Fortaleza San Luis is located near the Yaque del Norte River

Yaque del Norte River

The Yaque Del Norte River is the longest river in the Dominican Republic. The river rises in the centre of the country to the south of Santiago city in Santiago province. The river runs roughly due north, through Santiago, before turning west-north-west through the Cibao Valley. It enters the...

 in southwest Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...

, Dominican Republic. The Fort was the location of several battles during the War of Restoration

Dominican Restoration War

The Dominican Restoration War was a guerrilla war between 1863 and 1865 in the Dominican Republic between nationalists and Spain, who had recolonized the country 17 years after its independence...

.

Fortaleza San Luis has served as a Municipal Prison, yet more recently the fort has been converted into a Museum.

Expansion

The fort established a military school, which in 1875, graduated its first class of Cadets from Officers Training in the Yaque Battalion. In 1881, the fort added a new garrison

Garrison

Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....

 next to the armory

Armory

Armory or armoury may mean:*Armory , a military location used for the storage of arms and ammunition*Armory , the study of coats of arms*Armory , a Marvel Comics character...

. In 1884, a Military Hospital is added to the fort. In 1886, President Ulises Heureaux

Ulises Heureaux

Ulises Heureaux Lebert was president of the Dominican Republic from 1 September 1882 to 1 September 1883, from 6 January to 27 February 1887 and again from 30 April 1889 until his assassination, maintaining power between his terms.-Early life:Heureaux, affectionately known as Lilís, was born in...

 gave as a gift to Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...

 a clock tower that was installed in the Fortaleza San Luis.

The Spanish re-annexation

As per Pedro Santana

Pedro Santana

Pedro Santana y Familias was a wealthy cattle rancher, soldier, politician and dictator of the Dominican Republic. He was born in the community of Hinche, which was part of the Colony of Santo Domingo. Currently, Hinche is a border town part of Haiti...

 requesting the re-annexation of the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

 by Spain in March 1861, the fort was occupied by 4 Spanish infantries under the command of Colonel Ramon de Portal y Santo Domingo. Yet, with the War of Restauration

Dominican Restoration War

The Dominican Restoration War was a guerrilla war between 1863 and 1865 in the Dominican Republic between nationalists and Spain, who had recolonized the country 17 years after its independence...

 the Dominican forces repealed the Spanish and by September 1863 the fort was recaptured by Dominican forces.

U.S. occupation

During the 1916 United States occupation of the Dominican Republic 1,500 4th Marines held the Fortaleza San Luis. Latter in 1924, after achieving the political goals of "stabilization" the 4th Marines would leave the fort.

Renovation

In 2004, the fort was renovated and converted into a museum. The project was funded by the government, the private sector and by philanthropist. The first-phase of the project came at a cost of $83,966.00RD pesos.