DIXON’S POINT FORT SITE

Dixon’s Point and the War of 1812

A historical marker sets on the lawn at #169 Pleasant Street, inscribed

“On Dixon’s Point, south of this spot, a Fort was erected and fortified in 1812”.

This Eliot Fort was built by Mr. Joseph Dixon, with his own funds, with the promise that he would be reimbursed at a future time.  It was built for defense against the British, whom the Kittery people feared would sail up the Piscataqua River and destroy life and property as they had done in Portland, Maine and other U.S. areas as Great Britain dominated the seas at this period of time.

The War of 1812 was a very unpopular war.  It was fought between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815.  Most of the fighting was on land in the Canadian border area and at sea along the east coast of the U.S.

At the end of the war, Samuel Leighton, of Eliot, Maine, wrote a request to the Hon. John Holmes, member of congress, Washington City, requesting him to submit funds to repair the damage on Mr. Joseph Dixon’s property in Eliot, which had been caused by building a fort in the War of 1812.  This would enable Mr. Dixon to dismantle the fort and repair the damage to his land. This letter was dated the 27th of February, 1830.

Some years later, Mr. Dixon received the funds for the removal of the fort and the repairs to his property.