Fort Anderson is a mid-19th-century earthen fort in the lower Cape Fear Region of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, located over the ruins of the colonial town of Brunswick in Brunswick County. It was built as a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

Fort by major general

Samuel Gibbs French Samuel Gibbs French (November 22, 1818 – April 20, 1910) was an American military officer from New Jersey. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1843, served as a captain in the U.S. Army in the Mexican-American War, and wa ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. The fort was pivotal in protecting the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River (North Carol ...

inlets and Wilmington upstream. Earthen batteries comprise the fort and were used as platforms and shields for the Confederate cannons. Beneath some of the earthworks were "bombproofs," shelters used by troops during enemy bombardment. The Confederacy decided to build forts around the Cape Fear River to protect the port of Wilmington from the Union blockade. During the Civil War, blockade runners brought supplies such as iron, guns, and ammunition to the Confederacy. The purpose of the fort was to hinder movement of Union ships, and to serve as a dropping off point for blockade runners fortunate enough to make it up the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Fort Anderson was built on the ruins of Brunswick Town and was originally named Fort St. Philip, after the ruins of the Revolutionary period church nearby. The name was changed to honor Col. George B. Anderson.

Excavation

Lawrence Lee was the first to begin exploring and researching the land in 1951 where Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson once stood. He realized how historically valuable the land was. Because of him, the site was named a historic site. The family that owned Orton Plantation sold a majority of the land to the State Department of Archives and History for one dollar and the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina sold the land they owned for one dollar too. Seven years later, he directed the recovery of the site. From the excavation, many things were revealed. For example: Brunswick Town's streets and the foundations of houses. In 1958, Stanly South, a professional archaeologist, came to the site to work. Through the years, he and his team found artifacts, foundations of old structures, and around sixty archeological features. In April 1967, the visitor center opened. Its purpose was to inform everyone on the history of Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson. Excavation was halted in 1968 due to North Carolina's Department of Cultural Resources stopping excavation in all state-owned parks. It was because of money issues that this occurred. This is still a problem even today.

Excavations today

Under the supervision of Professor Tom Beaman excavations have begun of the civil war barracks of the site.

Peace College William Peace University is a private college in Raleigh, North Carolina. Formerly affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, it offers undergraduate degrees in more than 30 majors and the School of Professional Studies (SPS) offers accelerated ba ...

field school has helped excavated as well as the students of Summer Ventures, Wake Technical College, UNCW and many other volunteers. Ground breaking artifacts are still being found and Fort Anderson will continue to be excavated in the future.

Historic site

The site belongs to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which operates the area as Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site. The visitor center features displays and an audiovisual program about both the colonial port Brunswick Town and the Civil War period Fort Anderson. Outdoor trails lead past exhibits and the excavated ruins of the fort and town.

In popular culture

This historical site has also been used as a set location for the Sleepy Hollow TV show, as parts of Purgatory, and the location of Methuselah's sword. The museum on site was also used in a scene.

References

External links

Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson
- official site {{Authority control

Anderson Anderson or Andersson may refer to: Companies * Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910 * Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car * Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer * Anderson ...

Brunswick Town Historic District Buildings and structures on the Cape Fear River