Fort Wayne is located in the city of Detroit, Michigan, at the foot of Livernois Avenue in the Delray neighborhood. The fort is located on the Detroit River at a spot where it is less than half a mile from the Ontario shore. The original 1848 limestone barracks (with later brick additions) still stands, as does the 1845 fort (repaired and updated in 1863 with brick exterior walls). Outside the original fort on the grounds are additional officer quarters, a recreation building, a theater, a store for supplies, a guard post, a garage, and stables. A large warehouse and the fire station were removed in 1976, and the two-story hospital was removed in 2007.
The fort originally covered 96 acres (39 hectares). Since the 1970s, 83 acres (34 hectares), including the original fort and several buildings, has been managed by the city of Detroit. The remaining land is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a boatyard. The fort was named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and named a City of Detroit Historic Neighborhood District in 2016.
Background
Fort Wayne is the third fort built in the area of Detroit. The first fort, Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit, was constructed by the French in 1701 near today’s Hart Plaza. This fort, built by Cadillac, was controlled by the French until they gave it to the British in 1760 during the French and Indian War. The British later built the second fort, Fort Lernoult, a few years later, located near today’s Fort and Shelby streets. The British controlled this post until 1796, when the United States took over and renamed it Fort Shelby. After the War of 1812, Fort Shelby fell into disrepair, and in 1826, the City of Detroit bought and destroyed it.
The original site of Fort Wayne was a high sand mound with freshwater springs along the marshy waterfront of the Detroit River. This geography inspired the name Springwells Township, which was later added to the City of Detroit. The area has a history dating back to at least 750 AD. About 19 Native American burial mounds were found nearby, along with a larger mound at the mouth of the Rouge River. The current fort was built on one of these burial mounds. In the early 1900s, the last remaining burial mound at Fort Wayne was studied by archaeologists from the University of Michigan. They found human remains over 900 years old and discovered a unique type of pottery, later called "Wayne Ware."
When Cadillac established Fort Pontchartrain, later known as Fort Detroit, he reportedly arranged with the local Potawatomi people to create a village at the future site of Fort Wayne for trading purposes. This village was already thriving by 1710.
The first shots of the War of 1812 were fired near the future site of Fort Wayne, called the "sand hill at Springwells." Although war had not yet been officially declared, American soldiers attacked the town of Sandwich, Upper Canada (now part of Windsor), on July 4, 1812. Later in the war, British general Isaac Brock crossed the narrowest part of the Detroit River and landed on the future Fort Wayne site before marching to Detroit. During the Siege of Detroit, American general William Hull surrendered Fort Shelby to the British without fighting. The British later left, and American troops returned. In 1815, the future Fort Wayne site was where American leaders and Native American tribal leaders signed the Treaty of Springwells, ending hostilities between the government and tribes that had allied with the British during the war. Territorial governor Lewis Cass and General William Henry Harrison were among those present.
In the late 1830s, small uprisings occurred in Canada to protest government corruption. Many Americans believed Canadians supported these rebellions and formed volunteer groups to overthrow Canada’s government. This led to attacks on Canada called the Patriot War. American troops were sent to stop the volunteers and keep the United States neutral. However, the U.S. government realized there were no forts along the northern border to defend against a potential British attack, especially no counterpart to the British Fort Malden in Amherstburg. In 1841, Congress approved funding to build a series of forts from the east coast to the Minnesota Territory, including one in Detroit.
Soon after, the Army sent Lieutenant Montgomery C. Meigs to Detroit. Meigs purchased riverfront farmland three miles below Detroit, in Springwells Township, at the point on the Detroit River closest to Canada. Construction of the fort began in 1842, with Meigs overseeing the work. The original fortifications had earthen walls covered with cedar. The fort was completed in 1851 at a cost of $150,000. The Army named the new fort after Revolutionary War hero General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who had captured Detroit from the British in 1796.
Architecture and construction
The original fort is a rectangular shape with strong walls made of dirt covered by cedar wood. These walls protect vaulted brick rooms that have openings for antipersonnel flank howitzers. The design was inspired by fortifications created by Sebastian Vauban, a 17th-century French military engineer, and taught by Dennis Hart Mahan at the U.S. Military Academy. Artillery positions are located on top of the walls, built to hold 10-inch (250 mm) cannons that could fire over the walls. However, there is no evidence that cannons were ever placed there. A dry moat surrounds the fort, and a demilune, a small fort-like structure, faces the river.
Although the fort today looks much like it did when first built, some changes have occurred. Starting in 1863, under the direction of Thomas J. Cram, the walls were rebuilt, replacing the cedar wood with brick. The new outer wall used a design called the "semi-detached scarp," developed by French engineer Lazare Carnot. This same design was used for the gently sloping counterscarp embankment, which helped soldiers attack enemies during a siege. The original entrance in the southeast bastion still exists, but a motor gate was added in 1938. This arched entrance allowed vehicles to pass through the walls. Later, the arches were removed to make space for larger trucks.
