Named after Lieutenant George A. Cooper of the 15th U.S Infantry, construction on Battery Cooper began in December of 1905 and finished one year later.

The original design utilized two 6-inch Model 1903 rapid-fire guns mounted on disappearing carriages. This type of carriage exemplified Secretary of War William C. Endicott's attempts to modernize coastal defenses to counter changes in naval warfare during the late 19th century.

The two guns fitted at Battery Cooper were removed during World War I. In 1937, the Army built four new emplacements around Battery Cooper. Armed with mobile 155mm guns on Panama Mounts and designated Battery GPF, it was disarmed eight years later at the close of the Second World War.

The gun currently emplaced was acquired from the Smithsonian Institution in 1976.

Information provided by the National Park Service.