Private boats are not permitted to dock on the island. So this is fort delaware, built back in the 1800s and used as a prison and to defend. Paranormal investigations october 3, 4 october 10, 11 october 17. More than 30,000 confederate troops would eventually be sent to pea patch island. Ghost hunters s4 e fort delaware dailymotion video. The staff at fort delaware state park, located on pea patch island, invites the public to join a special program featuring the heronry, the care and treatment of pea patch heronry, at 2. Facebook fort delaware usually, on these more mild tours, the horrifying conditions of the fort delaware prison are downplayed a bit, for the crowds. Visitors can take the night ferry from delaware city to pea patch island where fort delaware is located to participate in a threehour recreational paranormal investigation, led by. Fort delaware, confederate hellhole, delaware city, delaware. About 2,500 prisoners of war died there, and now countless st. It has been the site of 3 forts going back to the early 1800s due to its. Make a day of it and visit fort mott in new jersey as well. Fort delaware 18471944 a third system coastal masonry fort on pea patch island, new castle county, delaware.
Fort delaware state park delaware city 2020 all you. See a replica of pea patch island as it appeared in 1864 and artifacts from the islands past. Fort delaware state park, located on pea patch island, was part ofa chain of three forts thatdefended philadelphia for well over 100 years. Fort delaware state park morning on pea patch island. It is a small port town on the eastern terminus of the chesapeake and delaware canal and is the location of the ferry to fort delaware on pea patch island. Fort delaware state park delaware city 2020 all you need to. The first fortifications were built at the end of the war of 1812, and the bulk of the present fort was built before the civil war. Visit delaware 52,440 followers tourist information center pages nonbusiness places outdoor recreation park fort delaware state park videos morning on pea patch island. Fort delaware is a former harbor defense facility, designed by chief engineer joseph gilbert totten and located on pea patch island in the delaware river. Finished in 1859, it also served as a prison for confederate. Pea patch island, as it was known to the locals, was a private hunting ground for dr. Fort delaware state park is a coastal fortification which was used as a civil war prison. It is a low, marshy island, located in new castle county, facing delaware city on the delaware shore, and finns point on the new jersey shore. Pea patch island is a small island, approximately 1 mi 1.
It took almost more than ten years to complete the construction. Fd20 table of contents 00 01 00 1 specifications for this project are arranged in accordance with the construction specification institute. In response to governor kempers initial inquiry made in may 1875, colonel oscar a. Fort delaware is located on pea patch island and is a frequent spot for school field trips and historic tours. Fort delaware on pea patch island picture of fort delaware state. It comes complete with a mysterious dungeon and fits the overall look and feel of a haunted prison. Fort delaware and pea patch island south jersey trails. Fort delaware, situated on pea patch island in the delawareriver, was a harbor defense facility built to protect the ports of wilmington, delaware and philadelphia, pennsylvania. Visitors take a 12 mile ferry ride from delaware city to pea patch island. Fort delaware is closed for the season and will reopen on april 25, 2020. The fort is located in the middle of the delaware river and a ferry takes you tofrom delaware city out to the island also know as pea patch island. Fort delawares 8inch columbiad cannon is still fired regularly during heavy artillery demonstrations for fort delaware visitors. Fort delaware is also known for its ghostly activity and paranormal tours are offered in the fall.
Unsanitary conditions of the prisoner of war camp, in part stemming from poor drainage. Originally built to protect wilmington and philadelphia, it became infamous during the civil war as a jail for confederate pows. Fort delaware is built on pea patch island by the u. Smaller groups than the paranormal adventures, and you investigate more areas of the fort. The post is well known for its use prison camp during the civil war, housing more than 12,000 confederate prisoners at one time. It is presently inactive and reportedly haunted by several ghosts. The fort played an important role during the civil war when the facility served as the largest prisoner of war camp in the north. Point bivouac of the dead, fort delaware notes, april 1983. Fort dupont on the delaware shore and fort mott on the new jersey side were designed and built during the last half of the nineteenth century to reinforce fort delaware. Experience the civil war era fort delaware, which housed close to 33,000 confederate prisoners. Fort delaware state park, located on pea patch island, was part of a chain of three forts that defended philadelphia for well over 100 years. Pea patch island is just like a summer home to nine different species of herons, ibis in the u.
