes. All final reports and bibliography records are kept on file in the park. A bibliography of archeology reports is included here for your reference. Specific information about the artifacts is then entered on a database, called the Automated National Catalog System. Working directly with the park staff, researchers and scholars can access information by a variety of subject areas depending on the nature of their interest. For every computerized catalog record there are 75 entries of information ranging from the object date, measurements, and weight to a general description of appearance. Most artifacts relate to the construction activities or military occupation of the site. Each reveals a small part of the history of the site.

Examination of the past revealed through archeological remains is integral to understanding, preserving and interpreting history! Click on the images above to see examples of the kind of material that have been recovered at Fort McHenry. Each of these items will give you a brief glimpse of the past!

*Reference:
Schlereth, Thomas J.

Artifacts of The American Past. Nashville, Tennessee: American Association for State and Local History, 1989.

Write: Superintendent, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, 2400 East Fort Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21230-5393
Phone: (410) 962-4290
or send e-mail