Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Fort Pike

Fort Pike is a brick masonry coastal fortification located on the eastern shore of the Rigolets strait in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, constructed between 1819 and 1826 to defend the vital waterway connecting Lake Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Pontchartrain and New Orleans.^[1]^[2]^[3] Commissioned by President James Monroe as part of the post-War of 1812 coastal defense improvements and named for explorer Zebulon Montgomery Pike, the fort featured a pentagonal citadel with casemates, ramparts, and heavy artillery emplacements designed to repel naval incursions.^[1]^[3] The structure played supporting roles in subsequent conflicts, serving as a staging area and prison for Seminole Indians and captured African Americans during the Seminole Wars of the 1830s, and as a troop embarkation point in the Mexican-American War.^[4]^[5] In the Civil War, Louisiana state troops seized the fort in January 1861 prior to secession, but Union forces recaptured it in May 1862, thereafter using it as a base for Gulf coast raids and to train United States Colored Troops in heavy artillery operation.^[2]^[6]^[7] Deactivated after the war, Fort Pike saw intermittent garrisoning until its abandonment in the late 19th century, evolving into a state historic site preserved for its architectural integrity as one of the finest surviving examples of early 19th-century American coastal fortifications.^[8]^[4] Severe damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 exacerbated ongoing structural deterioration, leading to its closure to the public in 2015 amid state budget constraints, with the site now maintained in a restricted state despite stabilization efforts.^[9]^[5]

Location and Strategic Importance

Geographical Position

Fort Pike is positioned at coordinates 30°10′02″N 89°44′13″W in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, along Chef Menteur Highway (U.S. Route 90), approximately 23 miles east of downtown New Orleans.^[10]^[11] The site lies in a low-elevation coastal marshland at about 3 feet (1 meter) above sea level, characterized by expansive swamps, brackish waterways, and sediment-laden soils typical of the Mississippi River Delta, which contribute to subsidence and vulnerability to tidal surges and storm-induced flooding.^[10] The fort overlooks the Rigolets, a narrow tidal strait linking Lake Pontchartrain to Lake Borgne, serving as a primary maritime gateway from the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi Sound and Chandeleur Islands chain.^[12] This positioning exploits the pass's constrained hydrology—historical depths ranging from 8 to 12 feet at mean low tide and widths narrowing to as little as one-quarter mile—coupled with adjacent shallow bays and impenetrable cypress swamps, which restricted naval maneuvers and terrestrial incursions, thereby enhancing the efficacy of fixed fortifications by funneling potential invaders into enfiladed kill zones.^[12] Parallel to the Rigolets, the Chef Menteur Pass extends eight miles between the lakes with comparable shallow profiles, reinforcing the interconnected waterway system's role as a defensible chokepoint where natural barriers of mudflats and marsh vegetation amplified artificial brick ramparts and water batteries, minimizing the need for extensive landward defenses.^[12]

Role in U.S. Coastal Defenses

Fort Pike constituted an integral element of the Third System of U.S. coastal fortifications, a comprehensive defense initiative launched after the War of 1812 to address naval vulnerabilities demonstrated by British incursions, including the bombardment of coastal cities and the failed but revealing attack on New Orleans. Congress initiated appropriations for this system in 1816, emphasizing durable masonry forts over ephemeral wooden batteries to mount heavy ordnance and deter seaborn assaults through superior firepower and structural resilience.^[13] Fort Pike, designated as the inaugural project within this framework and classified among the "Monroe forts of the first class," received federal authorization for construction commencing in 1819 at an estimated cost of $264,517, underscoring the government's prioritization of static harbor defenses amid resource constraints.^[14]^[15] Positioned at the Rigolets strait—a narrow waterway linking Lake Borgne to Lake Pontchartrain—the fort anchored protections for New Orleans by commanding a chokepoint vulnerable to enemy fleets advancing from the Gulf of Mexico.^[7] The fort's engineering focused on enabling concentrated artillery fire to neutralize approaching vessels before they could close range or bypass defenses. Casemates with embrasures permitted guns to deliver enfilading or raking shots, skipping cannonballs across the water surface to inflict maximum hull damage along a ship's length while shielded walls absorbed retaliatory broadsides.^[16]^[7] This configuration, drawing from European trace italienne principles adapted for American waters, aimed to create a lethal kill zone in the confined pass, where ships lacked maneuverability to evade overlapping trajectories. Complementing Fort Macomb at the adjacent Chef Menteur Pass, Fort Pike contributed to a layered barrier preventing flanking maneuvers, as the paired emplacements collectively dominated dual eastern approaches to the city and forced invaders into predictable, exposed channels.^[6] Sustained occupation by a regular garrison until 1871 evidenced the U.S. Army's enduring reliance on such fixed positions for coastal security, even as technological shifts prompted internal deliberations on supplementing forts with mobile forces or naval assets. This long-term manning, involving engineers and artillery units, validated the deterrence calculus of the Third System, which successfully forestalled major foreign naval probes during its active era by imposing prohibitive risks on potential aggressors.^[17]^[16]