Fort delaware state park, delaware find information. A jitney provides transport from the island dock to the granite and brick fortress. First garrisoned in 1861 at the beginning of the u. It was originally built to protect the ports of wilmington and philadelphia. The state of delaware took possession of the fort in 1947, and officially made all of pea patch island into fort delaware state park in 1951. Custom house 200 chestnut street philadelphia, pa 19106. Fort delaware, delaware city, delaware page 2 legends. In the early days of the civil war, prison life at fort delaware on pea patch island in the delaware river was, by most accounts, tolerable. Fort delaware stands on pea patch island in the delaware river. The state of delaware deeded pea patch island, located in the delaware river between delaware and new jersey, to the u. Legend has it that pea patch island was formed when a cargo of peas sank in the shallows of the delaware river just downstream of new castle, delaware, a riverbank settlement colonized by the dutch in 1651. Fort delaware, situated on pea patch island in the delaware river, was a harbor defense facility built to protect the ports of wilmington, delaware and philadelphia, pennsylvania. Tour detail fort delaware state park, delaware city ferry.
Visitors take a halfmile ferry ride from delaware city to pea patch island. Fort delaware, pea patch island, delaware city, new castle. The three fort system remained in force until after world war i. This particular structure is built in a pentagonal manner and reflects that of a military structure. Today, visitors can reach pea patch island by ferry. During the american civil war, the union used fort delaware as a prison for confederate prisoners of war. Fort delaware to present program on the heronry on pea. The protective structure extends along a perimeter of approximately 7,000 lineal feet and was initially built to protect the island and fort delaware from the swift waters of the delaware river. The state of delaware deeded pea patch island, located in the delaware river between delaware and new jersey, to.
Established on the site of previous fortifications in 1847 and construction continued until 1859. Once the location of strategic military defenses, the island is currently owned by the state of delaware as fort delaware state park. An old civil war fort and prison in the middle of the delaware river on an island. Winter programs listed on our upcoming events calendar take place at alternate offsite locations until ferry service resumes in april. Mack, 21st united states infantry, was appointed to examine the burials on pea patch island and at finns point and to make a recommendation about establishing a national cemetery for these remains. Tour park detail fort delaware state park, delaware. I got the chance to join diamond state ghost investigators on a ghost investigation as we explored the paranormal and spent the night in a haunted fort on pea patch island at. Visitors will get a taste of the paranormal investigative experience with the help of the diamond state ghost investigators, a. Fort delaware is located on pea patch island in delaware and is considered to be a haunted prison.
At one point in mid1863, the crowded prison population of 12,000 included all captured at gettysburg. Pea patch island is a small, marshy island located on the delaware river. Daily activities include folks in civil war period dress, bustling around and doing civil war period things, and there is a daily firing of an 8 inch. Tickets now on sale for paranormal adventures at fort delaware. Fort delaware at pea patch island, delaware, was a us military fort and later pow prison. Spooky 360 video of fort delaware paranormal tour youtube. Delaware city is a city in new castle county, delaware, united states. Fort delaware state park pea patch island improvements october 14, 2019 project manual division of parks and recreation project no. Civil war by federal troops, it remained garrisoned until 1870 when the fort was deactivated. They had seized it of a doctor named gale who had been using it as a private hunting ground and had refused to sell it. De56a pea patch island delaware city vicinity new castle county delaware photographs written historical am descriptive data historic american engineering record national park service northeast region u. A constant theme in the forts history, represented by the sea wall, has been the need to exclude the tide from pea patch island and to adequately drain the facilities thereon.
Pea patch island had been owned by the us military since the 1810s. The fort and the island currently belong to the delaware department of natural resources and environmental control and encompasses a living history museum, located in fort delaware state. Pea patch heronry is carefully monitored each year to determine the success of the nearly 3,000 nesting herons, egrets, and ibises. Located in the delaware river, just one mile from delaware city, access to pea patch island and fort delaware is by ferry only. Fort delaware, delaware city, delaware legends of america. Ghost hunters investigate paranormal activity at haunted stone mill basement ghost evp 03. So this is fort delaware, built back in the 1800s and used as a prison and to defend the delaware river. Restaurants near fort delaware state park, delaware city.
I spent the night in a haunted fort fort delaware kyle. During the american civil war, the union used fort delaware as a prison for confederate prisoners of war, political prisoners, federal convicts, and privateer officers. Here, costumed interpreters take you back to the summer of 1864. The ferry will not operate during thunderlighting events, or during high winds. Find available tours fort delaware state park park tour. Fort delaware, the union fortress dating back to 1859, once housed confederate prisoners of war. Fort delaware is situated 960 feet northwest of pea patch island. Fort delaware on pea patch island check out tripadvisor members 362 candid photos and videos of fort. In 1794, the french military engineer pierre charles lenfant surveyed the island as an ideal location for a river defense fort.
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