Fort Macomb is a 19th century fortress in Louisiana, on the western shore of Chef Menteur Pass. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The Chef Menteur Pass is a narrow natural waterway which along with the Rigolets, connects Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne in New Orleans Louisiana

Ruins of Fort Macomb, February of 2006

Ruins of Fort Macomb, Louisiana

The fort is adjacent to the Venetian Isles community, now legally within the city limits of New Orleans, Louisiana, although some miles distant from the city when first built and still a considerable distance from the main developed portion of the city. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Venetian Isles (Îles Vénetiennes is a neighborhood of New Orleans Louisiana. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana

History

Chef Menteur Pass is a water route from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Pontchartrain and the lakeshore of New Orleans. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Lake Pontchartrain (ˈpɒntʃətreɪn in English Lac Pontchartrain IPA in French) is a brackish Lake (The other route is the Rigolets; both straits connect Pontchartrain to the Gulf via Lake Borgne. The Rigolets is a 129 kilometer (8 mi long Strait in Louisiana. Lake Borgne is a Lagoon in eastern Louisiana of the Gulf of Mexico ) An earlier fort at the site was called Fort Chef Menteur. The current brick fort was built in 1822, and renamed "Fort Wood" in 1827, with its current name being given in 1851. A brick is a block of Ceramic material used in Masonry construction laid using mortar. Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the

The fort was occupied by a Confederate States of America garrison starting on 28 January 1861 early in the American Civil War, and retaken by the Union the following year. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South

In 1867 the barracks caught fire, after which the fort was largely abandoned. It was decommissioned in 1871.

The fort and its land are now owned by the State of Louisiana. While some efforts were made to open it to limited tourism in the late 20th century, the decaying condition of the fort was judged too hazardous for public visits. The similar but better preserved Fort Pike some 10 miles away at the Rigolets has been the regional example of a coastal fort open to visitors. Fort Pike is a decommissioned 19th century Fort which formerly guarded the Rigolets pass in Louisiana.

A portion of the fort's old moat has been turned into a canal as part of a small marina. A moat is deep broad Trench, usually filled with Water, that surrounds a structure installation or town normally to provide it with a preliminary line of For other uses of this word see Marina (disambiguation. A marina is a sheltered Harbor where Boats and Yachts

External links

• Forts Macomb and Pike on Civil War Album site