Construction of Battery Van Swearingen began during March of 1898 in response to the looming prospects of war with Spain and after the United States passed the National Defense Act.

At this time, Pensacola did not have the rapid-fire batteries necessary for preventing enemy torpedo boats and destroyers from sneaking into the bay. The battery was completed and armed with 4.7-inch rapid fire guns in only two months, despite the fact the concrete had to be mixed by hand and transported by wheelbarrows.

Battery Van Swearingen received its name in 1903. It was named for Captain Joseph Van Swearingen of the 6th U.S. Infantry, who died in a skirmish with Seminole Indians in 1837.

In 1922, the battery was transformed into a station for Battery Payne's coincidence range finder, a telescope-like instrument used to determine a target's location. The range finder station at Battery Van Swearingen was used until 1943, when it was replaced by a station built between Batteries Cullum and Sevier.

Information provided by the National Park Service