557:; On 24 January 1624 the Governor's Council ordered Captain Roger Smith be paid for building the fort, "It is ordered that Capt: Roger Smyth fhall have paid him by the Treaor in full fatis-faccon of his falarie agreed vpon for his vndertaking of the Fort att Warcfcoick twelve hundred pownds of Tobacco, and twelve barrells of Indian corne, w: Tobacco and Corne is to be part of that wc is due to the Councell beinge the moyty of the Companies rentes, and what fhall remayne of corne and tobacco to be equally divided among the Councell"
65:
90:
48:
97:
72:
356:. Construction on Fort Boykin soon began under Talcott's son Capt. T.M.R. Talcott and Lt. W.G. Turpin. Some Confederate records call the fort the Day's Point Battery. Although incomplete by May 1862, the fort had positions for 14 guns of which 10 were mounted. A report of March 12, 1862 shows a mix of 32-pounder and 42-pounder
393:
to
Richmond. With the Union guns outranging the fort's guns, the soldiers manning the fort spiked their guns and retreated. Union marines came ashore on 17 May, destroyed what they could, and blew up the powder magazine. For the remainder of the war, the site was used by the Confederate Signal Corps,
288:
who was then the owner of the site. He had served on George
Washington's staff. It was also known as the Fort at the Rocks, the Rocks being the name of the adjacent plantation. What little was left of The Castle was enlarged upon with new ramparts and gun emplacements added. Military records list no
406:
After the Civil War, the fort was no longer used as a military installation and was again left to become an overgrown shadow of itself. The property was bought in 1908 by
Herbert and Mary Greer and a house was built inside its earthworks. The Jorden family acquired the property in 1950. After the
552:
Minutes of the
Council and General court of colonial Virginia, 1622-1632, 1670-1676, with notes and excerpts from original Council and General court records, into 1683, now lost by Virginia. Council cn; Virginia. General Court cn; McIlwaine, H. R. (Henry Read), 1864-1934 ed. cn; Virginia State
228:. The history of the site is believed to date back to 1623 when colonists were ordered to build a fort to protect them from attacking Native Americans or Spanish marauders. Today the remains of the fort, mostly from the American Civil War, are preserved in a public park.
308:
lay offshore in the river for several months. During that time, the
British attempted to land at the wharf of The Rocks plantation, only to be beaten back by the men stationed at the fort. After the war was over, the fort was left to the elements.
693:
443:
252:
shore, opposite to
Tindall Shoals". The fort, originally christened "The Castle" due to its deep natural ditches, high elevation and steep embankment fronting the James River, was also known as Roger Smith's Fort and the Fort at
713:
698:
328:
cleared, refurbished and refortified Fort Boykin as one in a series of earthworks designed to prevent invasion by the Union, whose buildup at the mouth of the James River posed a severe threat to
415:
Today the fort remains largely intact, but most of the front wall facing the river has eroded away. It is now the property of Isle of Wight County, and is a public park. It was listed on the
708:
438:
301:
when it was enlarged to the shape of a five-pointed star. Although the records do not reveal any direct engagements with the fort, it is known that the
British warship
703:
688:
129:
654:
Painter, Floyd. Ed. The Legend
History and Archaeology of Fort Boykin in Virginia. The Chesopeian Archeological Association, Norfolk, Va. 1982.
433:
601:
471:
416:
34:
89:
289:
engagements with the enemy either at the fort or in its vicinity, and after the
British surrender in 1781 the fort was again abandoned.
64:
321:
brought a renewed interest in the fort by the
Confederate Army, and the size was doubled from that of its previous incarnation.
660:
King, Helen Haverty. Historical Notes on Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Donning and Company, Virginia Beach, Virginia. 1993.
249:
221:
284:, the Castle was enlarged, refortified, and renamed Fort Boykin in honor of Major Francis M. Boykin, a local officer in the
257:. It took six months to build and was a triangular shaped earthenwork, surrounded by a ditch, topped by palisade walls. The
245:
244:(an early name for Isle of Wight County). Potential attacks by the Spanish were also a consideration. On May 21, 1623, the
663:
Wills, Brian Steel. The War Hits Home: The Civil War in Southeastern Virginia. The University Press of Virginia. 2001.
