Restoring a Fort

Restoring A Fort Site

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Fort Barrancas and the Spanish Water Battery deteriorated after the U.S. Army closed its base here in 1947. A hard freeze in 1950 caused the parapet of the water battery's rifle gallery to collapse, and plants overgrew the structure. Debris filled Fort Barrancas tunnels and passageways. When the fort and battery became part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, the National Park Service obtained funds to restore them, and staff historians conducted extensive research. Using 90,000 new bricks, masons repaired the brickwork. Carpenters rebuilt doors, gates, and a drawbridge. The fort was opened to the public in 1980.