Fort Pike Site reopens to the public

• By CYNTHIA V. CAMPBELL
• Travel editor
• Published: May 18, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Fort Pike State Historic Site, on U.S. 90 just south of the Rigolets Bridge, is open to the public once again. It is the last property operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks to be reopened after Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage in 2005.

One of Louisiana’s more fascinating historic sites, Fort Pike was begun in 1819 and completed in 1826. It was named for the explorer and soldier Gen. Zebulon Montgomery Pike whose name is attached to Pike’s Peak in the Rocky Mountains. Visitors to the site can quickly grasp the importance of this fort, which sits between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake St. Catherine and overlooks the Rigolets, the narrow passage that ships used to enter Pontchartrain from the Gulf of Mexico.

At the official reopening of the historic site, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, whose offices oversees the Office of State Parks, talked about the fort’s importance in protecting the Port of New Orleans. He said the fort played an integral part in Louisiana’s military history.

Stand outside the fort’s thick walls. Take a look at the watery surroundings, and you quickly realize just how important the fort was to the protection of Louisiana. The fort, a brick and masonry structure, was designed to withstand attack from land or sea.

Although the United States survived the War of 1812, the British destruction of our nation’s capital and their attack on New Orleans emphasized the weakness of our country’s defense. To prevent a foreign invasion from occurring again, President James Monroe ordered the placement of an extensive coastal system. The new fortifications, along with the old ones, stretched along the entire Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.

Along with nearby forts Jackson and St. Philip, Fort Pike defended New Orleans from nautical assaults. During the Seminole Wars in the 1830s, Fort Pike served as a staging area for soldiers en route to Florida. It also was a collection point for hundreds of Seminole prisoners and their black slaves who were being transported to Oklahoma. During the Mexican War in the 1840s, the fort was a stopover for troops bound for Texas and Mexico. During the Civil War, the fort was held by Confederates until Union forces reoccupied the fort, using it for raids along the Gulf Coast. The Union also used Fort Pike as a training center, where former slaves were taught to use heavy artillery. These troops became part of the United States Colored Troops who played a role in many battles.

Fort Pike was officially abandoned in 1890. In 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Landrieu said he was pleased to see that Fort Pike has been brought back to life after weathering Katrina’s destruction. Repairs and renovation on the entrance station, bridge, fencing, pavilion and restroom facilities cost about $679,000.

Fort Pike is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday through Monday (Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Entrance fee is $2 per person. Free for seniors age 62 and older and children age 12 and younger. Groups are asked to call in advance. For information, contact (888) 662-5703 or (504) 255-9171. Also send e-mail to fortpike@crt.state.la.us.

Grants for New Orleans
The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express have chosen five historic New Orleans sites to receive preservation grants for restoration projects. They include:

• St. James AME Church, a $100,000 grant for repairs of the pressed tin ceiling and plaster walls of the sanctuary;
• St. Alphonsus Art and Culture Center, an $80,000 grant for the restoration of the 1891 front portico of the church, which includes replacing the roof and repairing the stucco, millwork and columns enabling this Renaissance Revival gem in the Lower Garden District to continue serving the community.
• St. Augustine Parish Hall, a $75,000 grant for repairs to the shingle roof and repairs to the rotten and termite damaged wood to the second level balcony floor and ceiling, allowing the Treme parish to once again host gatherings.
• Odyssey House, a $75,000 grant for window and shutter replacement in order to protect this important Esplanade Ridge-Treme building from future storms.
• Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, a $70,000 grant for stabilization of the perimeter wall and wall vaults and installation of a drainage system to prevent future deterioration of the wall vaults enduring the Garden District tourist site is preserved.

The grant nominees designated for each of the sites are based on the specific needs and projects at the chosen sites. For more information about the American Express Partners in Preservation program and each site can be found at http://www.partnersinpreservation.com.

La. sales tax holiday
No matter where you’re traveling in Louisiana next weekend, keep in mind that Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and May 25, will be the 2008 Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday. The statewide holiday event was created by the Louisiana Legislature to assist families with the job of protecting their lives and property in the event of a serious storm,

During the two days, tax-free purchases are allowed for the first $1,500 of the sales price on the following: self-powered light sources, such as flashlights and candles, portable, self-powered radios, two-way radios and weather-band radios; tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting; ground anchor systems or tie-down kits; gas or diesel fuel tanks; batteries (automobile batteries and boat batteries are not eligible); cellular phone batteries and chargers; non-electric food storage coolers, portable generators; storm shutter devices such as materials manufactured, rated and marketed specifically for the purposes of preventing window damage from storms.

The sales-tax holiday does not extend to hurricane-preparedness items or supplies purchased at any airport, public lodging establishment or hotel, convenience store or entertainment complex. The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Saturday May 21, and ends at 11:59 p.m., Sunday, May 25. For more information, visit http://www.revenue.louisiana.gov.