281:
673:
340:, State Engineer of Virginia, to redesign Fort Boykin in August 1861. Similar defensive works were built at
237:
302:
476:
380:
554:
374:
265:
240:. The attack claimed 347 people in the Virginia colony, a quarter of the population, including 52 in
117:
241:
386:
329:
318:
657:
Gaines, W. Craig. Encyclopedia of Civil War Shipwrecks. Louisiana State University Press. 2008.
261:
became the main trade route to and from the interior of Virginia and The Castle overlooked it.
497:
368:
353:
349:
325:
285:
624:
345:
589:
337:
188:
201:
682:
395:
333:
367:
On May 8, 1862, the fort was fired upon by a Union Navy fleet consisting of the USS
254:
236:
The fort was built in 1623 by Captain Roger Smith, in the wake of the devastating
390:
361:
298:
258:
225:
444:
National Register of Historic Places listings in Isle of Wight County, Virginia
428:
357:
341:
144:
131:
407:
last owner died in 1976, the fort was given to the state for public use.
47:
694:
National Register of Historic Places in Isle of Wight County, Virginia
575:
268:
in 1677, Fort Boykin was active according to the journal of the ship
538:
Bogart, Charles H. (Fall 2019). "Three Virginia Confederate Forts".
555:
https://archive.org/details/minutesofcouncil00virg/page/45/mode/1up
466:
714:
American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places
699:
Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
297:
The fort is believed to have been reworked again during the
602:"NRHP nomination for Fort Boykin Archeological Site"
439:
List of coastal fortifications of the United States
207:
194:
183:
168:
160:
123:
113:
674:Isle of Wight County Parks and Recreation website
638:Sidney Lanier: A Biographical and Critical Study
590:Fork Boykin Park - Isle of Wight County Museum
709:1623 establishments in the Colony of Virginia
8:
419:in 1985 for its archaeological potential.
46:
585:
583:
35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
533:
531:
529:
527:
525:
523:
521:
519:
517:
515:
27:Fort Boykin Archaeological Site (44IW20)
704:Parks in Isle of Wight County, Virginia
625:Fort Boykin plan by Col. Andrew Talcott
455:
389:, an unsuccessful Union offensive from
492:
490:
488:
486:
467:"National Register Information System"
461:
459:
360:cannon, all facing the James River. A
248:ordered Smith to build a fort on "the
18:
434:Seacoast defense in the United States
7:
689:American Civil War forts in Virginia
540:Coast Defense Study Group Newsletter
472:National Register of Historic Places
417:National Register of Historic Places
324:Between June 1861 and May 1862, the
332:. Commander of the Virginia forces
96:
71:
14:
636:Starke, Aubrey Harrison (1964) .
498:"James River Area - Fort Boykin"
95:
88:
70:
63:
542:. Mclean, Virginia: CDSG Press.
364:furnace was also at the fort.
222:Isle of Wight County, Virginia
196:
1:
104:Show map of the United States
394:among whose ranks were poet
16:United States historic place
576:Fort Boykin at FortWiki.com
730:
398:and his brother Clifford.
282:American Revolutionary War
195:NRHP reference
57:
45:
41:
32:
25:
21:
500:. American Forts Network
164:14.4 acres (5.8 ha)
52:Earthwork at Fort Boykin
145:37.034831°N 76.619947°W
220:is a historic site in
553:Library cn, page 45;
477:National Park Service
238:Indian Attack of 1622
150:37.034831; -76.619947
224:, located along the
118:Smithfield, Virginia
79:Show map of Virginia
276:American Revolution
242:Warrosquyoake Shire
141: /
387:Peninsula campaign
319:American Civil War
313:American Civil War
246:Governor's Council
640:. pp. 50–51.
