Fort Trumbull State Park
I recently had the pleasure of exploring Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut. The fort has its origins in the American Revolution and was attacked by British troops under the command of General Benedict Arnold on September 6, 1781. This action was part of the Battle of Groton Heights, which was largely fought on the opposite side of the Thames River at Fort Griswold in Groton, Connecticut. Earlier this summer, I visited Fort Griswold and documented my experience there.
It’s also important to note that the Revolutionary era fortifications no longer exist at Fort Trumbull.
The current version of Fort Trumbull was built between 1839 and 1852. This fortification is part of a group of 42 forts, which were constructed for coastal defenses of the United States and its harbors. These forts became known as the Third System of Fortifications. Fort Trumbull stands out in the Third System because of the Egyptian Revival features in its architectural design.
A description panel outside the main gate of Fort Trumbull, detailing the information mentioned in the previous paragraph.
One of the most interesting areas of Fort Trumbull to explore is the South Battery. There are currently two Rodman guns installed at the South Battery. They are the same type that were positioned at the fort in the late nineteenth century.
The army built the South Battery gun line around 1840 while the present Fort Trumbull was under construction. By 1879, there were eight cannon of two types at this battery, six Rodmans and two Parrotts.
The South Battery was the closest gun position to the Long Island Sound and held the largest concentration of heavy guns installed at Fort Trumbull in the 1890's.
A close-up of a Rodman Gun currently installed at the South Battery of Fort Trumbull.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time exploring Fort Trumbull State Park. The inside of the fort is accessible to the public and offers more incredible history lessons. I’m looking forward to visiting again and sharing my thoughts on the inside.