Design and Construction

Architectural Features

Fort Pike features a triangular masonry design typical of early Third System coastal fortifications, constructed primarily of brick to provide resilience against 19th-century cannon fire through thick walls and arched structures.^[18] The layout includes an arc of gun casemates oriented toward the Rigolets waterway for seaward defense, supplemented by landside elements such as moats and three-pointed bastions enabling flanking fire.^[18] Ramparts enclose the perimeter, supported by a central terreplein area for gun platforms, emphasizing a compact footprint optimized for enfilading fire over broad exposure.^[18] Internally, the fort incorporates a single-story citadel serving dual purposes as barracks and a fallback redoubt in the event of outer wall breaches, with additional officers' quarters and service buildings housed within the walls.^[18] This citadel accommodated up to 400 troops, reflecting the fort's capacity for sustained garrison operations despite its relatively modest scale compared to larger inland star forts.^[1] The brick construction, including vaulted casemates, was engineered to distribute structural loads effectively, mitigating vulnerabilities to bombardment inherent in softer earthworks or timber defenses prevalent prior to the Third System.^[17] While specific subtropical adaptations like enhanced ventilation or drainage are not prominently documented in primary designs, the masonry's inherent moisture resistance addressed humidity-related decay common in Louisiana's climate, though long-term exposure has led to observable deterioration in exposed brickwork.^[17] The overall architecture prioritizes defensive geometry and material durability, with casemate embrasures and rampart heights calibrated to contemporary naval threats, underscoring empirical testing of brick's ballistic properties during the era's fortification reforms.^[18]

Armaments and Supporting Infrastructure

Fort Pike was equipped with a primary armament of 33 32-pound seacoast cannons, supplemented by 15 24-pound cannons, four 13-inch mortars, and two 10-inch mortars, enabling comprehensive coverage of the Rigolets pass.^[9] These smoothbore muzzle-loading guns, with barrels typically measuring around 10 feet in length, fired 32-pound solid shot using an 8-pound black powder charge, achieving an effective range of approximately 1 to 2 miles depending on elevation and conditions.^[19] The cannons were mounted in barbette positions along the ramparts and casemates, arranged to provide overlapping fields of fire across the pass's narrow width, maximizing defensive firepower against approaching naval threats.^[9] Supporting infrastructure emphasized operational self-sufficiency, particularly for prolonged sieges or blockades. The fort included two bombproof powder magazines within the courtyard for secure storage of black powder and projectiles, designed with thick masonry vaults and earth coverings to mitigate explosion risks from enemy shelling.^[9] Additional facilities comprised an armory for weapon maintenance, a blacksmith shop for forging and repairs, a bake shop for producing bread rations, and a commissary for provisioning troops, collectively reducing reliance on external supply lines during isolation.^[9] These elements, integrated into the fort's layout, supported a garrison of up to several hundred by facilitating efficient ammunition handling, crew sustenance, and equipment readiness without compromising defensive postures.^[17]

Military History

Construction Era and Pre-Civil War Use (1818–1860)

