Fort McClary State Historic Site — Attraction in Kittery

If you are a historian this is a place to see.

Coastal defenses on the site date to the late 17th century when shipbuilder William Pepperell (father of William Pepperrell) acquired the property and erected crude defense works in 1689. Prior to that, the village was protected by Fort William and Mary at New Castle. The Province of Massachusetts Bay voted in 1715 to erect a permanent breastwork of six guns for the defense of the Piscataqua River, during the lead-up to Father Rale's War. Some sources state that it was intended to protect Maine (then part of Massachusetts) from "unreasonable duties" (taxes) that the governor of New Hampshire was attempting to impose on nearby citizens of other colonies. The fort was also used to collect duties from Massachusetts citizens for its own upkeep.This fortification was transferred to the United States government in 1803, known as Fort William, but none of its features are known to survive.

The Pepperrells remained loyal to the British in 1775, so their property was confiscated by local Patriot forces, including the fort. In 1776, ammunition was provided for the fort's 9-pounder and 12-pounder cannon, and the New Hampshire militia manned the fort until 1779.

So much more to learn about it. Beautiful...

We had no idea what this was, but after a long ride we were ready to stop and stretch our legs. We started to explore and we enjoyed our time here. This old historic fort has seen better days, but there is still enough to see and to explore. There was also signs to explain the history of this place.

Some of it is a crude more modern wood fort, built on what appears to be an older more complex stone fort. Very large stone bricks strewn around... it was either not finished being built... or more likely pulled apart after it was built. As you can see large stones tumbled below the walls. Why I don't know, but they explain much of it's history around the grounds when you walk here.

Parking lot is on the smaller side. A very short walking trail is also on the Northern street side of the property. Be sure to leave a donation when you arrive to help keep the place up. A box is provided for this purpose with the suggested...

We've now been to visit twice, and have enjoyed the views and history very much both times. The second time we allowed for more time to explore allowing us to actually see and enjoy more and more of the whole fort. Beautiful views!!!! Very interesting history and we very much enjoyed the actual work it took to make the fort what it is. Loved how informational the signs posted were to learn about the fort. I would recommend allowing for at least 2 or 3 hours to really be able to enjoy the fort for what it is and really explore. Great for active people, couples, and families as it is a bit of a workout to get around, very hilly. I would recommend very comfortable and supportive footwear, no high heels here. Also while you'd be able to enjoy some of the views from a wheelchair, not much of the fort is wheelchair accessible...