Fort George, named in honor of King George III of Great Britain, stands in Pensacola's North Hill Historic District on a hilltop landform once called Gage Hill. A British officer identified this strategic location as a possible fortification as early as 1772, and the fort was constructed in 1779 in preparation for Spanish hostilities during the American Revolution. In 1974, the City of Pensacola built this park to preserve and commemorate Pensacola's role during the American War of Independence.