Construction of Fort Pike commenced in 1819 as the initial fortification in the U.S. Third System of coastal defenses, designed to safeguard the Rigolets pass linking Lake Borgne to Lake Pontchartrain and thereby protect New Orleans from maritime incursions.^[17] President James Monroe authorized its development that year, concurrent with six other Louisiana coastal forts, in response to vulnerabilities exposed during the War of 1812.^[1] Progress was hampered by contractor mismanagement and escalating costs under builder Peter Morte, extending the timeline beyond initial projections.^[15] The fort, completed in 1826, was named for Brigadier General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, the War of 1812 officer and western explorer whose expeditions mapped territories acquired via the Louisiana Purchase, embodying U.S. territorial ambitions.^[17] ^[6] A permanent garrison established around 1827 under U.S. Army oversight focused on peacetime operations, with troops conducting artillery drills to ensure readiness against hypothetical naval assaults reminiscent of British tactics from 1815.^[18] ^[6] Absent major conflicts until 1861, the installation functioned primarily as a logistical hub and detention site during the Second Seminole War (1835–1842) and Mexican-American War (1846–1848), accommodating troop movements and prisoners without direct combat involvement.^[20]

Civil War Engagements (1861–1865)

At the outset of the Civil War, Louisiana state troops under Confederate authority captured Fort Pike on January 10, 1861, prior to the formal secession of Louisiana and the initiation of hostilities.^[21] The fort, lightly garrisoned, was reinforced by Confederate forces with additional artillery and defensive preparations, though its remote position along the Rigolets limited its operational role to monitoring potential Union naval incursions from Lake Borgne.^[21] No major battles occurred at the site during this period, as Confederate strategy prioritized the defense of New Orleans via stronger positions at Forts Jackson and St. Philip downstream on the Mississippi River. The strategic significance of Fort Pike waned rapidly following Union Admiral David Farragut's capture of New Orleans on April 25, 1862, which bypassed the Rigolets approach through superior naval forces and rendered lakeward defenses obsolete.^[6] Confederate troops, facing resource shortages, evacuated the fort shortly thereafter, transferring much of the garrison to reinforce Vicksburg, Mississippi, leaving the installation undefended.^[6] Union forces reoccupied it without opposition in early May 1862, when Lieutenant Joseph M. DeHaven's expedition aboard the USS Calhoun secured the site amid the broader federal consolidation of Louisiana's coastal waterways.^[2] Under Union control, Fort Pike functioned primarily as a logistical depot and training facility rather than an active combat outpost, accommodating supply operations and the instruction of United States Colored Troops recruited from emancipated slaves after the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.^[2] Approximately 1,000 black soldiers, including elements of the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, underwent basic drills and armament familiarization there, leveraging the fort's casemates and ramparts for exercises in a low-threat environment.^[17] The lack of subsequent engagements validated the Third System design's deterrence against direct infantry or landing assaults—its brick walls and moat configuration imposing high costs on attackers—but exposed its inadequacy against Union naval dominance that circumvented fixed positions entirely.^[21]

Post-Civil War Deactivation and Early 20th Century (1866–1940s)

Following the American Civil War, Fort Pike's active military role diminished rapidly due to postwar budget reductions and the growing obsolescence of masonry forts against rifled artillery and ironclad warships. The last Federal garrison was withdrawn in May 1871, leaving the site under the care of a single ordnance sergeant.^[22] All armaments were removed by 1880, reflecting fiscal constraints that curtailed maintenance of static defenses deemed vulnerable to modern naval threats.^[22] The fort was officially abandoned by the U.S. Army in 1890, achieving surplus status as post-Civil War evaluations recognized the need for adaptable strategies over fixed Third System structures.^[17]^[23] The Endicott Board's recommendations in the 1880s further accelerated this transition, advocating concrete-and-steel batteries with disappearing guns and electrical controls that favored mobile artillery over brick citadels like Fort Pike, rendering it incompatible with emerging coastal defense priorities.^[23] Early 20th-century efforts included partial private restoration of foundations and walls in 1911 to address deterioration. The state of Louisiana acquired the site in 1927, followed by repairs enabling its opening as a state park in 1935.^[22] In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration undertook targeted restoration, repairing erosion-induced damage to ramparts and casemates through brick repointing and structural stabilization, aligning with Depression-era federal initiatives for historic preservation and unemployment relief.^[24]^[22] During World War II, the fort remained unarmed and saw no substantive rearmament or combat deployment, exemplifying the doctrinal pivot to dynamic, high-velocity gun systems that supplanted static fortifications amid fiscal realism and technological imperatives for rapid-response defenses.^[23] Limited auxiliary observation roles, if any, underscored its relegation to historical relic status.

