A North View of Castle William in the Harbour of Boston.

Castle William's heritage as a military installation dates to 1634 when cannons first were deployed in an earthen fort to defend Boston Harbor. British officials used the fort as a refuge in the tumultuous times leading up to the American Revolution; on their way out of Boston in March, 1776, the British destroyed the Fort. It was quickly rebuilt by Bostonians.

The present view shows the rebuilt Fort with an oversized American flag waving above. The Fort served as an active military installation during the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. Known as Fort Independence since 1797, the Fort today is a state park.

Stauffer attributes the engraving to Samuel Hill, who did many of the plates for the Massachusetts Magazine. Uncommon.

References: Lewis: A Guide to Engravings in American Magazines, 1741-1810: p. 10. Stauffer, American Engravers Upon Copper and Steel: 1397. John Carter Brown Archive of Early American Images: Record no.5437-4. Cresswell, The American Revolution in Drawings and Prints: 491.