Fort Preble (South Portland, Maine)

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Originally this fort was built in 1808 as part of the Second-System of coastal fortifications. It consisted of an inclosed star fort of stone and brick masonry, with a circular battery with flanks, mounting fourteen heavy guns. It was modernized under the Third-System beginning in 1836.

As of 1851, it was intended to be armed with nineteen 32-pounder seacoast guns, one 12-pounder gun, six field pieces, sixteen 8" heavy seacoast howizters, two 13" mortars, two 10" heavy mortars and two 10" light mortars, for a total of 48 guns.

A later modernization of the fort as part of the Third-System was to increase the armament to eight 42-pounder guns, fifteen 32-pounder seacoast guns, eighteen 24-pounder guns, four 18-pounder guns, four 12-pounder guns, six field pieces, ten flank howitzers, six 8" heavy seacoast howizters, two 8" light howitzers, one 16" stone mortar and four coehorn mortars for a total of 78 guns. This modernization was not begun until the onset of the civil war and was never completed.

The fort was modernized again in the 1870s. The final additions to its defenses were under the Endicott Program with the construction of Battery Chase, Kearny, Rivardi and Mason.