Fort Morgan
Fort Morgan is a historic masonry Pentagonal bastion fort at the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama, United States. Named for Revolutionary War hero Daniel Morgan, it was built on the site of the earlier Fort Bowyer, an earthen and stockade type fortification involved in the final land battles of the War of 1812. Skilled masons, many of which were enslaved African Americans, built the fortification which contains more than 46 million cubic yards of bricks. Construction was completed in 1834 and it received its first garrison in March of the same year.Used intermittently through the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II, the site showcases the evolution of seacoast fortifications and adaptations made by the U.S. Army for the defense of the country. In 1946 the site was turned over to the State of Alabama as a historic site.
Fort Morgan was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
In 2007 it was listed as “one of the nation’s 10 most endangered battle sites” by the Civil War Preservation Trust in History Under Siege: A Guide to America’s Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields.
In June 2008, a 90-pound live Union naval shell was uncovered at the site. The shell was from a Parrott rifle on a U.S. Navy warship and was fired at the fort in the summer of 1864. The discovery came during excavations as part of a project meant to repair cracks in the walls.
Where it is:
Fort Morgan is at the western end of Hwy 180, 22 miles west of Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores. You can reach the site from Dauphin Island by riding the Mobile Bay Ferry.
Maps:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.
Satellite View of Fort Morgan
GPS:
30°13’43.35″ N 88°1’22.47″ W
Cost:
ADULT $7
* SENIOR OVER 65 $5
* STUDENT OVER 12 $5
* CHILD 6-12 $4
* UNDER 6 FREE
Hours:
GROUNDS, BEACH, AND FISHING — 8:00AM TO 5:00PM DAILY
MUSEUM/GIFT SHOP 251-540-7127 — 9:00AM TO 4:30PM DAILY
ADMINISTRATION OFFICE 251-540-5257– 8:00AM TO 5:00PM MON. thru FRI.
CLOSED THANKSGIVING DAY, CHRISTMAS DAY, AND NEW YEARS DAY
(GATES ARE LOCKED AT 5 PM)
Facilities:
Museum, restroom, seasonal snack bar.
Location Contact Information:
Site Director: Heather Tassin
Museum: 251-540-5257
Email: heathertassin@fort-morgan.org
Media Contact: Jacqulyn Kirkland, 334-230-2645, jacqulyn.kirkland@ahc.alabama.gov
Fort Morgan Photo Gallery
Click Here for full page gallery
More Photographic Destinations in Alabama:
Interactive Google Map
Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view. Click on a pushpin for more information about the Photographic Destination, then click on the title to go to the location page.
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Great Places for Great Photos
Let me help you to find a great location for your next photography adventure. I will list many lesser-known destinations, as well as the famous "Icon Locations" for photography. I will provide photos (Lots of Photos), location information, consisting of what there is to photograph as well as other information about the destination. I will give costs, maps, directions, contact information, and other essential information for a successful photo trip. I will only post for locations that I have personally photographed to ensure a quality guide to great locations for photography. If you know of great places that are not posted, please send me the details, I may just decide that is a place I need to go!
Greg Disch is a freelance photographer located in Arkansas. Greg specializes in nature, scenic, wildlife, and other outdoor subjects in Arkansas and other areas of the country. Most of the images on this site are available for sale as prints, personal use, or rights managed stock photos.
Greg offers both classroom instruction and in the field hands on photographic workshops. Classroom sessions are normally held in Fort Smith Arkansas, but arrangements can be made to bring a class to your group.
All classes and workshops have small class sizes designed to provide an optimum student to instructor ratio, where you can get the personal attention, you need. Most classes and workshops are limited to a maximum of six participants and will be held with a minimum of only two.
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