Fort Pike (1)

Fort Pike (1) (1819-1890) - Established in 1819 as the first, Third System Fort. Construction was completed in 1827. Located near Petites Coquilles (sometimes Petite Coquille) in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, and at first called Fort Petites Coquilles; then named after General Zebulon Montgomery Pike. Abandoned in 1890. Fort Pike Ground View Fort Pike From the Bridge Fort Pike Citadel History Terreplein Gun Positions The original plan for Fort Pike was drawn up in 1817 by engineer Simon Bernard and his assistant Capt. William T. Poussin. The fort was designed as a triangular masonry fort with an arc of gun casemates facing the water passage known as the Rigolets. A single-story citadel in the center of the fort served as a barracks and as a refuge of last resort should the walls be breached. The other buildings inside the walls included the officer's quarters and service buildings. The landside of the fort was protected by a system of moats protecting three-pointed bastions that provided protective flanking fire. During the Second Seminole War the fort was used as a staging area for troops going to Florida and as a confinement area for the captured Seminole Indians and their black slaves. To accommodate the prisoners some of the casemates were converted to cells. The captured Seminole Indians were then sent to Oklahoma. During the Mexican War the fort served as a staging area for troops headed for Mexico and Texas. After the war, the fort was placed in caretaker status and garrisoned with a single ordnance sergeant. U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) Fort Pike Sally Port 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 1862 and served as a base for Union operations in the area until the end of the war. In 1871 the garrison was withdrawn and the fort left again in the hands of an ordnance sergeant. In 1884 the Quartermaster took possession of the fort in order to dispose of it. By 1890 the military presence was gone and in 1928 the State of Louisiana acquired the property. Current Status Fort Pike State Historic Site Entrance Closed. Fort Pike State Historic Site, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. We visited this park on 12 Oct 2020 and it was still closed. The closed sign was screwed into the park sign so it appeared to be at least a semi-permanent arrangement. There is no landside view of the fort that I could find. The adjacent boat launch does not offer any real view. You can see the fort from the bridge but it is not a pedestrian bridge and has only narrow breakdown lanes. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Fort Pike State Historic Site, Near 27100 Chef Menteur Hwy (Hwy 90), Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Maps & Images Lat: 30.16621 Long: -89.73659 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 3' GPS Locations: 30.16621, -89.73659 Fort Pike State Historic Site See Also: Fort Petite Coquilles (1) Fort Macomb (1) Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 347-348 Weaver, John R. II, A Legacy in Brick and Stone: America Coastal Defense Forts of the Third System, Redoubt Press, McLean, 2001, First Printing, ISBN 1-57510-069-X, page 179-196 Links: Louisiana closes unique Fort Pike to visitors, lays off staff amid budget cuts (2015) North American Forts - Fort Pike Wikipedia - Fort Pike Louisiana State Parks - Fort Pike Visited: 12 Oct 2020, 9 Dec 2009 Picture Gallery Fort Pike Sign Fort Pike Cannon Fort Pike Casemate Fort Pike Terreplein Frt Pike Citadel From Above Fort Pike Inner Moat Fort Pike Water Battery Casemates Fort Pike Terreplein Gun Positions