Fort Pickering

Location

Winter Island

(click link for map)

Pickering Pickering

Fort Pickering is Salem's most historical military landmark dating back to the year 1643. First used for military purposes in 1663, the site was a strategic coastal defense post and military barracks for Salem Harbor from the Anglo-Dutch Wars up until the Cold War. Previously, the site had been named Fort William and Fort Anne under British control, and Fort Number Two under Patriot control during the American Revolution. In 1799, the fort was renamed in honor of Colonel Timothy Pickering, a Salem native and hero who served as the Secretary of War during that time. That same year, Winter Island and Fort Pickering became the home of the Frigate Essex (click here to learn more about the Frigate Essex), which saw service during Quasi-War with France, the Barbary War, and the War of 1812.

Whenever a war occurred, Fort Pickering was renovated to meet modern needs. Most recently, the fort was used as an aviation fuel depot for the United States Coast Guard. In 1972, the site was returned to the city of Salem, and military activities ceased entirely in 1976. In 2016 and 2017, the plant overgrowth on Fort Pickering was removed and the site was restored. Now, Fort Pickering is a popular tourist destination and a reminder of Salem’s rich military history.