The history of Fort Michie on Great Gull Island

Fort Michie, located on Great Gull Island, was constructed between 1897 and 1908 during the Endicott Program, which aimed to fortify the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound. Dennis Michie, a first lieutenant who was killed at San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War, lends his name to the fort. The fort was one of four sites that defended Connecticut's ports and the north shore of Long Island.

During World War I, the new 16-inch gun M1919 was developed as the most powerful weapon in the United States' arsenal. The first of these was deployed at Fort Michie on a unique version of the Buffington-Crozier disappearing carriage, which featured an increased elevation to 30 degrees and a rare all-around-fire emplacement. This was the largest gun emplacement constructed to date by the United States. It was named for John Moore Kelso Davis, a general and Civil War veteran who died in 1920.

Following American entry into World War I in April 1917, Battery North's pair of 10-inch guns was dismounted in August 1917 for potential use as railway artillery, but the guns did not leave the island during the war. In 1940, the fort was relegated to a secondary role because it lacked protection against air attack and its 16-inch gun had a relatively short range. After World War II, the fort was disarmed in 1946 and abandoned in 1948, eventually becoming a site for the American Museum of Natural History to study migratory terns.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons