Fort Barrancas Fort Barrancas ( 1839 ) or Fort San Carlos de Barrancas ( from 1787 ) is a historic United States military fort in the Warrington area of Pensacola , Florida , located physically on Naval Air Station Pensacola . The hill - top fort , connected to a sea - level water battery , overlooks Pensacola Bay , from what is now Naval Air Station Pensacola . Because the hill - top fort was rebuilt of brick ( 1839 – 1844 ) , becoming " Fort Barrancas " , the older , water battery downhill ( " Baterie de San Antonio " , 1787 ) has also been called " Fort San Carlos " , separately , being a remnant from the time the hilltop was the wooden ( ) " Fort San Carlos de Barrancas " . Spanning a multi - century history , the U . S . Army deactivated Fort Barrancas on April 15 , 1947 . Designated a National Historic Site ( NHL ) in 1960 , control of the site was transferred to the National Park Service in 1971 . After extensive restoration during 1971 - 1980 , Fort Barrancas was opened to the public ( " see below : Timeline " ) . Construction . Fort Barrancas was built on the site of numerous previous forts , including Fort San Carlos de Austria , which was constructed by the Spanish in 1698 . It was besieged in 1707 by Indians under the general leadership of some English traders , but was not taken . In 1719 French forces captured Pensacola and destroyed the Spanish fort . The site was used as a harbor fortification by the British , building the " Royal Navy Redoubt " in 1763 . The Spanish captured Pensacola in 1781 , and completed the fort " San Carlos de Barrancas " in 1797 . " Barranca " is a Spanish word for " bluff " , the natural terrain feature that makes this location ideal for the fortress . First battles . In 1814 , the fort was the scene of the American victory at the Battle of Pensacola , which was fought between the American forces , commanded by General Andrew Jackson , and the British , Spanish , and Creek Indians during the War of 1812 . In 1818 , the Spanish garrison of the fort exchanged cannon fire with an American battery for a few days . The U . S . force was again led by General Andrew Jackson . Eventually the Spanish surrendered the fort , leaving Pensacola in American hands . When Florida was acquired from Spain in 1821 , Pensacola was selected as a navy yard , and harbor fortifications were constructed to protect its deepwater bay . After 1829 , Fort Pickens and Fort McRee were built to defend the pass to Pensacola Bay . Fort Barrancas , expanded with brick between 1839 – 1844 , is on the mainland . It was built to defend against both sailing ships entering the harbor and attack across land . The " Advanced Redoubt " was built north of the fort , and a trenchline connected them . This system protected the navy yard to the east from infantry attacks . Fort Barrancas was designed by Joseph Gilbert Totten and was connected to the Spanish - built water - battery by an underground walkway tunnel . Major William Henry Chase supervised the construction , done mostly by slave labor . Civil War . In 1861 , during the American Civil War , there was a company of 50 U . S . soldiers stationed at Fort Barrancas , under the command of John H . Winder . On January 8 , Florida state troops under Colonel William Henry Chase demanded that the federal troops surrender the fort , which was met by warning shots meant to repel the militia . As Winder was not present ( and would later be promoted to General in the Confederate Army ) , Lieutenant Adam J . Slemmer was acting commander . Lt Slemmer knew that Fort Pickens was easier to defend , so he spiked the guns at Barrancas , loaded ammunition and supplies on a flatboat , and moved his company across the bay to Fort Pickens which was held by the Union throughout the Civil War . Confederate soldiers from Alabama , Louisiana , and Mississippi were then stationed at Fort Barrancas . While a small company of soldiers could man the fort successfully , additional sand batteries were constructed along the coast , and operated by these soldiers . General Braxton Bragg took command of Confederate Pensacola on March 11 , 1861 , and continued work on the batteries . On October 9 , a Confederate force of 1000 troops landed east of Fort Pickens , but was repelled by Union forces . Fort McRee and Fort Barrancas exchanged heavy cannon fire with Fort Pickens on November 22 – 23 , 1861 and January 1 , 1862 . However , in May 1862 , after hearing that the Union Army had taken New Orleans , Confederate troops abandoned Pensacola . Aftermath . Stronger cannon and ironclad ships developed during the Civil War made masonry forts like Fort Barrancas outmoded . The fort was used as a signal station , small arms range , and storage area by the Army until 1946 , when newer weapon technology made coastal defense completely obsolete . On April 15 , 1947 , Fort Barrancas was deactivated , and the U . S . Navy incorporated the site into Naval Air Station Pensacola . At the same time , local leaders , Congress , and the National Park Service were working to designate the harbor defenses of Pensacola as a national monument . In 1971 , Congress authorized the establishment of the Gulf Islands National Seashore , as part of the National Park Service , and after a $ 1 . 2 million restoration , Fort Barrancas was opened to the public in 1980 . Fort Barrancas and the nearby Advance Redoubt are located aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola and are managed by the National Park Service . Access to Naval Air Station Pensacola by non - Department of Defense affiliated personnel may be subject to homeland security concerns . Timeline . The site of Fort Barrancas has been involved in numerous events and has changed names several times , depending on which country ruled in the region , over the past five centuries : Museum . Fort Barrancas is currently operated as a visitor center for the Gulf Islands National Seashore . Visitors can tour the restored fort and battery , learn about the fort ' s history through the exhibits in the visitor center , and walk trails to the Advance Redoubt on board Pensacola Naval Air Station .