Fort Greble Observation Tower (Dutch Island, RI)

Exploring the Fort Greble Observation Tower: Dutch Island’s Forgotten Watchpoint

Hidden deep within the overgrown wilderness of Dutch Island, just off the coast of Jamestown, Rhode Island, the Fort Greble Observation Tower stands as a lonely sentinel overlooking Narragansett Bay. Weather-worn and slowly crumbling, this abandoned structure once played a vital role in America’s coastal defense network. Today, it endures as a haunting monument to a vanished military era—where strategy, isolation, and the relentless passage of time converge.

The Birth of Fort Greble and the Endicott Era

Following the Civil War, dramatic advances in artillery made old brick forts nearly useless. In 1885, the U.S. government launched the Endicott Board, an ambitious plan to modernize coastal defenses nationwide. Between 1890 and 1910, this movement produced dozens of new reinforced-concrete fortifications—sleek, heavily armed, and strategically placed along America’s shores.

Fort Greble, constructed in 1898 on Dutch Island, was one of these installations. Named for Lt. John Trout Greble, the first U.S. Army officer killed in the Civil War, the fort featured a collection of massive gun batteries—including Battery Hale, Battery Sedgwick, and Battery Mitchell—designed to protect the entrance to Narragansett Bay and nearby naval facilities in Newport.

The observation tower was likely built soon after, serving as a key lookout and range-finding station for the fort’s heavy coastal artillery. From its height, observers could relay firing coordinates to the gun crews below, tracking enemy ships as they moved through the bay’s western passage.

A Tower of Strategy and Sightlines

Though smaller and simpler than the later World War II fire-control towers found across the coast, the Fort Greble Observation Tower was an essential part of the fort’s communication system. Its elevated vantage point allowed officers to:

• Spot approaching vessels far out in Narragansett Bay
• Measure distance and bearing for coordinated firing
• Signal artillery crews at the nearby batteries
• Monitor weather and visibility during coastal patrols

Constructed of brick and concrete, the tower likely rose several stories high, with a narrow interior staircase leading to the observation deck. The view from its top would have been breathtaking—a sweeping panorama of the bay, Jamestown, and the distant Newport shoreline.

Abandonment and Decay

By the 1940s, changing warfare technology and the rise of air power rendered fixed coastal defenses obsolete. Fort Greble was decommissioned after World War II, and its structures were left to the elements.

Over the decades, the tower’s once-solid walls began to crumble. The internal stairs have nearly vanished, while the roof and upper deck have collapsed entirely. Trees and vines now creep through its open windows, and gulls roost atop what remains of the observation platform.

Despite its ruin, the tower remains remarkably photogenic—its solitary silhouette framed against the sky like a relic from another world.

Visiting the Observation Tower Today

Reaching the Fort Greble Observation Tower is no simple task. The site is accessible only by water, requiring visitors to cross from the mainland to Dutch Island.

Most adventurers launch kayaks or paddleboards from Fort Getty State Park in Jamestown. Once on the island, expect a rugged trek through overgrown brush and uneven ground before reaching the northern sector where the tower stands.

While exploring the area is permitted, the tower itself is extremely unstable. Visitors should admire it only from a safe distance—collapsed masonry, deep cracks, and shifting debris make climbing or entering hazardous.

Those who do make the journey, however, are rewarded with an unforgettable sight: the tower rising above the wild landscape, silent but still standing watch over Narragansett Bay.

Visiting Information

• 📍 Location: Dutch Island, Jamestown, Rhode Island
• 🌐 GPS Coordinates: 41.503806, -71.400417
• 🛶 Access: By boat only (from Fort Getty State Park)
• 🅿️ Parking: Available at Fort Getty (State Park fee in summer)
• 💰 Fees: Seasonal entry fee at launch site
• ⚠️ Safety: Structure is unstable — do not enter or climb
• 🕰 Best Time to Visit: Late spring through fall (calmer waters)

Quick Facts

• 🏗 Built: Circa 1898–1905
• 🧱 Construction: Brick and concrete
• 🏰 Function: Observation and range-finding tower for Fort Greble
• 🎖 Named For: Lt. John Trout Greble (U.S. Army, Civil War)
• ⚙️ Active Years: 1898–1947
• 🏚 Current Condition: Collapsed roof; walls standing amid overgrowth
• 🛶 Access: Boat only from Jamestown
• 🚫 Entry: Prohibited for safety
• 📸 Photo Value: Exceptional — dramatic ruin amid wild landscape

Final Thoughts

The Fort Greble Observation Tower endures as one of Rhode Island’s most evocative ruins—a place where history, isolation, and nature intertwine. Once a nerve center for coastal defense, it now stands silent and broken, its commanding view reclaimed by the trees.

For those who seek the thrill of uncovering forgotten places, few sites capture the haunting beauty of abandonment like this one. On Dutch Island, the tower still keeps watch—its purpose long gone, but its presence timeless.