A fort had been constructed in 1793 at Petit Coquilles, and was the intended destination of Jones's gunboat squadron prior to the Battle of Lake Borgne.

General Jackson's engineer, Major Latour, lamented upon the state of the fort in 1814.

It temporarily completely submerged the entire fort, and destroyed adjacent state park buildings.

[8] However, due to damage caused by Hurricane Gustav in early September 2008, the park was closed indefinitely.

[7][9] After Hurricane Isaac in 2012, the fort was closed indefinitely pending repairs and debris cleanup.

[10] The fort was re-opened to visitors following Hurricane Isaac, but closed again in February 2015 due to state budget cuts.