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In During the [[Civil War]], when New Orleans the Navy Yard was captured alternately held by both Union and Confederacy forces in . The yard first changed hands on [[January 12]], [[18621861]], two days after Florida's secession from the Union, when Union forces under Commodore [[Wikipedia:James Armstrong (Commodore)|James Armstrong]] surrendered the yard to Major [[William H. Chase]] and his Confederate troops. The Confederacy held the yard until [[May 9]], fearing attack from [[1862]], when they set fire to the westyard in an attempt to destroy it, retreated from as the Union-held [[Fort Pickens]] rendered the Navy Yard and reduced most yard useless as a base of operations. Union forces secured the facilities to rubblearea the next day.
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[[Image:NAS Pensacola;vt15.jpg|thumb|right|The first lighthouse built by the U.S. on the Florida coast]]
After the war, the ruins at the yard were cleared away and work was begun to rebuild the base. Many of the present structures on the air station were built during this period, including the stately two- and three-story houses on North Avenue. Many Unfortunately, many of these newly rebuilt structures were destroyed by the great [[hurricane of 1906]] and the resulting [[storm surge]].
=== Naval Aeronautical Station ===
Meanwhile, great strides were being made in aviation. The [[Wikipedia:Wright Brothers|Wright Brothers]] and especially [[Wikipedia:Glenn Curtiss|Glenn Curtiss]] were trying to prove to the Navy that the aircraft had a place in the fleet. The first aircraft carrier was built in January [[1911]], and a few weeks later, the seaplane made its first appearance. Then, civilian pilot [[Wikipedia:Eugene Ely|Eugene Ely]] landed a frail craft aboard USS ''Pennsylvania'' (ACR-4) in San Francisco Bay, and the value of the aircraft to the Navy had been demonstrated.
The Navy Dept.Department, now awakened to the possibilities of Naval Aviation through the efforts of Capt. [[Wikipedia:Washington Irving Chambers|Washington Irving Chambers]], prevailed upon Congress to include in the Naval Appropriation Act enacted in 1911–12 a provision for aeronautical development. Chambers was ordered to devote all of his time to naval aviation.
In October [[1913]], Secretary of the Navy [[Wikipedia:Josephus Daniels|Josephus Daniels]], appointed a board, with Capt. Chambers as chairman, to make a survey of aeronautical needs and to establish a policy to guide future development. One of the board's most important recommendations was the establishment of an aviation training station in Pensacola.
In May [[2006]], Navy construction crews unearthed a Spanish ship from underneath the Pensacola Naval Air Station, possibly dating back to the mid-16th Century. It was discovered during the rebuilding the base's swim rescue school which was destroyed by [[Hurricane Ivan]].<ref>http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/nw_national/article/0%2C2564%2CALBQ_19860_4745420%2C00.html</ref>
[[Category:Naval Air Station]]