Fort Barrington | |
---|---|
St. John's, Antigua | |
Coordinates | 17°07′47″N 61°53′11″W / 17.129853°N 61.886257°W |
Type | Fortification |
Site information | |
Open to the public | Yes |
Condition | Ruins |
Site history | |
Built | 1779 |
In use | No |
Materials | Stone |
Fort Barrington (previously Goat Hill Fort, Cripplegate Battery, and Queen’s Battery) is a historic military fort in Antigua and Barbuda. It is located on Goat Hill in St. John's, Antigua, at the western entrance to St. John's Harbor. [1] [2] The fort was built in 1779, and was named for Admiral Samuel Barrington. [3] Remains of the fort include a circular battery, small magazine, and barracks. [4]
In the 17th century, the British built a battery on Goat Hill in St. John's. [5] [1] Sitting at the most southwestern point of St. John's Harbor, the battery's location was ideal for protecting the harbor's entrance as well as the anchorage outside the harbor. [1] The battery was attacked multiple times, and in the 18th century it was often described as being in disrepair. [6] It was abandoned after Queen Anne’s War. [1]
In 1779, a new fort was built at the location of the previous battery. [1] [4] Its purpose was to assist Fort James (located at the harbor's opposite entrance) with protecting St. John's Harbor. [1] The fort was completed under the administration of General William Mathew Burt, [7] who was governor of the Leeward Islands from 1776 to 1781. It served as a major fortification for the British during the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
The fort's previous names were Goat Hill Fort, [7] [8] Cripplegate Battery, [5] [6] and Queen’s Battery. [5] [2] It was renamed Fort Barrington for the British royal navy admiral Samuel Barrington. [1] [5] Barrington was commander in chief of the Leeward Islands station during the time of the fort's construction. [9]