Preservation and Modern Challenges

Designation and Initial Preservation Efforts

In the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted restoration work at Fort Pike, focusing on stabilizing the brick masonry walls and removing overgrown vegetation that threatened the structure's integrity.^[24] These efforts, documented in period photographs, addressed deterioration from decades of abandonment following the fort's deactivation after the Civil War.^[25] Following World War II, initial engineering evaluations highlighted the resilience of the fort's red brick construction on its cypress log and shell foundation, while identifying persistent moisture issues that necessitated measures such as improved drainage and dehumidification to prevent further erosion.^[5] On August 14, 1972, Fort Pike was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP reference number 72000557), acknowledging its architectural and historical importance as an early Third System coastal fortification with unique indented tetragonal design elements.^[26] ^[17] This federal recognition facilitated its transfer to Louisiana state oversight, establishing it as the Fort Pike State Historic Site under the Louisiana Office of State Parks for ongoing management and public access.^[17]

Impacts of Natural Disasters and Structural Decline

Prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Fort Pike's brick masonry structure had undergone progressive deterioration from tidal erosion along the Rigolets shoreline and undermining by burrowing animals, which weakened foundations and contributed to wall instability.^[27]^[28] Hurricane Katrina's storm surge on August 29, 2005, fully submerged the fort, flooding casemates and accelerating brick spalling through saltwater saturation and freeze-thaw cycles, which caused bricks to flake and structural breaches to widen.^[28]^[29] Subsequent storms, including Hurricane Gustav in 2008 and Tropical Storm Isaac in 2012, inflicted further water ingress and erosion, exacerbating the fort's vulnerability without mitigation.^[30]^[20] On March 29, 2023, multiple arson fires targeted the site, igniting and destroying remnants of wooden structural elements and interior features, which intensified prior damage from moisture-related decay and created new safety hazards in the tunnels and casemates.^[31]^[32] In coastal Louisiana, relative sea-level rise has averaged approximately 3 feet per century since the early 20th century, driven predominantly by subsidence rates of about 9 mm per year from sediment compaction and tectonic factors, rather than global eustatic rise of 8-10 inches since 1850; these local sinking dynamics, amplified by storm surges, overshadow gradual water level changes as causes of Fort Pike's decline, with neglect permitting unchecked progression.^[33]^[34]^[35]

Recent Developments and Access Issues

Following severe damage from Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Fort Pike sustained structural deterioration, including brick cracks and subsidence, leading to temporary closures for safety assessments, though it was partially reopened in subsequent years before final shutdowns.^[36] The site experienced intermittent access, reopening briefly after Hurricane Isaac in 2012, but was closed again in February 2015 amid Louisiana state budget reductions that prioritized operational costs over maintenance for underutilized historic properties. As of 2025, Fort Pike State Historic Site remains permanently closed to general public visitation due to ongoing flooding, land subsidence into Lake Borgne, and liability risks from unstable masonry, with no routine entry permitted beyond perimeter viewing from adjacent highways.^[17]^[37] Limited special access persists for authorized researchers, historians, or guided tours arranged through Louisiana State Parks, though such permissions are rare and require prior approval owing to safety hazards like collapsing walls and vandalism.^[38] A 2023 fire exacerbated decay, highlighting vulnerabilities to arson and neglect, as noted by preservation advocates who criticize insufficient state monitoring despite the site's National Register listing.^[32] In the 2020s, calls for stabilization funding have intensified amid Louisiana's fiscal constraints, with the Office of State Parks redirecting repair allocations to broader operations to avert wider closures, yet critics argue this reflects chronic underinvestment in coastal heritage assets relative to revenue-generating priorities like tourism infrastructure.^[39]^[40] Debate over adaptive reuse has surfaced sporadically, weighing high preservation costs—estimated in past planning at hundreds of thousands for basic reinforcements—against taxpayer burdens in a state facing repeated disaster recovery demands, though no formal proposals have advanced due to environmental instability and federal liability overlays from prior FEMA interventions like 2005-2022 support beams.^[36]^[41] Preservation groups, including the Louisiana Preservation Alliance, advocate sustained public-private partnerships to prevent total loss, faulting budgetary shortfalls for eroding public engagement with this Third System fortification.^[32]

