Fort Charlotte, Georges Island in Halifax Harbour. The Island was fortified since at least 1750 when an earthen work battery was built mounting seven 32-pdr SB guns. The battery faced West, covering the town and main anchorage. An addition nine 24-pdr SB guns were added in 1755.
By 1783 additional field fortifications had been built and Fort Charlotte now mounted a total of forty eight guns of various types.
In 1792 the actual Fort Charlotte was built, at that time it consisted of a central blockhouse with an earthen star fort around it. Barracks for three hundred men, two semi-circular batteries mounting a total of twenty 24-pdr SB guns. These works were completed by 1798.
Plans from 1809 (TNS MPH 1/491) shows Fort Charlotte has a star fort in the centre, with a large smoothbore battery facing Sough and a smaller battery facing North. There was a small blockhouse in the centre of the star fort. Plans from November 1809 show that a new magazine was built at Fort Charlotte. This was a single chamber about 20 feet long.
In 1811 the old blockhouse was demolished an a new Martello Tower built in its’ place. However it was in 1860 that major changes were made to make Fort Charlotte a more formidable coastal defence Fort. Eight 7-inch RBL guns were mounted in a horseshoe battery facing South, this was called Upper Battery. Below these guns in casemates are four 10-inch RML guns behind iron shields, Lower Battery.
In 1877 the Martello Tower was removed and a magazine built to the rear of main gun lines. In 1878 the North facing SB battery was also decommissioned.
In October 1878 plan were drawn up to mount three 4.7-inch guns on the Upper Battery in old 7-inch RBL emplacements. These 4.7-inch emplacements can still be see today.
A 3d Model of the Island can be see at https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/georges-island-halifax-nova-scotia-64e4995c664a44b1b4565b0a658c2890