Fort at Canoe Place

Written By Dino DiPietro

Here’s the detailed historical background of the fort at Canoe Place (now Hampton Bays, eastern Long Island):

🏰 Fort at Canoe Place — Revolutionary War Earthwork Redoubt

  • Construction & Strategic Purpose
    During the American Revolutionary War (1779–1780), British forces built an earthwork redoubt atop a hill immediately behind what is now the Canoe Place Inn. The position was chosen for its excellent vantage point over South Country Road (now Montauk Highway), Shinnecock Bay, Peconic Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean—making it a strategically valuable site for British defense and control of the region

  • Tactical Location
    This site lay along an Indigenous & colonial portage route connecting Shinnecock Bay and Peconic Bay—hence the name “Canoe Place.” Controlling this corridor was vital for maintaining waterborne access between the bays

  • Military Presence
    The area was of strategic importance beyond the redoubt; British officers also occupied the adjacent inn, while several hundred troops were stationed nearby during the war

  • Post-War Survival and Disappearance
    After the war, the fort remained visible on the landscape for nearly two centuries. It survived into the 1980s before the surge in residential development led to its physical erasure—a common fate for many earthen fortifications

🏨 Canoe Place Inn — From Native Portage to Historic Landmark

  • Native and Early Colonial Use
    The name “Canoe Place” traces back to the area's original use by Indigenous peoples as a portage site (~17th century), where canoes were carried between waterways. The location became synonymous with transit between Shinnecock and Peconic Bays

  • Establishment of the Inn
    The earliest inn on the site dates to circa 1697, making it one of the oldest in the U.S.

    The Herrick family operated the inn in the mid-1700s, solidifying its presence by the time of the Revolutionary War

  • Revolutionary Occupation
    During the Revolution, the inn was used as quarters for British officers, and alongside it the hilltop fort housed several hundred troops, leveraging both facilities for strategic dominance in the region

🏗️ Evolution & Modern Legacy

  • 19th–20th Century
    The arrival of the Long Island Rail Road in 1869 and the burgeoning tourism in the 1880s transformed the area, and Canoe Place Inn became a weekend destination. Several owners, including hoteliers from Waldorf Astoria, elevated its status as a fashionable Hamptons retreat

  • Later Transformations
    In the 20th century, the inn morphed into a Prohibition-era speakeasy and eventually a nightclub, hosting luminaries ranging from Lucille Ball and Albert Einstein to rock legends and celebrities

  • Recent Restoration
    Following a decline into disrepair, the property was meticulously restored in the 2020s and reimagined as a luxury boutique inn, preserving its storied legacy while offering modern amenities

📅 Timeline Summary

~1697 Native canoe portage becomes a notable site

Early 1700s First inn established; site of early colonial hospitality

1756–1785 Owned/operated by the Herricks; British military occupation during Revolution

1779–1780 British build and garrison fort atop the hill

Post-1780s Redoubt remains visible into the 1980s; later development removes it

1869–1880s Rail access transforms inn into weekend tourist hotspot 20th centuryTransitions to speakeasy/nightclub; hosts prominent figures

2020s Restored and reborn as a luxury boutique inn & resort

📚 References

  • North American Forts (American Forts Network) confirms the redoubt’s existence behind the inn, its timeline, and eventual disappearance

  • Hampton Bays Historical & Preservation Society highlights British military presence in both inn and fort moments

  • Articles from LongIsland.com and Behind The Hedges provide context on the site's portage origins, early inn history, and later cultural reinventions in 20th century

In summary, the fort at Canoe Place was an 18th‑century British earthwork redoubt strategically positioned to guard waterways and access routes, with its history intertwined with that of the region’s earliest inn. Although the physical earthworks no longer survive, the legacy lives on in local narratives, historical markers, and the continuing use of the hilltop site.

Dino DiPietro