Fort Macomb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Macomb
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Ruins of Fort Macomb, February 2006
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 Location in New Orleans
Location in Louisiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | Orleans Parish, Louisiana |
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| Nearest city | New Orleans |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1820 |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001429 |
| Added to NRHP | October 11, 1978 |
Fort Macomb is an old brick fort from the 1800s in Louisiana. It sits on the western side of Chef Menteur Pass, which is a water channel. This fort is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning it's an important historical site. It's near a community called Venetian Isles, which is now part of New Orleans.
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History of Fort Macomb
Chef Menteur Pass is a water path that connects the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Pontchartrain. Lake Pontchartrain is right next to New Orleans. There's another similar water path called the Rigolets. Both of these paths link Lake Pontchartrain to the Gulf through Lake Borgne.
The United States government built this fort in 1822. This was just seven years after British forces tried to invade the New Orleans area by sea. That happened during the War of 1812. An older fort, called Fort Chef Menteur, was on the same spot before this one.
The fort was first named Fort Wood in 1827. Later, in 1851, it was renamed Fort Macomb. It got its new name from General Alexander Macomb. He was a very important leader in the United States Army.
Fort Design and Features
The fort has a unique shape, a bit like a slice of pie. Its curved front faces the water channel. This curved part connects to two straight walls. These walls form strong defensive points called demi-bastions. At the corner where the two straight walls meet, there's a full bastion. This part faces the land.
The fort was also surrounded by two wet ditches, like moats. There were also many other defensive structures between these ditches. Inside the fort, there was a strong building called a citadel. This building served as a barracks, where soldiers lived.
Fort Macomb During the Civil War
In 1861, during the early days of the American Civil War, soldiers from Louisiana took control of the fort. They occupied it starting on January 28. However, in 1862, the Union Army took back control of Fort Macomb. They also occupied the city of New Orleans that same year.
After the war, in 1867, the barracks inside the fort caught fire. Because of this damage, the United States Army mostly stopped using the fort. It was officially taken out of service in 1871.
Preserving Fort Macomb
Today, the State of Louisiana owns Fort Macomb and the land around it. In the late 1900s, people tried to open the fort for visitors. But the fort was in very bad shape and was too dangerous for people to visit.
There's another similar fort nearby called Fort Pike. It's about 10 miles (16 km) away at the Rigolets. Fort Pike is in better condition and used to be open to visitors. (Currently, it is closed due to budget issues.)
Damage and Protection Efforts
Part of the fort's old moat was changed into a canal. This canal was used for a small marina (a place for boats). Boats coming and going created waves. These waves hit the outer wall of the fort, causing more damage.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the area and destroyed the marina. Now, the fort is protected by riprap. Riprap is a layer of large rocks used to stop erosion. The fort still needs more work to fix the damage and make it stable again.
Fort Macomb as a Filming Location
Fort Macomb has been used as a setting for several TV shows and music videos.
- The final episode of the first season of the 2014 HBO show True Detective was filmed here.
- The TV series Into the Badlands also used this site for filming in 2015.
- In 2016, the famous singer Beyoncé filmed parts of her visual album, Lemonade, at Fort Macomb.
- Episode 17 of Season 4 of NCIS: New Orleans used the fort for a scene at the end of the episode.
