Posts Tagged ‘Revolutionary War’

War & Pieces – The Abandoned Fort Stark

Posted: August 23, 2023 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Forts, Abandoned Island, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned military bases, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Pennsylvania, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Prison, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Tower, Abandoned Tunnel, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Art, Beaches, Broken, Closed, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, Forgotten, Fort Wetherill, Fortress, Forts, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Military, Military Forts, Movies, Mystery, nature, Navy, new england, New Hampshire, Ocean, Ocean View, photography, Preserved Ruin, Public Parks, research, Ruins, seaside, Stories, time, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing, WWI, WWII
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War & Pieces

The Abandoned Fort Stark

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

Hello, New Hampshire. It’s been a long time. Three years, in fact. A lot has changed. The global pandemic has mostly come to an end. We’ve grown a bit older. The summer has become hotter. Things aren’t what they used to be. This year has been a crazy one for us for a lot of reasons. And that has honestly been reflected in the kind of places we’ve been exploring. Due to some career changes, both Lassie and myself found ourselves having almost the entire summer off. Something we haven’t really ever experienced before as grown adults. With no school to teach during the summer for her, and SAG-AFTRA on strike for me, we found ourselves with quite a bit of free time these last few weeks. So this has been what we have come to call “The Summer of Madness.” There’s been a lot of spontaneity. There’s been a lot of fun. But most of all, there’s been a lot of traveling. Places we’ve never seen before. Places we’ve always wanted to see. And some places that we haven’t been to in a long time. And that’s where The White Mountain State comes in. If you look at our treasure map here on our site, New Hampshire is the one state here in New England that has only one place on it. Well, this summer, we chose to finally change that.

And so, if you please, allow me to introduce to you the latest addition to the Abandoned Wonders family – the abandoned Fort Stark. Located on the far eastern side of New Castle, New Hampshire, this old warhorse has a long history. Named after local colonial war hero General John Stark, the fort has served a small role in each of The United States of America’s great military struggles. But her purpose has always been clear: defend the Portsmouth Navy Yard and the strategically valuable Piscataqua River. Garrisons and guns crewed the fort during the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. But strangely enough, despite her decorated line of service, she never saw combat. I suppose we should all be thankful for that, in one way or another. As the tides of war turned cold, the watchful guardian Fort Stark was deactivated in 1948. Her main guns found new homes in more hostile parts of the world and the grounds were turned over to the US Navy. Though they spent some time as a training center for reserve forces, the fort’s fate was more or less sealed. In 1983, the state of New Hampshire took control of the grounds and the once great Fort Stark was no more.

And so in the waning days of summer 2023, we had yet another spontaneous trip. On a Sunday afternoon we randomly got an invite to visit some family up north, and two hours later we were in New Hampshire. Believe it or not, abandoned places are rather scarce up in The White Mountain State. There are plenty of abandoned farm houses and factories lost to the wilderness. But few of these places have a story. And if you know anything about us here at Abandoned Wonders, it’s all about the story for us. We chose this place because it’s honestly been a long time since we covered anything military related. Having seen so many Nike Missile Sites during our early years, military stuff just got boring after a while. We figured now was a good time to revisit the subject. So, with a couple family members tagging along with us, we set out on our trek to the abandoned Fort Stark. On our drive over, we just happened to pass by the legendary “Alcatraz of the East”; aka the abandoned Portsmouth Naval Prison. Haunting in her majestic beauty, we may be coming back this way someday to see her more up close. We’ll see…Anyway, the remains of the fort sit right alongside a moderately trafficked beach and recreational area.

There is no long hike or hunt for this one. Much like many other abandoned coastal artillery sites that have been converted to recreational areas, you just drive up to the parking lot and there’s your target. When the state took control of the grounds, Fort Stark was modified just enough to make it safe for the public. So basically the only things left are those that were too expensive to demolish. At the center of the grounds is the old Harbor Entrance Control Base, installed prior to World War II. It is an austere layered building with a grim white paint job. The main battery sites, Battery Hunter and Battery Lytle, sit on either side of the base. Each is in a varying state of decay and has a pillbox-style lookout post at the top. While most of Fort Stark is fenced off, these fences honestly don’t do much. Almost every single one has a gaping hole in it, making the fort completely accessible. Strangely enough, wherever there is a whole in the fence, one of the fort’s heavy steel doors is often busted open. There are multiple dark passageways leading deep into the underbelly of the old base. Some rooms still have their unique features, such as a brick fireplace, left behind. Other are simply black voids or passageways leading to nowhere.

In all honesty, there is not too much to see here. Unless you’re a military history buff, I honestly wouldn’t recommend a visit to Fort Stark. Though the tunnels are quite interesting and certain areas of the fort are well preserved, this place is sadly a shadow of its former self. Leo Tolstoy once famously said, “the strongest of all warriors are these two: Time and Patience.” And while the cruel hands of time have regrettably run roughshod over the fortress, her patience has paid off. Though she never saw combat, Fort Stark clearly served her purpose with honor and dignity. The grounds may be crumbling, but the people she once protected now get to enjoy her beaches with their families and friends. The concept of war may never change, but the ways in which we fight it continue to evolve. In the days of nuclear arsenals and cyber-warfare, places like Fort Stark have more or less outlived their purpose. Her days of standing guard and keeping a weather eye on the horizon are over. Rest now, fallen soldier. You stood without fear in the face of countless enemies. You defended the gates of New England during all times of war. You followed any and all orders you were given with the utmost loyalty. And for that, we salute you.

