Fort Mifflin
A Revolutionary War river fort where American defenders held off the British fleet for six weeks in 1777 before the garrison was overrun.
No public photograph yet
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Share a photoHistory & haunting lore
Built on Mud Island in the Delaware River, Fort Mifflin absorbed a massive British bombardment during the Philadelphia campaign, allowing Washington's army time to reach Valley Forge. The fort served again in the Civil War as a prison for Confederate officers and deserters, and as an anti-aircraft post in World War II.
Living-history reenactors and night tours trade stories of the "Faceless Man," a hooded figure seen near Casemate 11, and of a screaming woman linked by lore to Elizabeth Willing Powel. The nonprofit that runs the site treats these as folklore layered onto well-documented military history.
Current site status
Open for guided tours on scheduled days March through December; winter hours are limited and the island access road can flood during high tides.