Fort Petites Coquilles was a small, unfinished fort that guarded the pass through the Rigolets into Lake Pontchartrain at the time of the War of 1812. American Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones attempted to pull his boats under the protection of the fort before the Battle of Lake Borgne, but the winds failed him, leaving his small fleet trapped and forced to give battle
unprotected. Overestimating the fort’s strength, the British decided not to test the fort’s defenses and sought another route to New Orleans.

In 1818, Fort Pike was built at the site of Fort Petites Coquilles to better defend the Rigolets. Fort Pike Historic Site is located in Orleans Parish on Highway 90 north of New Orleans.