the batteries at fort worden

This show of 12 photographs is currently on display at Copper Canyon Press at Fort Worden State Park, near Port Townsend, WA.  The photos mostly feature architectural details of the nearby batteries.  All images are just under 12"x18", matted and framed to 20"x26".

"Ascent"

"Battery Stories"

"Blue Door"

"Column"

"Door to the Past"

"Gateway"

"Interior"

"Latch"

"Number One"

"Recesses"

"Rings"

"The Way Out"

Here is the write-up I did on the history of the batteries to accompany the show:

The Batteries at Fort Worden

The Batteries at Fort Worden, along with those at Fort Flagler and Fort Casey, were built at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet in the 1890s  to prevent a hostile fleet from entering Puget Sound.   Construction on Fort Worden began in 1897.  It took 200 men almost three years to complete the excavation and concrete work for the initial gun emplacements.  The first huge guns were installed in 1901.  The fort was activated in 1902, and by the fall of 1905 it was fully staffed with four Coast Artillery companies, and was also the headquarters of the Harbor Defense Command.  By 1910, the fort had a total of 41 artillery pieces, including twenty 12-inch guns.

The big guns were tested but never fired at an enemy.  Most were removed during World War I for use in Europe. During this time, however, the complement at Fort Worden expanded significantly as soldiers arrived for training.  Construction of barracks and other buildings continued throughout the war.

In the 1920s, a balloon hangar was added to the fort.  During World War II, most of the gun emplacements were modified for anti-aircraft guns, which replaced the outdated coastal artillery pieces.

After World War II, the gun batteries were dismantled, but the fort remained active as an administrative base until it officially closed in 1953, ending fifty-one years of military operations.

The massive battery structures remain as a silent testament to defense endeavors from a bygone era.

Source: Wikipedia.org