[2][3] Fort Edgecomb is located on Davis Island, actually a peninsula jutting into the Sheepscot River across from the village center of Wiscasset.

[2] Although the blockhouse is the most visible feature, the fort's main armament was a water battery to defend the river.

[4] The fort was built as part of the second system of US fortifications, guarding the then-important port of Wiscasset, then one of the largest shipbuilding centers in New England.

The fort's construction was supervised by US Army engineer Moses Porter, later commander of the Regiment of Light Artillery.

In 1814, Fort Edgecomb became an important base in defending against a possible British attack on mid-coast Maine.