While you may be thinking, "There is no way another town can stack up to the coolness of Verona Island and it's record-breaking bridge" - we've got two words for you.... Fort Knox.
That's right. In this stop along the Penobscot we're in Prospect, Maine, home to the historic site found at the other end of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. Prospect is a small town nestled between Stockton Springs and Frankfort home to around 700 residents. It's also a great place to take a walk back in time.
According to their website, Fort Knox "is one of the best-preserved military fortifications on the New England seacoast." Now, pay close attention if you're a fellow lover of all things Maine history - there's a reason for those towering walls of stone. Fort Knox, named after Major General Henry Knox (our first Secretary of War who retired to Maine in 1796), was designed and built in 1844 to protect communities along the banks of the Penobscot River, such as Propsect, from the British who were interested in adding our land and lumber to their British Canada.
It gets even better. Ever heard of the 20th Maine? Well, many members of this celebrated regiment completed their training at Fort Knox. During the Spanish-American war in 1898, troops were briefly stationed at the fort but never experienced any action.
Today, the fort itself can be explored May 1 - October 31 from 9:00 am to sunset. The grounds are open for exploring year-round. And when you get there, you will encounter a different kind of troop - one made up of the dedicated folks at Friends of Fort Knox. We've had the pleasure of seeing the great work they do up close and personal as the PRCC has joined with other volunteers to help with everything from cleaning up the grounds to playing pirate to raise funds.
If you're like us, your New Year's resolutions list includes a goal to give back to the community even more in 2019 through volunteering. Friends of Fort Knox is a terrific place to start! We're certain that time spent with these great folks will help us learn even more about Prospect, the Fort and the history of our mighty Penobscot.