Fort Livingston, Louisiana — History & Visitor Guide

Fort Livingston (Grand Isle, Louisiana)

Grand Isle · Louisiana · Civil War

Quick BriefFort Livingston was a 19th-century coastal defense fort located on Grand Terre Island in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Construction on the fort itself began in 1841 under the direction of Major P.G.T. Beauregard, but construction of the fort was halted with the start of the Civil War, and was never resumed. The fort was never fully completed. The fort was briefly occupied by Confederate forces during the American Civil War, but never saw combat.

Civil WarCoastal defenseOpen to visitors

History & Significance

Fort Livingston is one of the largest coastal forts in Louisiana, and is the only fort on the Gulf of Mexico in the state. This fort was also designed to control the entrance to Barataria Pass, and thereby guard New Orleans against naval attacks from the south of the city.

The fort was named after Edward Livingston who had held positions as Mayor of New York City, U.S. Senator from Louisiana, and U.S. Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson. Original plans for the fort were prepared by Lieutenant H. G. Wright.

These plans called for the fortress to be a trapeziform stronghold surrounded by a wet ditch and by outworks on the land side. The walls were constructed of cemented shell, faced with brick, and trimmed with granite.

It was used by the Confederates to protect blockade runners coming into and out of Barataria Pass while en route to New Orleans under General Lovell. The fort was permanently abandoned after a hurricane destroyed most of the structure in 1872.

A commercial shrimp cannery which produced the first canning of shrimp was opened adjacent to the fort in 1867. In 1923, the U.S. Government gave control of the fort and the island to the State of Louisiana. In 1979, the Louisiana state legislature created the Fort Livingston State Commemorative Area.

Key Facts

StateLouisiana

LocationGrand Isle

Established1841

Decommissioned1872

War / eraCivil War

Current statusRuins

Coordinates29.27304, -89.94516

NRHP reference74000925

Map

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🧳 Visiting

What you’ll see when you visit:

Civil War–era coastal defense fort ruins on Grand Terre Island
Brick and masonry structures showing 19th-century military architecture
Accessible only by boat, requiring a ferry or private water transport
Historic site protecting approach to Barataria Pass and New Orleans
State commemorative area with interpretive materials

Best time to visitOctober through April avoid Louisiana's Gulf Coast summer heat and hurricane season, with pleasant temperatures and lower humidity.

Getting thereFly into New Orleans NAS JRB/Alvin Callender Field (NBG), approximately 62 km from Grand Isle; the fort requires boat access from the mainland.

From the nearest major airportLouis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)🚗 98 mi by road⏱️ ≈ 2 hr 23 min drive

Fort Livingston (Grand Isle, Louisiana)

History & Significance

Key Facts

Map

🧳 Visiting

Sources

Other Forts in Louisiana

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