Cultural and Historical Legacy

Influence on Local History and Engineering

Fort Pike's guardianship of the Rigolets pass, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Pontchartrain, bolstered the security of New Orleans' vital trade corridors following the War of 1812. This defensive posture deterred naval threats, contributing to the uninterrupted flow of commerce that propelled the city's economic ascent as a premier port handling diverse goods from inland rivers to international markets. By 1860, New Orleans supported 33 steamship lines and facilitated trade exceeding $500 million annually, with coastal fortifications like Fort Pike underpinning the stability essential for such expansion.^[42]^[6] As the pioneering structure in the Third System of U.S. coastal defenses—comprising brick and masonry forts erected from 1816 to 1867—Fort Pike's design, featuring casemated batteries and ramparts, informed subsequent Gulf Coast engineering projects. Its layout, devised by French engineer Simon Bernard, paralleled adaptations in fortifications such as Fort Morgan at Mobile Bay, which employed similar principles to channel and repel approaching vessels through concentrated artillery fire. This standardization advanced military engineering practices, emphasizing durable, water-resistant materials suited to humid subtropical environments prone to erosion and storms.^[17]^[5]^[43] The fort exemplifies prudent federal expenditure on infrastructure yielding long-term deterrence, as its mere presence forestalled invasions without necessitating frequent combat engagements, aligning with doctrines prioritizing fortified denial over expansive force projection. Preservation efforts, including Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) documentation from the 1930s through the 2010s, have archived blueprints and structural analyses, providing enduring resources for civil engineering curricula on 19th-century military architecture and adaptive reuse in vulnerable coastal settings.^[36]^[44]^[45]

Depictions in Media and Folklore

Fort Pike has appeared sporadically as a filming location in motion pictures, often leveraging its dilapidated post-Hurricane Katrina state for atmospheric backdrops in Louisiana-produced films. In the 2010 Western Jonah Hex, directed by Jimmy Hayward, exterior scenes featuring actors Michael Fassbender and John Malkovich were shot at the fort, utilizing its brick ruins to evoke a rugged, historical frontier setting.^[46]^[47] Similarly, the 2013 action film G.I. Joe: Retaliation employed Fort Pike as a stand-in for Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in sequences depicting a climactic international summit amid its overgrown casemates and ramparts.^[48] These uses highlight the site's visual appeal for productions seeking authentic, weathered military architecture without extensive set construction, though such appearances remain limited and secondary to narrative focus. The fort's abandonment following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has fueled its popularity in urban exploration content, with numerous YouTube videos documenting trespasses into its decaying interiors, emphasizing graffiti-covered walls, collapsed tunnels, and encroaching vegetation as symbols of decay.^[49]^[50] These amateur explorations, often shared on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, portray the site as a post-apocalyptic relic, amplifying interest through drone footage and nighttime ventures that capture its isolation along the Rigolets strait.^[51] Folklore surrounding Fort Pike centers on unsubstantiated claims of hauntings attributed to Civil War-era soldiers or prisoners, with anecdotal reports of apparitions, shadowy figures, and unexplained sounds circulated via social media and amateur paranormal videos. Such narratives, lacking corroboration from historical records—which document no significant casualties or mass imprisonments at the fort during its brief Confederate occupation in 1861 or subsequent Union garrisoning—appear to stem more from the site's physical neglect and atmospheric ruin than verifiable events.^[38] Empirical investigations, including absence of peer-reviewed paranormal studies or forensic evidence of spectral phenomena, indicate these tales function as cultural embellishments on abandonment rather than grounded accounts, akin to broader tropes in American ghost lore tied to disused fortifications. No formal ghost tours operate at the site due to restricted access, confining such depictions to online enthusiast content.

