| Manchester State Park is a 111-acre camping park with 3,400 feet of saltwater shoreline on Rich Passage in Puget Sound. The park is covered in woods of fir and maple. Volleyball net doubles as a badminton net. It is part of the Cascadia Marine Trail system for human powered and wind powered beachable craft. One Cascadia campsite is located along the shoreline. Historic buildings dating to the turn of the century when the site was a U.S. Coast Artillery Harbor Defense installation are still intact for viewing. The Torpedo Warehouse is a unique turn-of-the-century military structure. The architectural design of this brick structure includes arched doorways and windows. Also located in the park are a gun battery and a mining casemate. Horseshoe players must supply their own horseshoes. The beach is closed for shellfish harvesting. The park was named for the nearby small town of Manchester. Originally called "Brooklyn," the citizens renamed the place "Manchester" in 1892 on account of their expectation that Manchester, Washington would become an active seaport comparable to Manchester, England. The park itself was constructed at the turn of the century as a U.S. Coast Artillery harbor defense installation for the protection of Bremerton. During World War II, the property was converted to a navy fuel supply depot and a navy fire-fighting station. A former torpedo warehouse, built in 1901, still stands in the park. It was later an officer's club, a barracks and a mess hall, and is now a picnic shelter in the day-use area. The small concrete building east of the torpedo warehouse was originally used as a mining casement, and later for coal storage. A gun battery also remains from the park's early days. All three of these structures are on the register of National Historical Monuments. |
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