During the height of World War II, the military needed a way to monitor Narragansett Bay without alerting enemy U-boats to their presence. The solution was tactical architectural camouflage. The Harbor Entrance Control Post (HECP) at Fort Burnside was designed to look like a typical shingle-style Rhode Island seaside residence.

Behind the domestic facade of “The Mansion” sat reinforced concrete walls and high-tech surveillance equipment. From this hidden hub, officers coordinated the massive 6-inch guns of Battery 213 and the submarine nets that protected the U.S. Navy’s critical Atlantic fleet anchorage. Today, this landmark serves as a silent witness to a time when Jamestown was the front line of American coastal defense.

Built specifically to repel sea-borne threats during the peak of the Second World War.

Formerly NAVRADSTA Jamestown, serving as a critical global communication link until 1974.

Now part of the scenic Beavertail State Park, preserved for future generations.

The Fort Burnside Communication & Coastal Defense Museum relies on supporters like you to keep this history alive. Join us today and help document, restore, and share Rhode Island’s wartime heritage.