About

Fort Mifflin

Our Mission

The stated mission of Fort Mifflin on the Delaware is to develop, preserve and interpret Fort Mifflin as a National Historic Landmark whose unique history, original fabric and surrounding environment will be protected and used to educate and enrich students and families and serve as a significant regional tourist resource.

Physical and architectural preservation will reflect the period 1777 – 1875. Historical interpretation will be inclusive of the Fort’s service during each of America’s major wars: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, World War I and World War II. Environmental interpretation will be inclusive of the Fort’s river setting, wetland habitat and wooded areas.

Fort Mifflin on the Delaware

Incorporated in 1986, Fort Mifflin on the Delaware (FMOD) manages operations, preservation and programming at National Historic Landmark Fort Mifflin. The organization was born from the Preservation Committee of the Olde Fort Mifflin Historical Society in order to more effectively raise funds for necessary restoration and program management.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and supported by paid staff who manage operations, programming and continued restoration. Significant restoration projects include the stabilization of the structure and restoration of the roof and cupola of the Commandant’s House, the centerpiece of Fort Mifflin and the excavation and preservation of Casemate 11, believed to be the Fort’s original Powder Magazine. Programming initiatives support the mission and vision of the organization, continuing a close association with the Olde Fort Mifflin Historical Society.

Fort Mifflin, originally called Fort Island Battery and also known as Mud Island Fort, was commissioned in 1771 and sits on Mud Island (or Deep Water Island) on the Delaware River below Philadelphia, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia International Airport.

During the American Revolutionary War, the British Army bombarded and captured the fort as part of their conquest of Philadelphia in autumn 1777. The United States Army began to rebuild the fort in 1794 and continued to garrison and build on the site through the 19th century. It housed prisoners during the American Civil War. The army decommissioned Fort Mifflin in 1962 and returned it to the City of Philadelphia. Historic preservationists have restored the fort.