Nike Sites of Boston: Fort Duvall (Hull) /Weymouth B-36

Located on Little Hog Island in Hingham Bay (near the resort community of Nantasket) and in North Weymouth, less
than 15 miles southeast of Boston, this site lasted until 1974 as a Mass ARNG Hercules site.

Location
IFC/Admin Area: Little Hog Island less than 1/2 mile off south side of Nantasket peninsular in Hingham Bay in the town of Hull. The island has long been connected to the mainland by a causeway across the mud flats of the bay.

Launcher Area: Northeast corner of town of Weymouth. Soldiers were housed at the Base housing of the Squantum Naval Air Station.

Present Status
Ft. Duvall was originally used as an annex to the Hull public schools. In 1987, the Spinnaker condominium complex of 105 units opened on the site. The Weymouth site has become Webb State Park and the Weymouthport condominium complex.

Pictures
Site Pictures

The control area for the Hull-Weymouth Nike installation was built on the World War II casemates of Fort Duvall in Boston Harbor. (Courtesy of Gerald Butler, Army Engineers in New England 1775-1975, p. 152.)

Aerial view of Fort Duvall from Coast Artillery era.
(Army Engineers in New England 1775-1975, p. 124.)

Dates of Operation
1955-1974

History
Fort Duvall was constructed in 1920 and established as a coast artillery batterysite in 1921; the post was in caretaker status after WWII until reestablished as a Nike site; post was used in this role up until 1974, converted from Nike-Ajax to Nike-Hercules May-Nov 58 and operational 25 Mar 59; Weymouth site established in Apr 55. In Jan 64, MA ARNG took over the site until 1974.

Weapons Systems & Missile Load
Nike Ajax / 20 (10 per launcher section)
8 mounted on launchers (4 per launcher section)
Nike Hercules/ 12 (6 per launcher section)

Missile Magazines/ Launcher Sections
2 Magazines.
2 type "B"

Units
Btry D, 514th AAA Missile Battalion (Nike)
(Continental)Apr 55- Oct 58
Btry D, 3d Missile BN (Nike-Ajax), 52d Artillery
Oct 58-Dec 61
(redesignated Nike Hercules Jun 59)
Def Target Acquistion Radar Section 1,
56th Artillery Brigade Feb 60-Feb 64
Btry B, 3d Missile BN (Nike Hercules),
5th Artillery Dec 61-Oct 64
Btry B, 1st BN (Nike Hercules),
241st Artillery (MA ARNG) Jan 64-Aug 74
(redesignated 1st BN (Hercules),
241st ADA, Apr 72)

Links
Spinnaker Island
http://www.tiac.net/users/fbhi/
spinnaker.html

Webb State Park
http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/dem
/parks/webb.htm

Contacts

View of Fort Duvall’s battery in action with Hull in the background. (Courtesy of Gerald Butler, Army Engineers in New England 1775-1975, p. 124.)


IFC Site	Street Map of Site Locations	Launcher Area