Fortifying Black Rock Harbor

By 1775 , Black Rock Harbor had established itself as a primary shipping center for the Fairfield colony. The harbor offered a sheltered and deep channel for shipping, and their cargos had easy access to Kings Highway and the surrounding communities. In 1753, a bridge and road across Ash Creek were completed and created direct access to Fairfield Center. More importantly, the three wharves at the base of the harbor provided the infrastructure required for the maritime trading and ship building and maintenance activities.

The Black Rock natives actively supported the colonial rebellion. By 1776, some members of the community had headed to Boston and New York to assist local militias who were facing British forces. The Black Rock maritime economy was also suffering from the closure of Boston and New York harbors. Recognizing the possibility of a British raid on its community, Thaddeus Burr and Gold Selleck Silliman approached the Connecticut Assembly in February 1776 and requested assistance in fortifying the harbor. This was ultimately approved by the Connecticut Council of Safety which authorized the construction and manning of a fort on Grovers Hill (often referred to as the Black Rock Fort). The fort was to be manned by a 25-man garrison overseen by one lieutenant and two sergeants. The initial construction and staffing were overseen by Lieutenant Jonathan Mills. Two 12 pounder cannons were later authorized to be mounted within the fort and thereby provide the firepower needed to defend the harbor entrance.

The 12 pounders could fire solid shot up to 1,600 meters (shown as a white arc on the accompanying map) but had an effective firing range of 900 meters (shown as a red arc) and 500 meters if the guns were firing cannister, which essentially converted them into large shot guns that would be employed if directly assaulted, (the yellow arc).

The fort’s location has been subject of debate as to whether it was located on the edge of the harbor or further up Grovers Hill. However, a strong argument could be made that it was located on the edge of the harbor at what is referred to as Battery Point. This location would have provided a clear field of fire for the cannon and would have been easily accessible by boat. In fact, there were no roads accessing this portion of the Black Rock peninsula at this time. The road terminated at the current corner of Balmforth Street and Grovers Avenue. Beyond this point were foot trails. Given that the barrel alone of a 12 pounder exceeded 2000 pounds and was approximately eight and a half feet long, it is most likely that the guns were delivered to the fort by boat and not dragged up the hill. It was not until 1779 that the two cannons were fired in anger at an invading force.

Sources:

Fairfield the biography of a community 1639 -1989 Farnam, Thomas J, Fairfield Historical Society, 1988

Black Rock Seaport of Old Fairfield Connecticut 1644-1870, Including the Journal of William Wheeler, resident of Black Rock 1762-1845, Pages of History gathered by Cornelia Penfield Lathrop, Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company, New Haven, CT 1930