8 Photos of Abandoned Fort Proctor in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana is full of historical sites, from run-down barns of long-forgotten farms to the beautiful buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places.
A pair of filmmakers have taken their kayaks and a drone to the remnants of what was once a military fort, built to protect New Orleans from another military attack.
The fort turned out to be too little, too late by the time it was finished, and it was never really used.
Jett Pesson and Samuel Trahan run the Abandoned Acadiana Youtube channel, and their video series takes a look at some of the ruins that dot the Louisiana landscape.
Today, we travel with them as they visit the ruins of Fort Proctor near Shell Beach, in St. Bernard Parish, which is only accessible by boat.
According to Wikipedia, Fort Proctor was built in the mid-1800s after the British Army attacked the New Orleans area. The British were able to access the New Orleans area through Lake Borgne so, after the War of 1812, it was decided that we needed a fort to protect New Orleans from an attack by way of Lake Borgne.
Often referred to as Beauregard's Castle, Fort Proctor was built under Pierre Beauregard's watch, as he was a Confederate General at the time.
According to the Wikipedia entry, the fort was not built as an island, but rather erosion has weathered away the land around the original Fort Proctor, as it was built on the shores of Lake Borgne.
During construction, barriers to the fort's completion came by way of hurricane damage and the declaration of civil war in 1861.
By the time the Civil War ended in 1865, not only had Fort Proctor never been fully occupied, it was already obsolete, through the advancement in munitions, according to Wikipedia.
Access to Fort Proctor now is only possible by boat or by air, if you can afford a helicopter or seaplane. Otherwise, a kayak or small boat can get you there.
If you do get the chance to go, please take care to not cause any damage to the fort, as it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Here's the video from Abandoned Acadiana of the drone flight over Fort Proctor.
https://youtu.be/XhYv2Mb8nBM