Fort Charlotte, Mobile ( and ) is a partially-reconstructed 18th-century fort in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

Background

The ships of the original French settlers, sailing to Old Biloxi in 1699, and later transfers, were staged through Dauphin Island (south of

Mobile Bay Mobile Bay ( ) is a shallow inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. T ...

, which was not dredged for larger ships until many years later). Mobile was founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville in 1702 as Fort ''Louis de la Louisiane'' at 27-Mile Bluff up river (27 miles 3 kmfrom the mouth)."Mobile"
''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', 2007. After the Mobile River flooded and damaged the fort, Mobile was relocated in 1711 to the current site. A temporary wooden stockade fort was constructed, also named Fort Louis after the old fort up river. In 1723, construction of a new brick fort with a stone foundation began, renamed later as ''Fort Condé'' in honor of Louis Henri de Bourbon, duc de Bourbon and prince de Condé. The fort guarded Mobile and its citizens for almost 100 years, from 1723 to 1820. The fort had been built by the French to defend against British or Spanish attack on the strategic location of Mobile and its Bay as a port to the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, on the easternmost part of the

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana ( ; ) refers to two distinct regions: * First, to Louisiana (New France), historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by Early Modern France, France during the 17th and 18th ...

colony. The strategic importance of Mobile and its fort was significant: the fort protected access into the strategic region between the Mississippi River and the Atlantic colonies along the Alabama River and Tombigbee River. The fort and its surrounding buildings covered about of land. It was constructed of local brick and stone, with earthen dirt walls, plus cedar wood. A crew of 20 black slaves and 5 white workmen performed original work on the fort. If the fort had been reconstructed full-size, it would cover large sections of Royal Street, Government Boulevard, Church, St. Emanuel, and Theatre Streets downtown. The Fort Conde Village neighborhood, which now includes the Conde–Charlotte House historical museum, was constructed during the 1820s and 1830s within the southern bastions of the original fort. During 1763 to 1780, Britain was in possession of the region, and the fort was renamed in honor of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. From 1780 to 1813,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

ruled the region, and the fort was renamed Fuerte Carlota. In 1813, Mobile was occupied by United States troops, and the fort was renamed again as Fort Charlotte. In 1820,

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

authorized its sale and removal because it was no longer needed for defense. Later, city funds paid for the

demolition Demolition (also known as razing and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction (building), deconstruction, which inv ...

to allow for new streets to be built eastward towards the river and southward. By late 1823, most of the above-ground traces were gone, leaving only underground structures. A 4/5-scale replica, spanning almost 1/3 of the original fort, was opened on July 4, 1976, as part of Mobile's celebration of the United States Bicentennial.

Design

The original fort, from 1723, was shaped in the form of a seven-pointed star, with guard towers raised at the points (''see map image'') with significant surrounding earth works. In design, it is similar to Spanish fort Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida. The settlement of Mobile (French "''Mobille''")"Map: Plan Profile & Elevation of Fort Conde at Mobile" (map labeled in French, showing area of "Mobille" with top of map pointed WSW, rather than north). 2007. See: :File:Mobile1725.jpg. was aligned parallel to the Mobile River, rather than north–south, so that the fort faced somewhat northeast along an elevated bluff that was lined by "Royal Street" overlooking the marshland sloping down below. (Even in contemporary Mobile, Royal Street is at higher elevation, with the newer streets of Water Street and Commerce Street ot on 1725 mapfurther down the slopes towards the Mobile River). Some buildings within the fort compound had the French mansard roof style, with dormer windows extending from each roof (''see enlarged building images below, or building profiles at top of 1725 map''). The tall chimneys at the ends of the buildings, shown in the map profile, were not used on the reconstructed Fort Condé. Also, the lengths of buildings were longer in the original fort, than represented in the 4/5 scale replica fort. The Mobile River is illustrated on the 1725 map with the label ''Riviere de la Mobille'', using the spelling "Mobille." The map was drawn by Adrien de Pauger in 1725. After Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville moved Mobile downriver in May 1711 (following the death of his brother Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in 1706), he planned the next capital city (after 1718) to be on the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, in similar fashion to being on the Mobile, and so De Pauger also designed the ''Vieux Carré'' in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, which was built from 1719 to 1722.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Charlotte, Mobile 1723 establishments in New France African American Heritage Trail of Mobile American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places Charlotte Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama Charlotte Buildings and structures demolished in the 1820s Buildings and structures in Mobile, Alabama Coastal fortifications Charlotte Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama Charlotte Charlotte Charlotte Living museums in Alabama Military and war museums in Alabama Charlotte Charlotte Museums established in 1976 Museums in Mobile, Alabama Museums of the War of 1812 National Register of Historic Places in Mobile, Alabama Protected areas established in 1969 Rebuilt buildings and structures in Alabama Charlotte Charlotte Charlotte Battles in the Gulf Theater 1813–1815

Background

Design

See also

References

Further reading

External links