Oubliette – The Abandoned Transient Camp Nepaug

Posted: November 18, 2020 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Cabin, Abandoned Castle, Abandoned Connecticut, Abandoned Forts, Abandoned House, Abandoned Massachusetts, abandoned new england, Abandoned New Hampshire, Abandoned New York, Abandoned Park, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Prison, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned Road, Abandoned Summer Camp, Abandoned Tunnel, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Broken, Cabin, Closed, commercial, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, Forts, Ghosts, Haunting, Hiking, History, Homeless, Information, left behind, lost, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, research, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, Stories, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing, WWII
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Oubliette

The Abandoned Transient Camp Nepaug

Written by: Wilk

Photographs by: Lassie

It’s a place that you put people to forget about them. If you get that reference, then we can definitely be friends. It’s been said a thousand times before, and a thousand times again, but this has been a rough year for all of us. You hear it on social media. You hear it on the radio. You’ve heard it on our site. In these divisive times, it’s the one thing that we can all truly agree on. Thousands have lost loved ones. Millions have lost their jobs. We personally have lost two dear friends to cancer. Pardon my french, but fuck cancer. And frankly, fuck 2020. I don’t usually curse on this site, but I think it’s necessary this time. The world has changed forever, and sadly things will probably never go back to the way they used to be. This is a year that we’d all just like to forget. And as our urban exploring season winds down, we here at Abandoned Wonders are very much looking forward to taking some time off. But on our last stop of the year, we visited a place that appears to have been forgotten a long time ago.

This is a place that has come to go by many names. To some, it is known as “Tory’s Prison.” There is an urban legend that abounds that this place was once a prison for British sympathizers during the Colonial Era. To others, it is simply known as “Old Stone Jailhouse.” This hallowed ground’s true name is in fact Camp Nepaug. First built during the Great Depression, this area was a refugee for the weary travelers of the darkest times in American history. Transients and vagabonds could live/work here for a time before eventually continuing on with their quest to find solace. But if these men ever needed a grown-up version of a time out, there was a stone jailhouse on the grounds just for that purpose. The federal government created many camps such as this one across the country, in hopes of quelling the mass migration of drifters looking for work. Eventually, this area of refuge outlived her purpose. Though she has since been added as a Historical Landmark, that doesn’t do much to stop the hands of time.

And so, in the final days of Fall 2020, we made our journey out to the abandoned remains of Camp Nepaug. You see, I am a hunter. I love to hike and search for my abandoned places. It makes finding them that much more fun. I don’t like it when they’re literally just sitting right off the side of the road. And that’s how this place is. The road eventually turns to dirt as you get deeper into the forest, and then low and behold, there is Old Stone Jailhouse. There is even a small parking turn around right next to it. Coming up to the abandoned jailhouse is quite cool. The bars are still on the windows. The doors are gone. Glass and batteries, for some reason, liter themselves across the ground. There is a strong odor of fresh spray paint in the air, which is certainly concerning. Inside the jailhouse are some old fire logs and a few stacks of bygone newspapers. The roof is still there. Mostly. Holes in the old rotting ceiling allow you a peak at the clear blue sky. And you wonder what this place must’ve looked like way back when.

The abandoned jailhouse is really cool. But it’s also really small. So when we were finished with our investigation, we continued down the paths. Just to see what we could find. The old camp used to have several amenities for its guests. Unfortunately, few of these are still standing. Right across the road are the foundations and old fireplace of what was once the camp’s great hall. Farther down by the running waters of the river is the old well house. It is very similar to the jailhouse in its stone appearance, yet its considerably smaller. The only other thing of note here is the bunker. Take note, I don’t think this was its original purpose. A little ways passed the fireplace is a large pipe in the ground. Someone appears to have cut a doorway into this pipe and formed a sort of makeshift bunker down here. It is very dark inside, and the floor is coated in garbage. But it does actually go back a ways. Good thing we always bring our flashlights. You never know what you’re going to find. A surprise, to be sure. But a welcome one.

The last place we visit for the year is almost always a good one. And the abandoned Camp Nepaug was no exception. This was our final stop for the 2020 season. As always, we take a nice long hiatus through the winter. It’s usually because of the holiday season chaos and snow. But this year, we honestly just need a break from everything. We’re hoping, with a regime change, the global pandemic will eventually be gotten under control. And we will finally be able to venture outside of Connecticut. So hopefully, we can all someday begin to put this ugly year behind us. But you see, forgetting can be a hard thing to do. Just ask the abandoned Camp Nepaug. It’s past has been lost to many, yet the history remains. We all wish we had places like an oubliette to put our bad memories. But it doesn’t really work like that. Drinking is not the answer. Trust me on that. Therapy helps, to a certain extent. But honestly, when it comes to hardship, there is no forgetting about it. You just have to learn from it.