Morgan Historic Site - Gulf Shores, AL - Mobile Bay's first line of defense

The historic Fort Morgan is at Mobile Bay's mouth and regarded as one of military architecture's finest examples. Daniel Morgan a hero of the Revolutionary War is where the post acquired its name. In 1834 the construction of the fort was completed and March of that year it gained its first garrison. The fort is maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission.

The Alabama Historical Commission that operates Fort Morgan is located at 468 South Perry Street. The fort itself is open from eight in the morning until six in the evening while the museum does not open until nine and closes at five. The cost of admission for adults ages thirteen and older is $2, students aged six to twelve and senior citizens pay a dollar for admission to the facilities. Those with fifteen or more in the group receive a rate of $1 for adults and fifty cents for students.

The Fort was built after the War of 1812 as Congress saw an increased need for fortifications on the southern and eastern coastlines. The fort was designed to control Mobile Bay's main ship channel and the star shape allowed for heavy concentrations of artillery fire to target enemy ships. The fire volume was maintained as well and the isolation of the fort enabled it to stand up against larger attacks.

Fort Morgan and the sister forts were found to be out of date during the Civil War as the brick forts were continually attacked by steam powered and rifled cannon warships. Union Admiral D.G. Farragut was able to lead his fleet past the fort on the fifth of August in 1864 and only lost one ship proving the fort was out of date. After the war the Army began working on improvements to the coastal defense of the nation.

Major improvements to the forts were not attempted until the 1890's with the Endicott program to upgrade the defenses of the nation. Fort Morgan's concrete gun positions were included in this program. The goal was still to keep enemy forces out of the Mobile Bay area. Between the years of 1896 and 1905 there were concrete batteries built that were manned during both the Spanish American War and the 1st World War in addition to the fort being occupied during the Second World War. The concrete batteries were not the primary defense by the 2nd World War.

Today none of the Civil War's wooden structures occupy Fort Morgan. The lighthouse keeper's house is the oldest building found on the site and was built during 1872. The five other wooden buildings were built at the start of the twentieth century. Between the years of 1898 and 1910 the military base underwent a massive expansion.

Fort Morgan's peak saw nearly a hundred structures at the site. The remaining buildings were once quarters for a hospital steward, staff officer, artillery officer and the post bakery. The administration building for the post is still standing as well. Anyone interested in additional information about Fort Morgan and its rich history should contact the Alabama Historical Commission.