Work on the fort continued almost continuously through 1870, with the peak of construction taking place during the Civil War, amidst rumors of possible British intervention against the Union from Canada. To assauge concern among area residents, a detachment of the 14th United States actually garrisoned the fort for three months in 1862.
These fears were actually realized during the St. Albans Raid, the northernmost action during the Civil War that took place in nearby Vermont.
Over the roughly 30 years of construction of the fort, no expense was spared and the work constituted some of the most advanced and cutting edge military technology of the day. At the peak point of construction, the labor force had around 400 stonecutters and masons plying their trade.
When its basic structure was completed, the fort boasted walls some 48 feet high and gun emplacements for 125 guns on three tiers.
--Brock-Perry
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