References

[1]
Fort Pike | New Orleans Historical
Sep 23, 2020 · In 1819, President James Monroe commissioned Fort Pike's construction alongside six other forts on the Louisiana coast.
[2]
Fort Pike State Historic Site - American Battlefield Trust
Originally built in 1818 to prevent British reinvasion of the United States, Fort Pike was turned over to the Louisiana Continental Guard in January 1861.
[3]
Fort Pike State Historical Site - Clio
May 25, 2014 · Begun in 1819 and completed in 1826, Fort Pike was named for the explorer and soldier General Zebulon Montgomery Pike (1779-1813) whose name is ...<|separator|>
[4]
1948: Historic Forts - New Orleans Magazine
Aug 1, 2024 · According to a history of the fort by the Louisiana Office of State Parks, Fort Pike played minor roles in the Florida Seminole Wars in the ...
[5]
Sea level rise and climate change threaten the historic Third System ...
Aug 12, 2020 · It served as a prison for Seminole Indians and African Americans captured during the Seminole Wars and later as a training ground for soldiers.
[6]
Fort Pike @ Starforts.com
The Union used Fort Pike not only as a base of operations for raids along the Gulf coast, but also as a training facility for "colored" (which means black) ...
[7]
Fort Pike and other 19th-century forts offer important lessons on ...
Aug 11, 2020 · Federal troops used the fort to train formerly enslaved men to operate heavy artillery as part of the United States Colored Troops.
[8]
Fort Pike - New Orleans
A State Historic Site within the Louisiana States Park System, Fort Pike is one of the best-preserved of a chain of early 19th century coastal ...
[9]
Now closed, Fort Pike in New Orleans was once a key defensive site ...
Apr 5, 2021 · ... fort in a small village of wooden support structures. Construction cost $635,000 and was completed in 1826, with the finished product being ...<|separator|>
[10]
Fort Pike State Historic Site Topo Map in Orleans County LA
Coordinates: 30.1671409°N, -89.736727°W ; Approx. Elevation: 3 feet (1 meters) ; USGS Map Area: Rigolets ; Feature Type: Park.
[11]
Fort Pike - Atlas Obscura
Jan 29, 2012 · The site is located off US 90, approximately 23 miles east of downtown New Orleans. It is also accessible from I-10 via LA 11 South, and turning ...Missing: geographical | Show results with:geographical
[12]
[PDF] the defense of new orleans,1718-1900 - National Park Service
FORT PIKE AT THE RIGOLETS / 223. Importance of the Site / 223. Building Fort ... eighteen feet deep, was historically the pass most often used by incoming.Missing: width | Show results with:width
[13]
Third System - FortWiki Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts
Feb 19, 2015 · The main defensive works were large structures, based on the Montalembert concept, with many guns concentrated in tall thick masonry walls, ...<|separator|>
[14]
Fort Pike, 27100 Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans, Orleans ...
Significance: Fort Pike was the first of the Third System Fortifications. Considered part of the “Monroe forts of the 1st class,” the fort was one of the many ...Missing: Pass | Show results with:Pass
[15]
Building of Forts Pike and Macomb
It is believed that there had been a Spanish fort at that location from 1793. It was, however, the British advance before the battle of New Orleans that caused ...
[16]
Third System of Coastal Forts (U.S. National Park Service)
Aug 2, 2024 · The nation created a broad national defense strategy that included a new generation of waterfront defenses called the Third System of Coastal Fortifications.Missing: Pike | Show results with:Pike
[17]
Fort Pike State Historic Site - Louisiana State Parks
Fort Pike is the first of the Third System fortifications, a group of brick and masonry structures built between 1816 and 1867.Missing: size acres
[18]
Fort Pike (1) - FortWiki Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts
### Summary of Fort Pike's Architecture
[19]
