The Fort was originally built in 1787 as Fort San Carlos de Barrancas and used by the Spanish. The Fort did not come under U.S. rule until 1821, when it was renamed Fort Barrancas. It was during the 1839-1844 when the wooden hill-top structure was replaced with a massive brick fortress connected via tunnel to the battery. Stronger cannon and ironclad ships developed during the Civil War made masonry forts like Fort Barrancas outdated. As a result, the Fort was used as a signal station until 1946. In 1947 the Fort was deactivated, and the U.S. Navy incorporated the site into Naval Air Station Pensacola. In 1971 the Fort became a part of U.S. National Park Service.
This picture was taken of the Water Battery. Seems the Spaniards cannon fire from this point would literally skip across the Bay to hit ships at the waterline. This was a real neat Fort and well kept. Are you listening Fort Zachary Taylor people.
And don't forget....there are some who say the first shots of the civil war were fired here a few months before Ft Sumter. Nice!
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