Week 3: Blueprinting Fort Point

Hello All!

I will be starting the process of building the model of Fort Point. This week, I aim to finish the blueprint and the rough planning of the model. In this post, I’ll explain the process of making the blueprint.

I started by gathering the dimensions from Apple Maps. I used the scale bar and some math to calculate the outer dimensions of the building. I then used the pictures and notes to fill in all the details. Not all dimensions will be fully accurate as I couldn’t take all measurements during my visit and searching online didn’t give me all the data, but I tried to estimate as best as possible. I will be using a 40:1 scale for this fort. I chose this scale because I wanted the model to be miniature to conserve resources and be easily transported, yet big enough to show all the necessary details. The blueprint shows all the dimensions of the building including a top angle, all four sides of the outer part, and all four sides of the inner part. I also included blueprints of the different types of cannons I will build separately.

Fort Point has seven-foot thick, brown brick walls. The two doors at the entrance are about a foot thick and between the two doors is a hallway with small holes in the wall (four on each side) for riflemen to shoot through. Past the second door is the inside of the base, which is an open, no-roof area surrounded by three floors of open sections. These floors are connected through open walls between each section. Three of the walls are filled with open sections, with holes in the walls for people to shoot cannons through. These walls also consist of a stairwell with a spiraling staircase and a lighthouse. The first floor does not have any cannon holes and, thus the only active cannons are two Napoleon cannons to guard the door. However, the second and third floors have cannon holes in every section. The roof of the base has numerous sections to mount Columbiad cannons. These stations consist of a square platform to mount the cannons. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take pictures inside the lighthouse because that area was off-limits, but I know that the lighthouse contained a room for the light and living quarters for the family watching over it.

The blueprint for this fort is completed and next week marks the first week where I’ll be building the fort. I am excited to finally be building the model as it’s my main goal and focus for this senior project.