Inside the fort, a Federal-style, three-and-a-half-story limestone building was built as a troop barracks. It has five separate but connected sections, each meant to house one company of soldiers. Each section includes a ground floor mess hall, two floors of sleeping rooms, and an attic. In 1861, brick additions were built at the back of the barracks to include washrooms and kitchens. Next to the barracks is a limestone powder magazine, a building for storing gunpowder. Other buildings, such as officer housing, were originally built but have since been destroyed.
Many additional buildings were constructed outside the fort on its grounds. A row of wooden Victorian-style homes for officers was built in the 1880s. These homes were completely renovated and covered with brick by WPA workers in 1937. One home was restored in the 1980s to look like it did originally. A Spanish–American War guardhouse, built in 1889, is located in the center of the fort grounds and was restored in 1984. In 1890, a brick hospital was built, with an addition in 1898. In 1905, a new guardhouse, still in use today, was built near the entrance to the fort grounds. Around the same time, four barracks buildings for enlisted soldiers, a service club (1903), headquarters (1905), and a post office were constructed. By 1928, duplex housing for senior non-commissioned officers was built. In 1939, more NCO houses were built in a row facing Jefferson Avenue.
Historical use
Before any cannons were placed at the newly built Fort Wayne, the United States and Britain peacefully resolved their disagreements, making the fort on the Detroit River unnecessary. Fort Wayne remained unused for ten years after it was built, with only one guard stationed there. Evidence suggests the fort may have been a final stop on the Underground Railroad during this time. An Irish farmer who lived near the fort operated a small ferry to Canada to earn extra money, and this was the only ferry in that area at the time.
In 1861, the American Civil War made Fort Wayne important again. Fear of an attack from Canada, due to British support for the Confederacy, led to the fort’s walls being rebuilt and strengthened. Two weeks after the war began, the Michigan 1st Volunteer Infantry Regiment joined the military at Fort Wayne. For the rest of the war, the fort was used to train soldiers from Michigan and to care for injured veterans. Alfred Gibbs was the first officer to lead the fort after being released from captivity by the Confederacy.
After the Civil War, Fort Wayne became a place where soldiers from the western frontier could rest and stay. In 1875, the city of Detroit added part of Springwells Township to its area. In 1884, more land from Springwells Township, including the area near Fort Wayne, was also added to Detroit.
During the Spanish–American War, soldiers from Fort Wayne traveled to Cuba and the Philippines. The fort’s guardhouse also housed the first telephone exchange in southwestern Detroit.
During the Red Scare after World War I, the fort was used as a temporary place to hold people accused of being communists while they waited for trials. During the Great Depression, the fort provided shelter for homeless families and was also used by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
During World War I, Fort Wayne helped the military obtain cars, trucks, and parts. This role became most important during World War II, when the fort was named Motor Supply Depot. Additional buildings were built to store and transport supplies. At that time, Fort Wayne was the largest motor supply depot in the world. It controlled the movement of supplies from Detroit’s car factories to storage and staging areas, including the Michigan State Fairgrounds and the Port of Detroit. Every vehicle, tire, or spare part sent to World War II battlefields from Detroit passed through Fort Wayne. A railroad track ran along the river, large ships used the port, and over 2,000 workers, mostly civilian women, were employed there. Soldiers who drove and repaired vehicles for the Red Ball Express were also trained at the fort. Italian prisoners of war captured during the North African Campaign worked as servants, cooks, and janitors. After Italy surrendered, many of these prisoners chose to stay in Detroit instead of returning home.
After World War II ended, plans were made to close the fort. In 1948, the fort and its original buildings were given to Detroit’s Historical Commission to operate as a military museum. In the 1950s, anti-aircraft guns were added to the fort, later replaced by Nike-Ajax missiles. During the Cold War, Fort Wayne was used as a place where soldiers joined the military during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The fort also provided housing for families displaced by the 1967 12th Street Riot, with the last families leaving in 1971.
The remaining parts of Fort Wayne were gradually given to the city of Detroit, with the final piece transferred in 1976 as part of the Federal Lands to Parks program.
Current use
From 1949 to 2006, the Fort Wayne Military Museum was managed by the Detroit Historical Museum. Since early 2006, the fort has been operated by the Detroit Recreation Department, with help from the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition and the Detroit Historical Society.
The fort hosts events such as historic reenactments, soccer league matches, and other activities. Spaces on the grounds can be rented for special events, like family reunions. The area also includes an ancient Native American burial mound and, in the past, the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum.
Detroit City Football Club (DCFC) played its first match in 2012 at Historic Fort Wayne. Their adult recreation league currently uses the soccer fields for games.
Partly because of the construction of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge nearby, the fort has been studied for possible inclusion in the national park system. The National Park Service has previously helped find ways to protect the fort and attract visitors. One possibility is that the fort could become part of River Raisin National Battlefield Park, which is located in Monroe to the southwest.
In 2019, Fort Wayne hosted the Finish Line of the 31st season of the long-running CBS reality competition The Amazing Race, which was subtitled Reality Showdown.
Gallery
- Officers' Quarters, c. 1900
- Officers' Row, c. 1900
- Sally Port, 1934
- Fort Wayne Barracks, 1934
- Powder House, 1934
- Main Barracks, January 2011
- Officer's Row, January 2011
- Many structures are in disrepair. January 2011