Martello Towers and Fort Henry

As we approached Kingston and our slip at Confederation Basin we could not help but notice several large round block structures with a hint of painted wood near the top and pointy roofs. At first they looked like the round red barns of Indiana but upon closer inspection it was obvious that they were not barns. Before the dock hands had even finished tying our lines, I was asking a millions questions about these buildings, especially since there was one immediately at the end of our pier. I was informed that they are Martello Towers, but simply called Martellos.

They are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards. Standing 40 feet high and with two floors inside, they typically had a garrison of one officer and 15-25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse in a 360°arc.

The interior of a classic British Martello tower consisted of three stories. The ground floor served as the magazine and storerooms, where ammunition and provisions were kept. The garrison of approximately twenty-five men lived the first floor. This floor which was divided into several rooms and had fireplaces built into the walls for cooking and heating. The officer and men lived in separate rooms of almost equal size. A well or cistern within the Martello supplied the garrison with fresh water.

The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Nine of the fourteen Martello towers built in Canada still survive today. A common characteristic of Canadian Martello towers was removable cone-shaped roofs to protect against snow.

Six Martello towers were built in the US, but sadly we do not take care of our historical objects and building so only one Martello remains today. It is located in Key West and is currently a botanical garden site.

Fort Henry




Just across a small bay from downtown Kingston are two peninsulas that hold great historical and current day military significance to Canada. The Royal Military College of Canada which is a degree granting university that trains and educates the officers of the Canadian Military Forces all in one location similar to our West Point, Annapolis and Air Force Academy but just combined. This certainly makes sense because then each branch of the armed forces does not have to duplicate services. During our trolley tour we were visited RMC and found it to be very similar in history and tradition to our Annapolis.


Then across another small bay and atop an imposing hill stands Fort Henry. We missed our chance during the trolley tour to hop off at Fort Henry so the next day we took a Kingston City bus that dropped us off at the bottom of the Fort Henry hill. I am not exaggerating when I say that we had to walk 1.25 miles, straight uphill in 100 degree heat. By the time we reached the actual fort at the top of the hill, we were in serious need of liquid refreshment and I have never tasted such good water in my life.





It has been extremely hot this summer thus far and while I thought I was dying of the heat I only had to look at the Canadian students who worked at Fort Henry to represent the soldiers and their families of the day. Their uniforms are authentic and made of 100% wool. Still, the military interpreters known as the Fort Henry Guard did not allow the heat to interfere with their duties and continued to perform the tasks to which they are assigned. We were given a lengthy tour of the fort and all of its interworking’s and history.

The fort was originally was constructed during the War of 1812 when the British anticipated the possibility of a US attack on Point Henry due to Kingston Royal Naval Dockyards which were located adjacent to the Fort. Also to be protected was the vital and strategic shipping route, where the St Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario, so that supplies to Kingston and the rest of Upper Canada remained intact.
Canadian troops then garrisoned the fort until 1891.

During WWI Fort Henry served as a facility for holding Canadian citizens of Ukrainian descent as detainees. Then during WWII the fort was a prisoner-of-war camp for German personnel. Today Fort Henry is a Canadian National Park and is undergoing a complete restoration.