Located at the mouth of the Grand River, the naval base was to have been built as a second naval base on Lake Erie intended to complement the base at Navy Island. It was to have stationed 1,000 sailors and 3 frigates. It was never completed and the site was abandoned by the Royal Navy. It is now the site of Esplanade Park in Port Maitland.
Following the Rush Bagot Treaty, the based slowly wound down, but an 1820 survey was ordered and the based was re-established but closed one last time in 1834.[2]