32 Pounder Sea Coast Defense Gun - The Historical Marker Database
With an eight pound charge of powder the gun could fire a 32 pound solid iron shot about one mile. At the start of the Civil War in 1861 the 32 pounder was ...
[20]
Forgotten Forts Series - Fort Pike - Civil War Talk
Dec 28, 2012 · In 1871 Fort Pikes garrison was removed and the fort was once again placed under the care of a single ordinance sergeant as it had been before ...
[21]
Fort Pike (1) - FortWiki Historic U.S. and Canadian Forts
Oct 23, 2020 · Fort Pike was captured by Louisiana troops on 10 Jan 1861, before the U.S. Civil War officially began. It was recaptured by Union forces 4 May ...
[22]
New Orleans and Mississippi Delta - North American Forts
Jul 20, 2025 · Construction began in 1819, completed and first garrisoned in February-March 1827, originally known as Fort at the Rigolets until officially ...
[23]
Seacoast Fortification - Endicott System - GlobalSecurity.org
May 7, 2011 · After the Civil War it was recognized that these fortifications were obsolete, and that an entirely new system would be necessary to safeguard ...
[24]
Fort Pike Restoration - New Orleans LA - Living New Deal
WPA photos and captions from the 1930s show that the WPA helped restore the historic Fort Pike site in the 1930s. The 1938 WPA guide to the city of New.
[25]
File:FortPikeWPA19376.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Fort Pike at outskirts of New Orleans during WPA restoration, 1937. Date, 25 September 1937. Source, Works Progress Administration photo via [1]. Author ...
[26]
Asset Detail - NPGallery - National Park Service
Aug 14, 1972 · NO STYLE LISTED. Architects: Unknown. Areas Of Significance: ARCHITECTURE. Periods Of Significance: 1800-1824. Significant Years:.Missing: details | Show results with:details
[27]
Coastal management program, Orleans Parish - GovInfo
Although Fort Pike is in good physical condition, it has serious structural problems. Erosion of the banks of the Rigolets threatens to undermine the ...
[28]
Fort Pike - Coastal Wanderer
The fortification was established in 1819 to protect New Orleans and the Gulf Coast against British or other invasions of the United States. Before Hurricane ...
[29]
Fort Pike is another Abandoned Fort of Louisiana | Photos | nola.com
Mar 18, 2018 · It has been closed since it was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina. SCOTT THRELKELD. Fort Pike is another Abandoned Fort of Louisiana. Updated ...
[30]
Historic Louisiana fort reopens four years after Katrina - Houma Today
Jun 15, 2009 · Fort Pike, damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and again by Hurricane Gustav in 2008, housed troops heading to Florida for the Seminole Wars ...
[31]
NOLA fire officials are looking for an arsonist after several fires ...
NOLA fire officials are looking for an arsonist after several fires damage Fort Pike. Updated: Apr. 7, 2023 at 2:00 PM PDT. The API failed to deliver the ...
[32]
Fort Pike fire amplifies concerns about historic site's future and ...
Apr 7, 2023 · NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Experts from the Louisiana Office of State Parks are set to visit Fort Pike next week to assess damage caused by recent ...Missing: arson | Show results with:arson
[33]
[PDF] Subsidence and Sea-Level Rise 1n Southeast Louisiana - USGS.gov
The Mississippi River delta plain is subject to the highest rate of rel- ative sea-level rise (3ft per centu- ry) of any region in the Nation.
[34]
Groundwork - A New Subsidence Map for Coastal Louisiana
We present a new subsidence map and calculate that, on average, coastal Louisiana is subsiding at 9 ± 1 mm yr −1.<|control11|><|separator|>
[35]
Louisiana's Sea Level Rise
The sea level around Louisiana is up to 24 inches higher than it was in 1950.1 This increase is mostly due to sinking land, and it's causing major issues.
[36]
Forts that once protected New Orleans are now history crumbling away
