Old Fort Houston, Tallahassee, Florida, courtesy Tallahassee Magazine.
Fort Houston, in Florida, was a Confederate defense of the Florida capital, Tallahassee, during the Civil War.
It was established in 1864 by Brigadier General William Miller and Captain Theodore Moreno, overseeing a force of about 1,000 conscripted slaves. The fort was part of a more extensive set of fortifications within the city that were built when the city was threatened by the U.S. campaign that culminated in the Battle of Natural Bridge on March 6, 1865, some ten miles to the south.
It was called Fort Houston because it was constructed on E.A. Houston’s plantation. The earthwork fortification was built as a square about 160 feet on a side on a hilltop, giving it a field of fire over the approaches to the state capitol. The fort never saw any action and was abandoned in 1865.
Today, it is part of Old Fort City Park in Tallahassee, Florida. A marker is located at Old Fort Drive and Santa Rosa Drive. Within the park, a series of earthworks and trenches from Tallahassee’s defenses can still be seen.
Old Fort Park Historical Marker, Tallahassee, Florida.
©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2025.
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