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| Assets old and new at home on the Rigolets. |
Louisiana can produce some miserable weather in the winter; it can also make for some fine days. This particular weekend was filled with the later. On a return trip from Biloxi, Kay and I took the scenic ride home via Hwy 90 trying to hug the coast for as long as possible. Heading into NOLA, as we crossed the Rigolets on Chef Hwy., we were greeted into New Orleans East by the state maintained Fort Pike. Open for business, Kay and I took a tour, enjoying the stroll in the afternoon sun.
Ft. Pike is a typical example of our nation's "post-war of 1812" defensive build up. According to Parkerson, it was "...the first great brick forts and fortifications ordered by the US War Department to protect New Orleans..." Construction began in 1819 and was completed in 1826. While I certainly recommend obtaining a copy of Parkerson's book, a quick history of Ft. Pike can be found here.
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| A soldiers view: Embrasures built for musket fire. |
Parkerson goes on to describe the site as "The fort, a modified Vauban design, intended to protect the city against either a naval attack or an attack by a landing force." Marquis du Vauban's constructions originally called for a "pentagonal shape and five bastions... a glassis (an outer defensive slope), an outer parapet (earthen breastwork), and an inner moat..."
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| Looking west, cannon guard the approach from Lake Pontchartrain. |
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| In between the outer and inner defenses, the hot shot furnace remains lie in the distant background. |
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| Arched casemates support the terreplein's gun mounts. |
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| Historic views: Brick, mortar and moat in the foreground; modern concrete and steel in the background. |
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