If you ever find yourself driving along the Patapsco River in Maryland, looking out your window you might catch a glimpse of a small island on the horizon. Upon closer inspection Fort Carroll wouldn’t seem like much. Its faded stone walls and overgrown courtyard have long since been abandoned by the US military and most of the world. Many people don’t even know of its existence. However, underneath it in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay lies a special secret teeming with life.
Fort Carrol began construction in 1848, but its history stretches back even further than that. During the War of 1812, the military had the realization that the only thing standing between the city of Baltimore and attack by enemy troops was Fort McHenry, which had recently suffered a severe 25 hours attack by the British. In addition, at this point the guns on enemy ships had longer ranges than the guns at Fort McHenry and were therefore able to launch an attack on Baltimore safely out of Fort McHenry’s range. To rectify the situation in 1820 they decided to build a fort closer to Baltimore. In 1848 the construction of Fort Carroll began, but after 3 years it was stopped due to construction issues. Before construction could be restarted the need for a fort closer to Baltimore became unnecessary, as gun technology and range continued developing leaving the one’s on Fort Carroll obsolete. For decades Fort Carrol served a series of purposes such as a training base and a lighthouse up until WWII when it was sold to a wealthy family. Since then it has slowly been overtaken by grass, vines, and water birds.
Though Fort Carrol still stands empty today, it serves an important purpose, not just to the birds it supports on land, but to the species in the water below it. For over 30 years organizations like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) have supported a flourishing oyster reef around Fort Carrol. The reef is a protected area in which the CBF plants the one-year old oysters they have been growing in order to filter the water in the Patapsco. It has been an incredibly successful project, with over 6 million oysters planted since 2018.
In March of 2024 Baltimore was struck by tragedy when a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge killing six people. The bridge spanned the Patapsco River and just north of Fort Carroll. When the bridge collapsed in addition to mourning the lives lost many CBF workers and volunteers worried about the health of the reef. The collapse could have caused disturbances such as a rise in turbidity that would smother the oysters causing the reef to decline. The reef fell inside a 2,000 yard safety zone in which recovery and salvage efforts were being conducted however so for months the organization held off on conducting surveys in order to prevent disruption of recovery efforts.
Finally in June of 2024 they were able to get cameras down to the reef to check for environmental impact. Lucky for them oysters are a resilient species and appeared to be healthy and thriving under the fort. This oyster reef continues to be an example of Baltimore’s resilience and incredibly strong community, as volunteers and students from all along the Bay grow oysters to be put in Fort Carrol each spring and summer.
Though Fort Carroll is not open for visitors, it is far from empty. Conservation has breathed new life into this once obsolete fortress. Fort Carroll support the future of Baltimore and everyone living on and around the Chesapeake Bay. It brings together our community in service, excites and engages our students, and represents strength in the face of tragedy. As construction and rebuilding efforts continue on the Patapsco, Fort Carroll will be there ready to welcome the people of Maryland driving across and looking over the water wondering what secrets that little island holds.
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