Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 15

A History of Martello Towers in the Defence of British North America, 1796-1871

by Ivan J. Saunders

Appendix C. Duke of York's Tower, (York Redoubt Tower), Halifax

Built: 1798
Armed: before 1808
Disarmed: 1865-75
Demolished: top storey destroyed by fire, ca. 1890. Basement level extant, 1972.
Facing material: rubble ironstone masonry
Diameter: 40 ft.
Height: 30 ft.
Wall thickness: 4 ft.
Parapet height: 4 ft. high in wood until after 1870.
Storeys: two
Purpose: in 1798, a keep and land defence for York Redoubt. After 1875, a caponiered flank defence for the line wall in the rear of the rifled muzzle-loader redoubt.

21 The remaining portion of the York Redoubt tower, 1971. (Photograph by author.)

22 Plan of York Redoubt and tower, n.d. (Public Archives of Canada.)

23 York Redoubt tower, platform and section of upper tower, 1849.