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Fort Banks (Massachusetts)

All pages needing cleanupBuildings and structures in Suffolk County, MassachusettsForts in MassachusettsForts on the National Register of Historic Places in MassachusettsNational Register of Historic Places in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from May 2013Winthrop, Massachusetts
Ft Banks AP c 1940
Ft Banks AP c 1940

Fort Banks was a U.S. Coast Artillery fort located in Winthrop, Massachusetts. It served to defend Boston Harbor from enemy attack from the sea and was built in the 1809 during what is known as the Endicott period, a time in which the coast defenses of the United States were seriously expanded and upgraded with new technology. Today, the fort's mortar battery is on the National Register of Historic Places. The fort was active during World War II as the site of the Harbor Defense Command Post (HDCP) for the Harbor Defenses of Boston, and was greatly expanded with numerous temporary structures (see 1938 map at top left). Because of its campus-like appearance and the fact that it was located on land, close of Boston, the fort was known as "The Country Club" by Coast Artillery soldiers pleased to be posted there. Fort Banks was named for Nathaniel P. Banks, a Civil War general, the 24th Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Fort Banks (Massachusetts)
Kennedy Road,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 42.384166666667 ° E -70.980277777778 °
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Address

Kennedy Road 8
02152
Massachusetts, United States
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Ft Banks AP c 1940
Ft Banks AP c 1940
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Nearby Places

Winthrop Center/Metcalf Square Historic District
Winthrop Center/Metcalf Square Historic District

The Winthrop Center/Metcalf Square Historic District encompasses the historic center of the city of Winthrop, Massachusetts. Although the area was settled early in Massachusetts history (c. 1637), the Winthrop peninsula remained sparsely populated until the 19th century. Its central area did not begin significant development until there was some industrial development in the first half of the 19th century, and accelerated with the arrival of the railroad later in the 19th century. It is centered on Metcalf Square, at the junction of Pauline, Hermon, and Winthrop Streets; the district extends northward along Hermon and Winthrop, and also includes properties as far east as Cross Street.Most of the over 100 buildings in the district are residential, and were built between about 1880 and 1940. The oldest house in the district is believed to be 257 Winthrop Street, which is thought to have been built in the 1790s and restyled with Greek Revival details in the 19th century. (This is in contrast to Winthrop's oldest house, the c. 1675 Deane Winthrop House, which lies outside the district.) The most prominent buildings are the cluster of municipal and religious buildings around Metcalf Square: the Town Hall (1929) and Library (1898) are both Renaissance Revival structures, while the police station (formerly a post office) is a Colonial Revival building from 1932, and the Methodist Church is a Colonial/Classical Revival from 1930.There are some fine examples of well-preserved 19th-century architectural styles in the district. Noteworthy Italianate houses include 11 George Street, whose gables are studded with decorative brackets indicative of the style, and 233 Winthrop Street, the city's only towered Italianate villa. Particularly good examples of Queen Styling are found at 180 and 272 Winthrop; the latter in particular is distinguished for its turret, which has a bulbous roof and carved wooden panel decorations.The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.