STOCKTON, Alabama  — Baldwin County Highway Department crews are putting finishing touches on a quarter-scale fort similar to designs utilized in the 1700s and in the Civil War which became a namesake for Spanish Fort, the city on the bluff.

The design was used for decades along the Gulf Coast to defend against approaching naval hostilities, according to John Jackson, director of the Baldwin County Archives and History Department. Fort McDerment, on Confederate Drive is an example of “water batteries” which shelled Union frigates and warships.

 It served as a satellite battery supporting the fort at Blakeley, which now is a state park on State Road 225 north of Spanish Fort. Fort McDerment is designated by a small plaque.

 It is owned by the city of Spanish Fort, but remains undeveloped. During a tour with county archivists, trenches and shell battery locations were plainly visible. It is not clear if the city plans to develop the site, involved in the last battle of the Civil War.

Neighboring residents for decades have discovered Union cannonballs shot during intense fighting for control of Mobile Bay in the waning days of the war.

 “For the most part, construction of the Spanish Fort Water Battery is complete,” Jackson said. “We will, through the assistance of volunteers, work on small details of the fort including the placement of replica artillery pieces.”

 Originally built in 1781 by Spanish troops, the site will replicate a ¼ scale of the earthworks in their original format. This will allow opportunity for visitors to see artillery demonstrations, the life of a Civil War soldier, as well as understand the relationship between the “Mobile Defenses” in Baldwin County, their importance and locale to many civilian dwellings and enterprises.

 There is a well inside the replica, observation areas and a design to eliminate “blind spots.”

 “We would like to see this portion of the park used extensively by accredited living historian volunteers to engage and interface with students and visitors to further their knowledge of the American Civil War,” Jackson said.

The use of the replica defensive positions will allow visitors the opportunity to have hands-on experiences without the fear of damage to an original structure. The idea of replication will enhance the visitor’s knowledge of the “Mobile Defenses” and prepare them for a visit to one of the sites within the county that features original earthworks that are too fragile to be explored by inquisitive guests, Jackson said.

 Bicentennial Park is on State Road 225 about two miles south of Stockton.