Ruins of Saybrook Fort
Saybrook Fort at the mouth of the Connecticut River is often thought of as a fort in the context of the "old west". Its true that there was an enclosed area on Saybrook Point, but the "fort" likely included the entire area of Saybrook Point with three sides protected by water and the land access at the "neck" of Saybrook Point being protected by a pallisade wall. The term "fort", in those days, referred to a tract of land put in a defended position whereas a "fortification" referred to a structure which fortifies or defends, often consisting of an elevation of earth with guns and other implements of warfare and supplemented with a pallisades. The fort at Saybrook Point was actually a fort within another fort.
The postcard shown above shows a view of the riverfront as it looked in 1870 before the railroad came in and leveled the riverfront area, including the mound to the upper left and and the gently sloping hill to the right of the lone structure, known as "Tomb Hill". The view is looking from north to south. The area now known as the Borough of Fenwick can be seen in the upper right.
When the railroad was constructed, the railbed fill enclosed the embayment in the center right of the photo (at the opposite end of the stone wall), leaving a pond, and eventually, the restored tidal marsh located behind Saybrook Monument Park. The "fortification" was said to be erected on a " steep eminence" which jutted out into the river. That steep eminence (the "gun mound" used for riverfront protection), removed to make way for the railroad and ferry facilities, is seen at the upper left. That location is now occupied by the Dock & Dine Restaruant. The area of the "fort" - all of Saybrook Point - was connected with the mainland by a "sand beach that was flanked by marshes". Today that area is occupied by residential properties with College Street passing through connecting Saybrook Point to the Main Street area of town. One house has a sign over the garage door saying "Neck Gate", a testament to that area being the location of the gated pallisade wall entrance that protected the early colony against indian attacks. The location of the wall was likely just west of the mill stone which rests along side College Street within a wrought iron fence. A treatise on the dangers of the war with the Pequot Indians by Lion Gardiner sheds light on what the early settlers faced.
In 1870 - 225 years after her death - Lady Fenwick's grave was moved from its original Tomb Hill location to Cypress Cemetery in order to make way for the railroad. Tomb Hill was approximately one acre in size and was considered public land. It was said that Lady Fenwick was buried within the "fort", which makes sense because the entire Saybrook Point area was considered as a "fort" according to the way the term was used.