Located just outside of Prospect, Maine, Fort Knox is among the best preserved Forts in New England. Built into the hill on the bank of the Penobscot River, the fort was meant to help defend the Penobscot Narrows in times of conflict.

The Beginning of the Fort

Fort Knox was named after the first American Secretary of War, Major General Henry Knox. Knox played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War before becoming Secretary of War and retired to Maine in 1795 until his death in 1806.

Building on the fort began in 1844 and would continue for 25 years. The large, mostly underground structure was built to protect against invasion because the British had already successfully occupied the lumber rich Bangor/Brewer area twice in the past. Once during the American Revolution and once during War of 1812. The lumber industry in the 19th century was as strong as ever and we weren’t about to hand over such an industry powerhouse again. Thankfully, the issue never arose and Fort Knox has never seen combat. Soldiers stayed in the Fort for training and once out of caution in 1898 during the Spanish American War.

The Final Structure

The concern over invasion diminished significantly over time. As a result, construction on the Fort was never finished. The courtyard provides excellent hints to finishing touches that were skipped. Doorways lead to nowhere. Some hover high above the ground while others lead to patches of grass rather than sidewalks.

Vegetables and other dry goods were stored in the chambers below the stone slabs in the courtyard. Each square has a circular wooden door, much like a manhole cover, that could be easily lifted to access goods from below.

This portion of the outer wall looks out over the water. The little windows were called Loopholes were designed with defense in mind. The infantry could defend the Fort through these Loopholes if the cannons on the shoreline did not keep invading ships at bay.

The design of small windows like these was meant to allow cannons to shoot out while still shielding the soldiers manning them from enemy fire.

Recent history

While Fort Knox is considered to be in one of the best preserved in New England, a roof leak in recent years nearly caused a large portion of the structure to collapse. Thankfully, restoration efforts were headed up by a group from Prospect, Maine, known as the Friends of Fort Knox, who organized fundraising and volunteer labor to safe the building. Local children also stepped up to spearhead major fundraising efforts within the community.

Rumors that the Fort is inhabited by at least ghost even led to the historical site being featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters, on the SyFy channel. The show sent their team to investigate reports of apparitions, doors that open and closed unassisted, invisible hands that poke people, and the sounds of breathing in empty rooms. They reported to have found a great deal of activity within the Fort during their investigation

A quick look through some of the halls, even in the daylight, reveals exactly why this stone fortress is the perfect home for tales of apparitions. Regardless of what you believe in, there is no doubt that these creepy corridors have plenty of shadows to hide in and every October, enthusiastic volunteers flock to Prospect, Maine to do just that for the annual Fright at the Fort Halloween events hosted by Fort Knox. The experience is popularly regarded as legendary.