Fort Phoenix is an American Revolutionary War-era fort located at the entrance to the Fairhaven-New Bedford harbor, south of U.S. 6 in Fort Phoenix Park in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
On September 5–6, 1778, Fort Phoenix was destroyed by the British when they were raiding the harbor. When it was rebuilt, it was given the name "Fort Phoenix" after the mythical bird that rose from its owns ashes.
The British tried to seize Fort Phoenix in 1814, but they were scared off when they mistook the horn of a postman's bicycle as a sounding of charge.
The fort was founded in 1775 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Famous quotes containing the words fort and/or phoenix:
“Why, even when I was innocent her hatred of me hurt a good deal. Now that I’m guilty, her belief in me would hurt even more.”
—Garrett Fort (1900–1945)
“Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws,
And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;
Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s jaws,
And burn the long-liv’d phoenix in her blood;
Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet’st,
And do what’er thou wilt, swift-footed Time,
To the wide world and all her fading sweets;”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)