The fortress was finished in 1672 and formed a part of King Christian IV's plan for defense of Kristiansand when the city was founded in 1641.

The only time the fortress was involved in active conflict was against a Royal Navy squadron led by HMS Spencer on 18 September 1807 during the English Wars.

After the Battle of Copenhagen, the only remaining ship of the line of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy was the 70-gun HDMS Prinds Christian Frederik, which was lying at anchor in Kristiansand's eastern harbour.

Spencer's captain Robert Stopford sent a letter to the Kristiansand authorities informing them that he had orders to capture Prinds Christian Frederik and threatened to bombard the city if the ship was not handed over.

Today, Christiansholm is a tourist attraction by the Kristiansand Boardwalk and venue for a variety of cultural events and festivities.