Tag: Fort Flagler WA

The maps of Fort Flagler State Park showed a little icon of a lighthouse and I was pleased to discover that a beach road would take us fairly close. The New Dungeness Light Station in Sequim, after all, is a 5 mile beach walk each way.

The area around the light station is fenced, but a walk on the beach comes close to it. That’s it, on the larger building to the left. I think the smaller building, to the right, is where it used to be in a larger incarnation. I can’t say it fits that dreamy, somewhat romantic lighthouse image. But I guess it does the job.

Lest you think Fort Flagler is just about military history, here’s another view, taken from the beach at Marrowstone Point, the tip of Marrowstone Island, where the fort is located. This is taken on one of those glorious Pacific Northwest days when all is right with the world. In the distance to the right of the sailboat is Mount Rainier.

Yesterday I showed you parts of Battery Calwell at Fort Flagler State Park. Today’s view is of “FS9”, or Fire Station 9, a former gun emplacement along the bluff overlooking Port Townsend Bay. The structure is open to the sky and a metal grillwork has been placed over the top, likely with an eye toward visitor safety. The play of light and shadow created wonderful patterns.

Fort Flagler State Park is a historic military installation about an hour from Sequim. Constructed beginning in 1897, it was one of three forts responsible for protecting the Puget Sound area from foreign invasion. A military presence continued here until 1953 and it became part of the state park system in 1955.

Battery Calwell, shown here, is within walking distance of a campground that’s located steps from a spectacular scenic beach. Coming upon this battery at the edge of the woods on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound felt oddly like coming upon an archaeological ruin. Despite the concrete and iron that comprised its flesh and bones it seemed very ancient and a little alien, particularly since I’ve been blessedly removed from war-making.

Huge circular structures that once housed enormous guns are now filled with a scruff of weeds. The guns were removed in 1917 and shipped to Europe for use during World War 1.

Battery Calwell is named after Captain James H. Calwell, a fallen Mexican-American War soldier who died in 1847.