Fort Pickens | |
![]() Panorama of Fort Pickens | |
Nearest city | Pensacola Beach, Florida |
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Area | 850 acres (340 ha) |
Built | 1834 |
NRHP reference No. | 72000096[1] |
Added to NRHP | May 31, 1972 |
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. It is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacola Bay and its navy yard.[2] The fort was completed in 1834 and was one of the few forts in the South that remained in Union hands throughout the American Civil War. It remained in use until 1947. Fort Pickens is included within the Gulf Islands National Seashore, and as such, is administered by the National Park Service.