Fort St. Charles (1)

 (1754-1821) - First established about 1754 as a French Colonial fortification known as Charles' Bastion in the defenses of the city of New Orleans in present-day Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Taken over by the Spanish in 1792, improved and renamed Fort San Carlos. Taken over by the U.S. in 1803, improved and renamed Fort St. Charles. Abandoned by U.S. forces and demolished in 1821.

Spanish Era (1762-1803)
Fort San Carlos was built in 1792 by the Spanish Governor François Louis Hector, Baron de Carondelet.

In 1803 Spain ceded the Louisiana Territory to France who very quickly sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase.

United States Era (1803-1821)
The Fort St. Charles site was then named Jackson Square. The U.S. Mint building was built on the site in 1835 and the building was renovated and fire proofed in 1856-1859 by Captain Johnson K. Ducan.

Current Status
No aboveground remains of the fort, which was in the square bounded by Esplanade, Barracks, Decatur and North Peters streets. The old US Mint now occupies the site entirely. Markers at the site.

See Also:
 * French & Indian War
 * Treaty of Paris (1763)
 * New Orleans Fortifications

Sources:
 * , page 344-345.

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort St. Charles
 * Fort St. Charles Marker
 * Map of New Orleans Forts circa 1802