Photo: Pub by H. B. Settle, Newport, R.I. "Tichnor Quality Views" Made Only by Tichnor, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.The place
A French-designed fort that took more than thirty years to build.
Fort Adams stands in Newport, Rhode Island, and is part of Fort Adams State Park today. The fort you see was built between 1824 and 1857. It replaced a much smaller earlier fort, established in 1799 and named for President John Adams.
The new design came from Simon Bernard, a French engineer who had served under Napoleon. It became the most complex fortification in the Western Hemisphere. On the landward side to the south, a tenaille and crownwork were meant to break up and channel any attacking force, and a detached redoubt stood 650 yards from the main fort. In the United States, only Fort Monroe in Virginia and Fort Jefferson in Florida rival it in size.
Work began in 1824 under Andrew Talcott and continued at irregular intervals until 1857. From 1825 to 1838 it was overseen by Joseph Gilbert Totten, the leading American military engineer of his day.
What happened here
Five wars, and not one shot in anger.
The fort was first garrisoned in August 1841 and served as an active Army post until 1950. In that time it was active in five major wars, from the Mexican–American War to World War II, yet it never fired a shot in anger. An 1854 report counted 100 32-pounder and 57 24-pounder seacoast guns plus 43 flank howitzers, all smoothbore.
In 1861 the War Department, worried about the political sympathies of Maryland residents, moved the U.S. Naval Academy from Annapolis to Fort Adams. By September of that year the academy had moved again, to a hotel in Newport, where it stayed for the rest of the war. In the autumn of 1863 the fort was briefly commanded by Robert Anderson, the officer who had held Fort Sumter when the war began.
The armament kept changing: heavy Rodman guns in the 1870s, new batteries to the south between 1896 and 1907 to guard the East Passage of Narragansett Bay, and anti-aircraft guns in the 20th century. In World War I the fort was headquarters for the Coast Defenses of Narragansett Bay and a training center, and railway artillery regiments that served in France were organized here. In World War II more than 3,000 soldiers were assigned to the Harbor Defenses of Narragansett Bay.
Photos
The fort and its walls.
Brick windows, some boarded up, in the walls of Fort Adams. Chuck D from usa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.A vaulted brick passage inside Fort Adams. jay m from Van Nuys, California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.An overgrown courtyard between old buildings at Fort Adams, in a 1968 photograph. Father of JGKlein, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.The granite west side of Fort Adams and its grassy walls. RobDuch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sold by Viator. Prices and review counts checked on 09/09/2026. These cruises cover the bay the fort defended; they do not land at Fort Adams.
Questions people ask
Before you go.
Who designed Fort Adams?
Simon Bernard, a French general and military engineer who had served under Napoleon. Construction began in 1824 and continued at irregular intervals until 1857.
Did Fort Adams ever fight in a war?
It was an active Army post during five major wars, from the Mexican–American War to World War II, but it never fired a shot in anger.
Is this the fort built in 1799?
No. The first Fort Adams dated from 1799 and was named for President John Adams. The larger fort you can see today replaced it after the War of 1812.
Can you visit Fort Adams?
It is part of Fort Adams State Park in Newport. Hours, tours and access to the interior vary by season, so check the official park website before planning your visit.
More to see
Around Newport
More things to do around here
Walking tours, day trips and experiences around this area, on GetYourGuide.
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