Fort Gorges sits prominently in the bay, not far from the wharves of Portland. Proposed after the war of 1812, construction for the fort wasn't funded until 1857, and completed in 1865 during the Civil War. However, war technology advanced so quickly during the Civil War that the fort was obolete by the time it was finished. Fort Gorges sits prominently in the bay, not far from the wharves of Portland. Proposed after the war of 1812, construction for the fort wasn't funded until 1857, and completed in 1865 during the Civil War. However, war technology advanced so quickly during the Civil War that the fort was obolete by the time it was finished. 