Fort Holmes walkaround

     Last summer Rich Uncle Pat took a trip to Mackinaw Island and was good enough to snap some pictures of Fort Holmes while he was there. Fort Holmes (named Fort George by its builders) was built in 1814 by the occupying British army to rectify the glaring weakness of Fort Mackinac; that Fort Mackinac is overlooked by high ground to the northeast. The British were well aware of this weakness as they had exploited it when they captured Fort Mackinac in 1812 by dragging naval cannon onto the heights and threatening to blow in the back (wooden) wall of Fort Mackinac.

 

Fort Holmes, courtesy Google Earth

 

the relationship of Fort Holmes to Fort Mackinac, 

the island was largely farmland back in 1812 and there were far fewer trees

 

a USGS map of the island, it is easy to see how much higher Fort Holmes 

is in relation to Fort Mackinac

 

a ground-level view of the fort, the vertical logs act as

 a retaining wall to a substantial earthen embankment

 

a view from the approach road

 

the inevitable historical marker 

 

the approach and gateway, there is a fairly deep ditch around the fort that the soil for

 the embankment was drawn from, it effectively adds several feet to the height of the wall

 

a closer view

 

an interior view of the firing step, I doubt that there was a railing in the original fort, 

such atavistic encumbrances are required by law now but there was no OSHA back in 1812

 

the blockhouse, the large dark windows on the upper lever are cannon ports

 

the firing step without railings; far more historical, and loads more fun for kids to play on!

 

the view down the cutting toward Fort Mackinac

 

a slightly closer view

 

there is a lot of wall for a fort with such sparse accommodations

 

I doubt more than forty or fifty men could be housed in the blockhouse

 

it is roughly thirty feet on a side

 

interior framing of the lower floor

 

the canted upper story proved all-around fire without the extra effort of building bastions

 

a nice aerial view

 

an old map of both forts

 

somebody in the Parks Service has a sense of humor;

the restroom maintains the fort's esthetic 

     If you get a chance to visit Mackinac Island be sure to take the time and climb the hill to Fort Holmes, the view is magnificent and nobody will be there trying to sell you fudge.