The "All Forted Out: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished our visits to the many forts that line the north side of the city of Nassau in the Bahamas.  Nassau was formerly known as Charles Town, but was burned to the ground by the Spanish in 1684.  It was because of this action that the first fort, Fort Nassau was built in 1687 after the town had been resettled.  This fort lasted nearly 200 years until it was demolished in 1897.  The British Colonial Hilton Nassau now stands on that spot and a few of the old walls can still be seen on the hotel's grounds.  After rebuilding the town it's name was changed to Nassau in 1695 in honor of the Dutch Stadholder (head of state) and later also King of England, Scotland and Ireland, William III from the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau.  In 1703 the Spanish and French allied forces occupied Nassau, but by 1713 the Bahamas had become a pirate haven and the pirates proclaimed Nassau a pirate republic.  Pirates such as Thomas Barrow, Benjamin Hornigold, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Charles Vane, Calico Jack Rackham and women pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read established themselves as "governors."  Five years later the British appointed Captain Woodes Rogers as Royal Governor of Nassau and told him to regain control of the island which he eventually did.  

Fort Fincastle

In 1720 the Spanish made another attempt to capture Nassau, but were unsuccessful.  Eventually three additional forts were added along the coastline of Nassau.  Fort Montagu, built in 1741 of local limestone, is the oldest fort still standing.  It is located at the eastern end of the island.  Fort Charlotte is the largest covering over 100 acres of land.  It is located on the hill overlooking towards the far west end of the harbor.  It was built in 1788 by Lord Dunmore and sports a dry moat, dungeons, underground passageways and 42 cannons.  The final fort is called Fort Fincastle and is located midway between the other two and is shaped like the bow of a ship.  Built in 1793, the fort never fired its cannons in battle.  The Fort is located on Elizabeth Avenue and can be reached by way of the Queen's Staircase which is a few blocks from the harbor on East Street.  

The Queen's Staircase

We traveled to Forts Charlotte and Fincastle, but never made it to Montagu, since by then we were all forted out!  Today I will give you some insight into Fort Fincastle and follow tomorrow with a story about Fort Charlotte.  After parking we headed in the direction of the Queen's Staircase.  We were met by a local man who tried to gather the tourists and gave a historical talk on the staircase.  Sounded like a recording, but he made it through and held out his hand.  My guess was he had nothing to do with any tour of the area, but was interested only in his next meal and cold one.  Didn't matter to me and I'd have no idea if what he told us was fact or fiction.  We then headed towards Nassau's most visited attraction, The Queen's Staircase. The stairs were carved out of solid limestone by slaves between 1793 and 1794.  

Carol and LDub heading toward the top.

The slaves used axes and other sharp hand tools to carve the 65 steps which were later named in honor of the 65 years of Queen Victoria's reign and for the help she gave towards the abolition of slavery in the Bahamas.  It seems that the staircase serves to provide a shorter route to and from Bennet's Hill as well as towards Fort Fincastle.  The fort stood watch over the town of Nassau and its harbor to the east, serving primarily as a lookout post, though it was armed with seven cannons.  The fort was built by Lord Dunmore, a Royal Governor whose second title was Viscount Fincastle.  

The 125 foot water tower as seen from the fort.

The fort saw little action, but did serve as a lighthouse until 1816 when it was used as a signal tower.  The fort was manned by the British military soldiers which at the time was limited to only white West Indians.  Soldiers were housed in barracks beside the fort and practiced military drills such as marching and musket loading.  

One of the cannons that were never needed.

Must have been a lot of fun in the hot sun.  The fort was shaped like a Mississippi paddle-wheel steamer and has a 125 foot water tower to the east of it.  The tower is allegedly the highest point on the island.  Interesting tour and commentary, but I was hoping for some action shots!  Hey, the cannon was pointed right at the cruise ships off in the distance.  Check back tomorrow and you will see our visit to Fort Charlotte, the largest of the three forts on the island.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

I really didn't do it, you know!

Old shot looking west from Fort Fincastle 

The uniform of the troops guarding the fort.