Fort George

Fort George was a British fort built atop Gage Hill in 1778 for the protection of Pensacola from Spain during the American Revolutionary War. Named for King George III of England, the fort was the largest of a trio of fortifications on the hill, along with the Queen’s Redoubt and the Prince of Wales Redoubt. Fort George was located at Palafox and La Rua Streets and was surrounded by a dry moat. It was surrendered to Spanish forces under Bernardo de Galvez on May 8, 1781, during the Siege of Pensacola and renamed Fort San Miguel. The Spanish government never occupied the fort and it was allowed to deteriorate.

In 1976 in conjunction with the bicentennial, Fort George was restored as a revolutionary war memorial. Archeologists spent nine months excavating areas of Gage Hill, where Fort George was located. They unearthed elements of the British and Spanish forts, including a section of the moat, a powder magazine, and several vaulted rooms believed to be latrines.