Spanish Fort, New Orleans
Encyclopedia
Spanish Fort, also known as Old Spanish Fort, Fort St. Jean, and Fort St. John, is a historic place in New Orleans, Louisiana
, formerly the site of a fort and later an amusement park
.
entrance of Bayou St. John
. The first small fort here was erected by the French
in 1701, before the founding of the city of New Orleans, to protect the important trade route along Bayou St. John. After Louisiana
passed to Spanish
control, a larger brick
fort was constructed at the site of the neglected old French fortification; this was known as San Juan del Bayou. Louisiana passed back to France and then to the hands of the United States
. The fort was decommissioned in 1823.
, a resort hotel
, dancing pavilions, an alligator
pond, and in its later decades amusement rides such as the "Scenic railway", a roller coaster
. A steam railway, and later an electric streetcar system, connected the lakeside resort with the center of the city. It was especially popular during the summer for the cooling breezes of the Lake. It was billed as the "Coney Island
of the South".
From about 1880 to 1908 the small iron submarine
now in the collection of the Louisiana State Museum
was on display here, identified as the Confederate
war submarine "Pioneer". (Recent investigations have called the traditional identification in to question, making the curious early submarine even more of a mystery; see: Bayou St. John Confederate Submarine
.)
"Over the Rhine", a German
restaurant and beer garden
was a popular attraction, as were dances by Paoletti's Orchestra. Tranchina's Restaurant and Brown's Ice Cream Parlor often featured live bands. The park had two cabaret
s, "Tokyo Gardens" and "The Frolics".
In the park's later decades, a number of early jazz
bands played here. Armand J. Piron
's New Orleans Orchestra was a regular; Papa Celestin
's band filled in while Piron was in New York. Pianist Steve Lewis
performed not only with Piron's band, but also did solos and duets with singer New Orleans Willie Jackson
. Johnny Bayersdorffer
's Jazzola Novelty Orchestra and Johnny Miller
's New Orleans Frolicers were also regulars.
.
The site of Spanish Fort, mostly a brick ruin, can still be seen along the upper side of the Bayou just back from Robert E. Lee Boulevard, adjacent to what is now the "Floral Park" section of the Lake Vista neighborhood
.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, formerly the site of a fort and later an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
.
The fort
The Colonial era fort protected the Lake PontchartrainLake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
entrance of Bayou St. John
Bayou St. John
Bayou St. John is a bayou within the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.The Bayou as a natural feature drained the swampy land of a good portion of what was to become New Orleans into Lake Pontchartrain...
. The first small fort here was erected by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1701, before the founding of the city of New Orleans, to protect the important trade route along Bayou St. John. After Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
passed to Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
control, a larger brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
fort was constructed at the site of the neglected old French fortification; this was known as San Juan del Bayou. Louisiana passed back to France and then to the hands of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The fort was decommissioned in 1823.
From fort to amusement park
The land was bought by private developers, and became a popular amusement park, known as "Spanish Fort" or "Old Spanish Fort". It featured restaurants, a casinoCasino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, a resort hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, dancing pavilions, an alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
pond, and in its later decades amusement rides such as the "Scenic railway", a roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
. A steam railway, and later an electric streetcar system, connected the lakeside resort with the center of the city. It was especially popular during the summer for the cooling breezes of the Lake. It was billed as the "Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
of the South".
From about 1880 to 1908 the small iron submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
now in the collection of the Louisiana State Museum
Louisiana State Museum
The Louisiana State Museum , founded in New Orleans in 1906 and still headquartered there, is a complex of National Historic Landmarks housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana's legacy of historic events and cultural diversity....
was on display here, identified as the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
war submarine "Pioneer". (Recent investigations have called the traditional identification in to question, making the curious early submarine even more of a mystery; see: Bayou St. John Confederate Submarine
Bayou St. John Confederate Submarine
The Bayou St. John Confederate Submarine is an early military submarine built for use by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.-Description:...
.)
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
restaurant and beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
was a popular attraction, as were dances by Paoletti's Orchestra. Tranchina's Restaurant and Brown's Ice Cream Parlor often featured live bands. The park had two cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
s, "Tokyo Gardens" and "The Frolics".
In the park's later decades, a number of early jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bands played here. Armand J. Piron
Armand J. Piron
Armand John "A.J." Piron was an American jazz violinist, band leader, and composer.In 1915, Piron and Williams together started the Piron and Williams Publishing Company, and in their first year of business published Piron's composition, “I Wish That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate”, which...
's New Orleans Orchestra was a regular; Papa Celestin
Papa Celestin
Oscar "Papa" Celestin was an American jazz bandleader, trumpeter, cornetist and vocalist.-Life and career:...
's band filled in while Piron was in New York. Pianist Steve Lewis
Steve Lewis (musician)
Steve Lewis was a jazz pianist and composer.Lewis was born in New Orleans. He was influenced by the piano stylings of Tony Jackson and Jelly Roll Morton, and became the premier pianist in Storyville after those two older musicians left town. When the District was closed down in 1917 he went on...
performed not only with Piron's band, but also did solos and duets with singer New Orleans Willie Jackson
New Orleans Willie Jackson
New Orleans Willie Jackson was a singer active in New Orleans, Louisiana and New York City in the 1920s.He sang blues, jazz, and comic numbers. He frequently performed with pianist Steve Lewis at Spanish Fort, New Orleans and they recorded some phonograph records. He also sang vocals in King...
. Johnny Bayersdorffer
Johnny Bayersdorffer
Johnny Bayersdorffer was a New Orleans jazz cornetist and bandleader.Bayersdorffer was a popular bandleader at the Spanish Fort resort on Bayou St. John by Lake Pontchartrain. He is best remembered to later generations for his 1920s recordings for Okeh Records...
's Jazzola Novelty Orchestra and Johnny Miller
Johnny Miller
John Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf...
's New Orleans Frolicers were also regulars.
End of the amusement park
Starting in the late 1920s, a project reclaimed land from Lake Pontchartrain, extending the shoreline out away from the old fort. The city's main amusement park became Pontchartrain BeachPontchartrain Beach
Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. It was founded by Harry J. Batt Sr. and later mananged by his son, Harry J. Batt Jr. It opened in 1928, across Bayou St. John from an existing amusement resort at Old Spanish Fort...
.
The site of Spanish Fort, mostly a brick ruin, can still be seen along the upper side of the Bayou just back from Robert E. Lee Boulevard, adjacent to what is now the "Floral Park" section of the Lake Vista neighborhood
Lakeshore/Lake Vista, New Orleans
Lakeshore/Lake Vista is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Lakeview District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Lake Pontchartrain to the north, Bayou St. John to the east, Robert E. Lee Boulevard to the south and Pontchartrain...
.