Fort Charlotte, Mobile (french: Fort Condé de la Mobille and es, Fuerte Carlota de Mobila) is a partially-reconstructed 18th-century fort in Mobile, Alabama.

Background

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

Dauphin Island Dauphin Island is an island town in Mobile County, Alabama, United States, on a barrier island of the same name, in the Gulf of Mexico. It incorporated in 1988. The population was 1,778 at the 2020 census, up from 1,238 at the 2010 census. The t ...

(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. The ...

, which was not dredged for larger ships until many years later). Mobile was founded by

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (; ; February 23, 1680 – March 7, 1767), also known as Sieur de Bienville, was a French colonial administrator in New France. Born in Montreal, he was an early governor of French Louisiana, appointed four ...

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 1723-1820. 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 ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

, on the easternmost part of the

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana refers to two distinct regions: * first, to colonial French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by France during the 17th and 18th centuries; and, * second, to modern French Louisi ...

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 Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi (325 km) long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. Together with the Alabama, it merges to form the short Mobile River before the latter empties int ...

. 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 Cedar is part of the English common name of many trees and other plants, particularly those of the genus ''Cedrus''. Some botanical authorities consider the Old-World ''Cedrus'' the only "true cedars". Many other species worldwide with similarl ...

. 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 The Conde–Charlotte House, also known as the Kirkbride House, is a historic house museum in Mobile, Alabama. The earliest section of the building, the rear kitchen wing, was built in 1822. The main section of the house was added a few decade ...

historical museum, was constructed during the 1820s and 1830s within the southern bastions of the original fort. During 1763 to 1780,

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

was in possession of the region, and the fort was renamed in honor of

Queen Charlotte Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and of Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until the union of the two kingdoms ...

. From 1780 to 1813,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

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 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 The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

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 A mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof or curb roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The ...

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

moved Mobile downriver in May 1711 (following the death of his brother

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d'Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French ...

in 1706), he planned the next capital city (after 1718) to be on the

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, in similar fashion to being on the

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

, and so De Pauger also designed the ''Vieux Carré'' in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 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 Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama

Buildings and structures demolished in the 1820s Buildings and structures in Mobile, Alabama Buildings and structures on the Mobile River Coastal fortifications

Conflict sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama

Living museums in Alabama Military and war museums in Alabama

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

War of 1812 on the National Register of Historic Places Battles in the Gulf Theater 1813–1815

Background

Design

See also

References

Further reading

External links