266:Bacon's Rebellion
215:
214:
721:
642:
641:
633:
627:
622:
616:
615:
613:
612:
606:
598:
592:
587:
578:
573:
558:
550:
544:
543:
535:
510:
509:
507:
505:
494:
481:
480:
463:
350:Jamestown Island
326:Confederate Army
286:Continental Army
198:
179:
177:
156:
155:
153:
152:
151:
146:
142:
139:
138:
137:
134:
105:
99:
98:
92:
80:
74:
73:
67:
50:
19:
729:
728:
724:
723:
722:
720:
719:
718:
679:
678:
670:
651:
646:
645:
635:
634:
630:
623:
619:
610:
608:
604:
600:
599:
595:
588:
581:
574:
561:
551:
547:
537:
536:
513:
503:
501:
496:
495:
484:
479:. July 9, 2010.
465:
464:
457:
452:
425:
413:
404:
385:as part of the
346:Mulberry Island
315:
295:
278:
234:
232:Colonial period
175:
173:
149:
147:
143:
140:
135:
132:
130:
128:
127:
109:
108:
107:
106:
103:
102:
101:
100:
83:
82:
81:
78:
77:
76:
75:
53:
37:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
727:
725:
717:
716:
711:
706:
701:
696:
691:
681:
680:
677:
676:
669:
668:External links
666:
665:
664:
661:
658:
655:
650:
647:
644:
643:
628:
617:
607:. Virginia DHR
593:
579:
559:
545:
511:
482:
454:
453:
451:
448:
447:
446:
441:
436:
431:
424:
421:
412:
409:
403:
402:Post Civil War
400:
354:Drewry's Bluff
338:Andrew Talcott
314:
311:
294:
291:
277:
274:
250:Worrosquoyacke
233:
230:
213:
212:
211:August 1, 1985
209:
205:
204:
199:
192:
191:
189:Andrew Talcott
185:
181:
180:
170:
166:
165:
162:
158:
157:
125:
121:
120:
115:
111:
110:
94:
93:
87:
86:
85:
84:
69:
68:
62:
61:
60:
59:
58:
55:
54:
51:
43:
42:
39:
38:
33:
30:
29:
26:
23:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
726:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
686:
684:
675:
672:
671:
667:
662:
659:
656:
653:
652:
648:
639:
632:
629:
626:
621:
618:
603:
597:
594:
591:
586:
584:
580:
577:
572:
570:
568:
566:
564:
560:
556:
549:
546:
541:
534:
532:
530:
528:
526:
524:
522:
520:
518:
516:
512:
499:
493:
491:
489:
487:
483:
478:
474:
473:
468:
462:
460:
456:
449:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
430:
427:
426:
422:
420:
418:
410:
408:
401:
399:
397:
396:Sidney Lanier
392:
388:
384:
383:
378:
377:
372:
371:
365:
363:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
339:
336:ordered Col.
335:
334:Robert E. Lee
331:
327:
322:
320:
312:
310:
307:
306:
300:
292:
290:
287:
283:
275:
273:
271:
267:
262:
260:
256:
251:
247:
243:
239:
231:
229:
227:
223:
219:
210:
208:Added to NRHP
206:
203:
200:
193:
190:
186:
182:
171:
167:
163:
159:
154:
126:
122:
119:
116:
112:
91:
66:
56:
49:
44:
40:
36:
31:
24:
20:
637:
631:
620:
609:. Retrieved
596:
548:
539:
502:. Retrieved
470:
414:
405:
381:
375:
369:
366:
323:
316:
304:
296:
279:
270:Young Prince
269:
263:
255:Warraskoyack
235:
217:
216:
114:Nearest city
391:Fort Monroe
305:Plantagenet
299:War of 1812
293:War of 1812
280:During the
259:James River
226:James River
218:Fort Boykin
148: /
124:Coordinates
683:Categories
649:References
611:2020-05-29
429:Fort Huger
382:Port Royal
358:smoothbore
342:Fort Huger
136:76°37′12″W
133:37°02′05″N
504:10 August
450:Citations
376:Aroostook
184:Architect
423:See also
362:hot-shot
330:Richmond
202:85001675
187:Colonel
411:Present
264:During
174: (
379:, and
370:Galena
605:(PDF)
169:Built
506:2020
352:and
317:The
303:HMS
176:1861
172:1861
161:Area
197:No.
685::
582:^
562:^
514:^
485:^
475:.
469:.
458:^
373:,
348:,
344:,
272:.
614:.
508:.
178:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
