Updated July 2009
We visited recently and were very happy to see the results.
The Fort is fully open to visitors, although it is not completely renovated.
For two dollars you can enter the Fort and explore all it has to offer. I'd say it was money well spent on our part. I'm not much of a history buff, but I found the Fort fascinating.
Right inside the entry way is an oar that shows the flood levels from previous hurricanes.
As you can see, the oar is as tall as the doorway.
The line for Katrina's floodline is higher than the oar.
The first room to the right of the entryway holds all sorts of ammunition.
A little archway brings you to the interior of the Fort.
There are doors along the walls of the Fort that lead to different functional areas. I enjoyed looking at the details in the brickwork.
We entered one of the arched doors and were presented with this awe-inspiring picture
(at least I found it awe inspiring!)
In this photo, the area down the middle of the floor was used to bring the cannons in to place them in the windows looking over the Pass.
Back out into the main area, we found the citadel
This looks like where the current refurbishing effort is taking place. The walls are all painted white to provide the visitor with a "pleasing" view of how life used to be at the Fort.
Across from the citadel is the blacksmith's shop. This room was most interesting, as what appears to be the actual tools are in this area. Decide for yourself from these picutres.
Nearby the Blacksmith's Shop is the Commissary
This plaque, hanging outside the Blacksmith Shop, is a dedication to those Indians that were brought to Fort Pike during the Seminole War.
My thinking is that they were put in the bricked in "jail" section in the middle of the Fort.
This photo depicts the old world versus the present. Touring Fort Pike does bring one back in history. As I said before, this is definitely worth the $2.00 entry fee, even for non history buffs.
November 2008
I got an email recently from someone who is working on cleaning uphistoric Fort Pike.
The Fort reopened 2 and 1/2 years after Katrina but was closed again this past September as a result of the impacts of the 2008 hurricane season.
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike caused just as much damage to the Fort as the 2005 season. It is currently closed due to clean up efforts, but should reopen by the start of 2009 season.
Here are some recent pictures showing what Gustav and Ike did to the Fort.
click on pictures for larger versions
The view from the top is very nice. That coming from someone that's afraid of heights. I'd love to be able to stop at the top and look around someday.
My Katrina blog which helps me work through the whirlwind of emotions that impact me every day as I drive through Katrina's leavings in my daily commute to work.
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After being ravaged by Katrina and being damaged by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, Fort Pike is on its way back to life.
click on photo for larger version
Apparently a good deal of the historical pieces related to the Fort were shipped up to Shreveport before Katrina and many are still there pending completion of the resurrection of this historic site.
Note the marsh grass washed in from the storms.
Here is a photo of the old Rigolets Bridge
And here's a picture of its demolition
This is the bridge that replaced the old, narrow bridge.
This is what Fort Pike looked like right after Katrina.
Here's what it looks like September 2006
The inside of the fort looks dry. But the only way to get to it is by boat.
The new Rigolets bridge is moving along
The funk in the water appears to be dust and most likely pollen.
I say that because this egret was fishing in the muck while I was there and wasn't dead. :)
My favorite photo of the day. Taken at the Ft. Pike entrance.
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