Fort Massachusetts ( Mississippi ) Fort Massachusetts is a fort on West Ship Island along the Mississippi Gulf Coast of the United States . It was built following the War of 1812 , with brick walls during 1859 - 1866 , and remained in use until 1903 . Currently , it is a historical tourist attraction within the Gulf Islands National Seashore . The fort is located about halfway along the north shore of West Ship Island , near a boat pier . History of the Fort . Following the War of 1812 , the United States War Department began planning for the construction of an extensive system of masonry fortifications for coastal defense . Because of Ship Island ' s natural deep - water harbor and its location along a shipping route , Ship Island was important to the defense of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast . The island was declared a United States military reservation in 1847 , and nine years later Congress authorized construction of a fort . A site on the north shore , approximately 500 feet ( 152 m ) from the western tip of the island , was eventually selected as the location for the fort . Construction began in June 1859 under supervision of the Army Corps of Engineers . The work was primarily done by civilians . The work force sometimes numbered as many as 100 men , and included carpenters , stonemason s , blacksmiths , and stonecutters . By early 1861 , the outside wall of the fort stood 6 to 8 feet ( 1 . 8 to 2 . 4 m ) above the level of the sand . In January 1861 Mississippi seceded from the Union , becoming the second state of the Confederacy . One of the first acts of war in the state occurred on Ship Island when an armed band of Mississippi militia took possession of the island and the unfinished fort . The militia soon abandoned the island where it remained deserted until early June when Confederate troops returned and mounted several cannon s . On July 9 , the Union ship " Massachusetts " came within range of the Confederate guns . The twenty - minute exchange of cannon fire that followed resulted in few injuries and little damage to either side . That action was the only military engagement in which Ship Island or the fort would ever be directly involved . During the remainder of the summer of 1861 , the Confederate forces on the island worked with sandbag s and timber to strengthen the walls of the unfinished fort . Despite their work the Confederates abandoned the island in mid - September . Union forces soon occupied the island . Ship Island was used as the staging area for the Union Forces ' successful capture of New Orleans in the spring of 1862 . As many as 18 , 000 United States troops were stationed on Ship Island . The island ' s harsh environment took its toll on many of the men . More than 230 Union troops eventually died and were buried on Ship Island during the Civil War . The bodies of many of these men were later reburied at Chalmette National Cemetery near New Orleans . Throughout the remainder of the war , Union Forces made use of Ship Island . Union ships stopped at the island for repairs and to pick up supplies . The 1st Louisiana Native Guard , one of the first black regiments in the United States Army , were recruited in Louisiana and stationed on Ship Island for almost three years . A hospital , barracks , mess hall , and bakery were just a few of nearly forty buildings constructed on the island during the war . In addition , the Army Corps of Engineers resumed construction of the fort in 1862 . It was during the Civil War the fort was first called " Massachusetts " probably in honor of the Union ship by the same name . However , the fort was never officially named , and was referred to simply as the " Fort on Ship Island " in most official records . Although the fort switched hands during the first year of the War , the only government to lay bricks was the United States . Between the beginning of construction and the secession of the Southern states , the Army received its bricks from Louisiana . Once the United States regained control of the Island , bricks were sent down from New England around Florida . After the War ended , bricks were again brought from Louisiana . Still today , distinct color differences can be seen on the walls of the fort where these different types of brick were laid . The Corps of Engineers continued work on the fort until the fall of 1866 . It was then turned over to a civilian fort keeper C . H . " Pop " Stone whose duty it was to maintain the fort in a state of readiness . After cannons were mounted , an ordnance - sergeant was assigned to care for the fort ' s armament . He eventually assumed all responsibility for the upkeep of the fort . The last ordnance - sergeant was relieved of duty in 1903 , and the Ship Island lighthouse keeper became the fort ' s caretaker . Restoration . Fort Massachusetts had lain at the water ' s edge and wave action , not to mention the salt air , had seriously eroded the historic mortar , especially around the northeast bastion . A " Save the Fort " movement started by Mississippians in the 1960s had led to the establishment of Gulf Islands National Seashore , but unlike the Cape Hatteras Light , the fort is made of tons of brick and concrete and could not be relocated . Beach nourishment is one way of protecting the fort landmark . To save tax dollars , the National Park Service piggy - backs on dredge projects by the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers . The dredgers remove sand from ship channels and pump it around the fort . Consequently , a sandy beach is made to eliminate the water lapping at the structure ' s walls . In addition , employees from the Historic Preservation Training Center stepped ashore in December 2001 to re - point , replace and reset as needed , the brick walls of the 135 - year - old fort .