HISTORIC FORT DuPONT PARADE GROUNDS

The First State 19th Century Base Ball Festival will take place on the Parade Grounds at Fort DuPont State Park, near Delaware City, Delaware. The Parade Grounds is the area of the park bounded by New Castle, Delaware, Kent and Sussex Avenues.

Fort DuPont State Park is located on the shores of the Delaware River at the site of the original Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, near Delaware City, DE. An additional ball field will be used adjacent to the Parade Grounds, just off of Sussex Avenue, behind the former movie theatre and next to the park tennis courts.

DIRECTIONS TO FORT DUPONT


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FORT DUPONT HISTORY

During the War of 1812, cannons were mounted on the site to defend the river from British attack. The first permanent fortification on the site was constructed in 1863 as an auxiliary Civil War gun battery to Ft. Delaware on Pea Patch Island and was part of the principal defense structure for the Delaware River. In those days, the site was called “The Fort Opposite” due its location across the river from Ft. Delaware. Along with Ft. Delaware and Ft. Mott on the river’s New Jersey coast, Ft. DuPont was part of a three-point defense system.

Ft. DuPont’s fortification was strengthened in the 1870s when the battery was expanded. Major improvements were made again during the Spanish-American War in 1898. New batteries were constructed of concrete formed over steel frames to house “disappearing” guns, rapid-fire cannons, and mortars. Many of the bunkers and gun emplacements still exist today. In 1899, the site was named Ft. DuPont in honor of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis du Pont, a Civil War hero from Delaware.

In the 20th century, Ft. DuPont fort was used to train soldiers for both World Wars I and II. Between the wars, the fort served as headquarters for the 1st Engineers Regiment. During World War II, over 3,000 military personnel were stationed at Ft. DuPont. It also held over 1,000 German and Italian prisoners-of-war from Rommel’s Afrika Corps. After World War II, Ft. DuPont was turned over to the State of Delaware. A portion of the site was dedicated as a state park in 1992.