Fort Livingston, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Fort Livingston is a 19th century coastal defense fort located on Grand Terre Island in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
. The fort was named after Edward Livingston
who had held positions as Mayor of New York, Senator from Louisiana, and Secretary of State
under President Andrew Jackson
. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1974. Original plans for the fort were prepared by Lieutenant H. G. Wright. These plans called for the fortress to be a trapeziform stronghold surrounded by a wet ditch and by outworks on the land side. The walls were constructed of cemented shell, faced with brick, and trimmed with granite. Fort Livingston is one of the largest coastal forts in Louisiana, and is the only fort on the Gulf of Mexico
in Louisiana. It is a classic example of American coastal forts of the first half of the 19th century.
In the early 19th century, Grand Terre Island was the home to pirates under the command of Captain Jean Lafitte
. These pirates were forced to leave the island in 1814 so the U.S. government could build a coastal defense fort. This fort was also designed to control the entrance to Barataria Pass, and thereby guard New Orleans against naval attacks from the south of the city. The U.S. Government bought a tract of land, where the fort now stands, from Etienne De Gruy on the west end of Grand Terre Island. Construction at the site began in 1834, but was suspended in July 1834. Construction resumed in 1840, and construction on the fort itself began in 1841 under the direction of Major P.G.T. Beauregard. A lighthouse was added near the fort in 1856. Construction of the fort was halted with the start of the Civil War, and was never resumed. The fort was never fully completed. The fort was briefly occupied by Confederate forces during the American Civil War
, but never saw combat. It was used by the Confederates to protect blockade runners coming into and out of Barataria Pass while en route to New Orleans The Confederate garrison of Fort Livingston was under the command of General Lovell. The garrison consisted of four companies, totalling 300 men. The fort was equipped with 15 guns, including a 32-pounder, an 8-inch columbiad, seven 24-pounders, four 12-pounders, and two howitzers. Confederate forces abandoned the fort after the fall of New Orleans. Following the Civil War, the fort was occupied by a lone Ordnance Seregant, beginning in 1866. The fort was permanently abandoned after a hurricane destroyed most of the structure in 1872. Most of the guns were removed in 1889. The fort's last Ordnance Sergeant
removed all of the fort's remaining ammunition on February 16, 1889 A commercial shrimp cannery which produced the first canning of shrimp was opened adjacent to the fort in 1867. In 1923, the U.S. Government gave control of the fort and the island to the State of Louisiana.
In 1955, Grand Terre was designated as a state Wildlife and Fisheries reservation. In 1979 the Louisiana state legislature created the Fort Livingston State Commemorative Area. The remains of the fort are somewhat of a tourist attraction, although it is only accessible by boat and is closely monitored by the Coast Guard. The fort is located directly east across Barataria Bay from the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Grand Isle, Louisiana
. Grand Terre Island is also currently home to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' Marine Laboratory. The fort itself is also part of a wave protection project being conducted by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. The project consists of a rock dike built to conserve the Gulf shoreline of West Grand Terre Island and protect Fort Livingston. As a result of tropical storm systems in 2002, the erosion rates along West Grand Terre Island greatly accelerated, requiring some type of protective barrier to be built.
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
. The fort was named after Edward Livingston
Edward Livingston
Edward Livingston was an American jurist and statesman. He was an influential figure in the drafting of the Louisiana Civil Code of 1825, a civil code based largely on the Napoleonic Code. He represented both New York, and later Louisiana in Congress and he served as the U.S...
who had held positions as Mayor of New York, Senator from Louisiana, and Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
under President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1974. Original plans for the fort were prepared by Lieutenant H. G. Wright. These plans called for the fortress to be a trapeziform stronghold surrounded by a wet ditch and by outworks on the land side. The walls were constructed of cemented shell, faced with brick, and trimmed with granite. Fort Livingston is one of the largest coastal forts in Louisiana, and is the only fort on the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
in Louisiana. It is a classic example of American coastal forts of the first half of the 19th century.
History
Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte", and this is the commonly seen spelling in the United States, including for places...
. These pirates were forced to leave the island in 1814 so the U.S. government could build a coastal defense fort. This fort was also designed to control the entrance to Barataria Pass, and thereby guard New Orleans against naval attacks from the south of the city. The U.S. Government bought a tract of land, where the fort now stands, from Etienne De Gruy on the west end of Grand Terre Island. Construction at the site began in 1834, but was suspended in July 1834. Construction resumed in 1840, and construction on the fort itself began in 1841 under the direction of Major P.G.T. Beauregard. A lighthouse was added near the fort in 1856. Construction of the fort was halted with the start of the Civil War, and was never resumed. The fort was never fully completed. The fort was briefly occupied by Confederate forces during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, but never saw combat. It was used by the Confederates to protect blockade runners coming into and out of Barataria Pass while en route to New Orleans The Confederate garrison of Fort Livingston was under the command of General Lovell. The garrison consisted of four companies, totalling 300 men. The fort was equipped with 15 guns, including a 32-pounder, an 8-inch columbiad, seven 24-pounders, four 12-pounders, and two howitzers. Confederate forces abandoned the fort after the fall of New Orleans. Following the Civil War, the fort was occupied by a lone Ordnance Seregant, beginning in 1866. The fort was permanently abandoned after a hurricane destroyed most of the structure in 1872. Most of the guns were removed in 1889. The fort's last Ordnance Sergeant
Ordnance Sergeant
Ordnance Sergeant was an enlisted rank in the U.S. and Confederate armies during the American Civil War era. The Ordnance Sergeant ranks just above a First Sergeant, yet below a Quartermaster Sergeant. The rank insignia consists of three inverted chevrons with a 5-pointed star above it.According...
removed all of the fort's remaining ammunition on February 16, 1889 A commercial shrimp cannery which produced the first canning of shrimp was opened adjacent to the fort in 1867. In 1923, the U.S. Government gave control of the fort and the island to the State of Louisiana.
Present day
Grand Isle, Louisiana
Grand Isle is a town in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, located on a barrier island of the same name in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the gulf. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,541; during summers, the population sometimes increases to...
. Grand Terre Island is also currently home to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries' Marine Laboratory. The fort itself is also part of a wave protection project being conducted by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. The project consists of a rock dike built to conserve the Gulf shoreline of West Grand Terre Island and protect Fort Livingston. As a result of tropical storm systems in 2002, the erosion rates along West Grand Terre Island greatly accelerated, requiring some type of protective barrier to be built.