May 9, 2022 · During a period when foreign powers, challenged a growing young country, Fort Pike was built at great expense as part of a new national plan ...
[37]
Fort Pike - Wikipedia
It was built following the War of 1812 to guard the Rigolets pass in Louisiana, a strait from the Gulf of Mexico, via Lake Borgne, to Lake Pontchartrain ...History · Representation in media
[38]
Fort Pike open? : r/NewOrleans - Reddit
May 15, 2025 · It's been officially permanently closed for years due to the fort continuing to be flooded/subsiding in to the lake.
[39]
Fort Pike State Historic Site (2025) - All You Need to Know BEFORE ...
Rating 3.8 (24) The fort had a minor role in the Civil War. Confederates captured and then abandoned with the fall of New Orleans. Garrisoned 1863 to 1870 by USCT.Missing: sufficiency commissary
[40]
[PDF] Office of State Parks - Louisiana Division of Administration
Oct 11, 2022 · Funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund is determined in the Federal budget cycle. Once the appropriate has been approved by ...
[41]
Louisiana parks will have layoffs, closures due to midyear budget ...
Fort Pike to reopen July 2, 2013. Fort Pike State Historic Site will be closed until at least June 30 as a result of state budget cuts.
[42]
[PDF] Louisiana State | Senate
May 30, 2016 · Fort Pike State Historic Site, Planning and Construction. (Orleans). Payable from General Obligation Bonds. Priority 1. $. 238,700. (178).
[43]
Expedition to Capture New Orleans - Legends of America
In 1860, it had a railroad, one of the most significant ports in the world, with 33 different steamship lines, trade worth 500 million dollars passing through ...
[44]
Forts Near New Orleans
Built from 1819-1826, Fort Pike was manned sporadically in the years that followed. In the 1830's, it was used as a staging area during the Seminole Wars, and ...<|separator|>
[45]
A&D | COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN | Page 10
Aug 25, 2014 · HABS documentation of Fort Pike is important because of its architectural and historical significance to coastal military fortifications and its ...
[46]
Forgotten Forts Series - Fort Pike | Page 2 - Civil War Talk
Dec 27, 2012 · Apparently, Fort Pike was the subject of a study for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 2014. Documentation of the study is ...Missing: civil | Show results with:civil
[47]
Jonah Hex (2010) - Filming & production - IMDb
Filming locations ; Fort Pike, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA · 9 ; Lafayette Cemetery #1 - 1400 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA · 6 ; New Orleans, ...Missing: depictions media
[48]
'Jonah Hex' review: Locally shot supernatural Western fails to hit the ...
Jun 18, 2010 · Michael Fassbender, left, and John Malkovich, in a scene from 'Jonah Hex' that was shot at New Orleans' Fort Pike. That man: Quentin ...
[49]
Fort Pike to close on Friday for film shoot | Movies/TV - NOLA.com
Mar 22, 2012 · ELIOT KAMENITZ / TIMES PICAYUNEFort Pike Historic Site in eastern New Orleans will close on Friday to accommodate a feature-film production.Missing: depictions | Show results with:depictions
[50]
Exploring the ABANDONED Historic Fort Pike in New Orleans
Sep 24, 2020 · ... fort dating back to the early 19th century and one of the few remaining in the United States. Closed to the public since 2015, the team ...Missing: structure size
[51]
ABANDONED 19TH CENTURY FORT (Fort Pike Louisiana) - YouTube
Sep 19, 2020 · Fort Pike is an 19th century fort that was built in 1826 to guard the Rigolets pass in Louisiana. The fort was named after Zebulon ...Missing: self- sufficiency siege facilities bakery commissary<|separator|>
[52]
Creepy Encounters at the Abandoned Fort Pike in Louisiana
Jul 12, 2023 · Explore the haunting mysteries of Fort Pike, an eerie abandoned military base in New Orleans, Louisiana, in this spine-chilling video.