The Fort is a small peninsula marking the entrance of Gloucester's inner harbor. It got it's name from a fort built to protect the harbor during the revolutionary War. The fort itself is long gone replaced with a mixture of residential and commercial properties. The Fort's strategic military importance was taken over by fishing interests over the years.Beginning in the early 1900's Italian fishing families moved in being supported by the fishing industry. In 1925 Clarence Birdseye the inventor of frozen foods built the plant that dominates The Fort's property. Sitting neglected for a number of years and changing hands several times the property is ground zero of a new battle. Jim Davis of New Balance Shoes and also the Cruiseport Gloucester facility now owns it and has plans to develop a hotel complex on the site. A group of Fort residents and a Fort business owner are fighting the development. The Fort is also home of the annual St. Peter's Fiesta and recently the Gloucester Triathlon.
Instead of taking sides with this post I decided it's best to give a photographic tour of what's involved.
The Birdseye tower is ground zero.
The Fort as seen from City Hall tower.
From Pirates Lane.
Ocean Crest Seafood wharf
Beach Court
Birdseye roof!
Beach Court from the water.
During Fiesta time.
104'Ferris Wheel!
Greasy Pole
Portable facilities!
Fiesta food stands.
Carnival ride.
Foggy Fiesta!
Crowd waits the finish of the Seine boat race.
Bikes lined up at St. Peter's Square during the Gloucester Triathlon.
Looking down Commercial Street.
Long stairs.
Tight packed homes along Fort Square.
Looking up to Fort Square.
Cape Pond Ice
Neptune Harvest
Pavilion Beach
Metal Shed
Birdseye Plant street view.
From the parking lot.
Almost empty parking lot.
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3 comments:
I always enjoy visiting your blog and looking at your photos.
Lynda in Michigan
Thanks Lynda!
there used to be an apartment building across from the parking lot, 6 family and the owner off to one side, an old lady that used to watch us roller skate on the cement. I was about 10 and there was a sea wall. the teen age boys used to come in from a trip to take a dip in the ocean and leave their clothes on the steps to the fire escape and we would sit on the wall till they froze their tooties then go home running so they could get out undetected. I met one of those guys when I had a couple of kids in my strooler and he was thrilled to see me all grown up and a Mom. They had names like blackie, pop eye, and I wish I could remember the rest. Commercial street was busy with gerry trucks that came into the alley and the ladies would scream at the driver to crawl into the alley till all the kids were on the stoop. Every bodys mother took care to guard the life of children because they had lost so many of their own. My Grandmother had 21 children, not all to full term, and only 10 lived. We had an American lady and her alcholic husband fisherman husband living in one of the apartments and she left her children unattended but that didn't matter. The other watched her kids like hawks. My Mother took them in and often gave the a bath at the kitchen sink and washed their clothes, fed them a cookie and sent them out to play. Today she would be arrested for abuse. A funny story about that building , during the winter the wharf rats lived in the dark sandy basement and one came up the stairs and I told my mom I saw a squirrel on the steps. It was as big as an adult cat. One day a guy came from Italy with a trunk and my Mom said here comes the imported Italian cockroaches and so it was. When I was in High School I asked a guy that thought I was quite a number what the fasination was about me that lit his fire and he said " I had class" I had a big laugh about that compliment when I recalled the cockroaches and rats, It still cracks me up. Nuf said. I love the memories your pictures bring. Fran Bouchie
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