Located north of Birch Point looking out into Machias Bay, Fort O'Brien dates to the Revolutionary War and its first naval battle. A few weeks after the shots at Lexington and Concord were fired, the British ship Margaretta escorted a Machiasport shipowner, Ichabod Jones, to the fort to ensure he returned to Boston with lumber needed for the construction of barracks. The townspeople, led by Jeremiah O'Brien, retaliated and captured the Margaretta. A few weeks later the British sent reinforcements. The fortifications built by the townspeople were not strong enough and the British, led by Sir George Collier, defeated the local force and burned several buildings before moving on. George Washington later recruited militia to protect the area and Fort O'Brien was considered part of the national defense by 1781. It remained in use through the Civil War. Appearance of the fort has changed little. The fort consists of earthworks facing Machias Bay with an existing powder magazine, which is now overgrown by vegetation. No armaments connected to the battle remain at the site.
Year Listed: 1960
For more information: https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=c40c1e00-e996-4736-b7e8-33ac56b94bdd
https://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/details.pl?park_id=61