Battery Pensacola
Positioned in the middle of Fort Pickens, Battery Pensacola represents the transition in coastal defenses from brick and mortar to more modern reinforced concrete.
Built in 1898, the emplacement featured two 12-inch disappearing guns, each capable of firing 1,070 pound munitions almost 8 miles. At the time, they were the largest guns during the Spanish American War; still, a 23-man crew could load and fire the guns in less than a minute.
In 1908, engineers added ten feet to the gun platform and a new battery commander's station. Extending the platform blocked an original stairway that now ends in a concrete slab. The guns were removed in 1934 when the war department determined the battery to be a surplus fortification.
Today visitors can enjoy the unique perspective of walking into a Civil War era fort and encountering a Spanish American War-era Battery that served this nation through World War I.
Information provided by the National Park Service
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