Fort Delaware

Built between 1846 and 1868, Fort Delaware was a major part of the harbor defensive line along the Delaware River and is located on Pea Patch Island. Designed by renowned military engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten, this massive moated pentagonal fortress' constructive components are mainly made up of granite, brick, gneiss rock and concrete. Three Endicott Period gun batteries were built within its walls in the 1890s and were later called 'Battery Torbert'. During the Civil War, it was used as the Union's prisoner of war camp that shelters captives from both the South and North. Escape was difficult for these prisoners as it was surrounded by water with no means of transport. It also operated a garrison for a brief period when the fort was under the command of Major Benjamin Kendrick Pierce. Today, the fort functions as a museum and park that annually hosts the Escape from Fort Delaware triathlon within its premises.