Tour - Peddocks Island: Historic Fort Andrews

Peddocks Island: Historic Fort Andrews

Hull, Massachusetts 02045, United States

Created By: DCR Massachusettes

Tour Information

This 1-mile self-guided tour walks through the remaining structures of Fort Andrews on Peddocks Island. With military influence beginning in 1898, Peddocks Island has been forever shaped by the need to defend our coastline. Learn the stories of how the fort has changed over the years and of the role it played in both world war efforts.

Tour Map

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What You'll See on the Tour

Start: New Guardhouse (Welcome Center)

Building 31 With the 1906-07 expansion of Fort Andrews from a two to six company post the original guardhouse proved insufficient. Built in 1910, the New Guardhouse was outfitted with a cellblock rated for the miscreants of a ten company r... Read more

Old Guardhouse

Building 07 The fort’s earlier 1906 guardhouse was strategically placed to control pier access. With the construction of an abutting Barracks building Building 07 was converted into a workshop and meeting room. Look closely at the Pedimen... Read more

Stable

Building 04 Built in 1905 the stable is among the forts oldest buildings and was complemented by a frame wagon shed, a frame coal shed and scales to weigh coal, hay, and other supplies. In its early days Fort Andrews was heavily reliant ... Read more

Parade Ground

Parade Ground The forts parade ground saw many drills and inspections and served as baseball, soccer, and football field as well as a boxing ring locale. This open space has always been an important part of the forts layout. In fact, the B... Read more

Artillery Barracks

Buildings 10,11, (13, 29) These elegant brick barracks once housed the enlisted men of Fort Andrews. A two storey covered virandah with a wooden colunade once stretched the length of each building. Originally four Barracks ran along the Par... Read more

Administration Buildings

Building 26 Once the brains behind the whole military opperation, the Administration Building is now an empty granite shell. As the post headquarters, it was here that rules and policy were made official, expressed through its commanding pr... Read more

Bakery and Firehouse

Building 33 & 08 The left-hand building, with its double garage doors originally served as the firehouse for the fort. Fire was a constant threat in place full of ammunition and wooden buildings. Notice the distinct tower in the back l... Read more

Fire Control Tower

Building T2 From the observation platform soldiers would've had a commanding view out to sea. Those stationed here would spot the position of enemy battleships and relay the positions to the mortar pits at the base of the drumlin. Luckily F... Read more

Gun Batteries

Batteries Rice, McCook, and Bumpus From left to right batteries Rice, McCook, and Bumpus were mounted with 5,6, and 3-inch M1900 rapid-fire guns, repectively.These disappearing guns were mounted in 1904 and updated in 1916. The largest 6-in... Read more

Gymnasium

Building 25 Equipped with a full size basketball court and bowling alley, the gym’s facilities helped soldiers stay in shape. The building occasionally also served as a chapel and for funeral services.

POW Barracks

POW Barracks Look closely in the brush to the left of the path. You'll notice the foundation or a temporary barracks building. 33 such temporary structures helped support fort activity during WWII and have since been removed. This foundatio... Read more

Mortar Batteries

Batteries Whitman and Cushing From left to right, batteries Whitman and Cushing housed mortars. Each battery had two mortar pits mounted with 4 M1890 12-inch mortars each. These guns were capable of launching a 700 lb shell 8 miles to sea. ... Read more

Storehouse

Building 36 This combined Quartermasters and Engineers Storhouse is the largest building on the island. It once housed all the supplies and materials needed to keep the fort runnning smoothly and self-sufficiently. A loading platform once s... Read more

NCO Quarters

Buildings 27 & 28 You are now at the end of "Officers Row". The buildings along this bluff once housed all the forts officers. The highest ranking officers lived at the far end overlooking the water. At this end non-comissioned office... Read more

NCO Quarters

Building 15 This house was also a duplex for NCO's and their families. You just passed the foundations of three similar houses which were demolished in 2010. The NCO quarters were all built to the same plan. You may however notice subtle di... Read more

Hospital Stewards Quarters

Building 16 Now the nicest building remaining on Officers Row, this building was home to the NCO who kept the hostpital running day-to-day. He lived in a single-family building which has a front and back porch like th eother NCO Quarters. ...

Post Hospital

Building 17 The foundation before you is the remains of the hospital. Due to the difficulty of recruiting soldiers, the Army placed a premium on keeping its men healthy. As the post grew in size, so did its hospital. The wing on the right-... Read more

Officers Quarters

Buildings 18-21 Commissioned Officers lived quite comfortably in these large duplexes which provided accomodation for a maid. The higher the rank, the nicer the quarters. Unfortunately after decades of neglect these buildings were unsafe ... Read more

Post Commander Quarters

Buidling 22 The Post Commander was responsible for the forts day-to-day opperation. Fitting of his important role, he enjoyed quite comfortable accomodation.

Bachelor Officers Quarters

Building 30 The last building along Officers Row housed unmarried officers who held "Bachelors Hall" here.

WWII Chapel

Building 39 Of the numerous wooden buildings built at Fort Andrews over the years, the Chapel is the only to survive. Built in 1941 this chapel is one of over 1,500 built nation-wide during the war. The chapel was restored in 2014 and is n... Read more

pier

Pier The current pier, installed in 1999 at a cost of $2 million, occupies the site of the 1900s military pier. In 2011, a floating dock was installed on the western side of the pier. As with other military piers around the Harbor Padd... Read more