Fort Moultrie, SC (12-21-11)
Read MoreVisitor Center
The visitor center at Fort Moultrie...inside are some nice displays related to the history of the fort and you can climb to the roof to get a good overlook of the fort itself...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Visitor Center
Looking at the main entrance to Fort Moultrie from the roof of the visitor center...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Visitor Center
Another look at the fort from the roof of the visitor center. The yellow bricked section of the fort is the portion that represents its Civil War days...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
As you enter the fort the World War 2 era observation tower looms above the old brick walls...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
There are numerous places where you can wander a bit inside the walls of the fort, but most areas all there is to see are whitewashed walls...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
WW2 Harbor Entrance Control Post
During World War 2 the Command Post at Ft. Moultrie controlled the defenses of Charleston Harbor...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
WW2 Harbor Entrance Control Post
Looking towards Fort Sumter
IMG0657pCivil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
A single cannon face the sea from the older portion of the fort...This cannon represents the earliest armament of Ft. Moultrie. In 1776, the fort's 30 smoothbore guns defeated an attack by the British fleet armed with over 200 guns!
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Parade Grounds
Looking across the parade grounds...the square foundation in the foreground denotes the location of a former barracks structure...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Powder Magazine Area
This area represents the fort from 1809 to just before the Civil War. The building with the peaked roof is the ca. 1809 powder magazine.
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Civil War Guns
These cannon represent the newer rifled 32-pound guns used by the Confederates during their occupation of the fort during the Civil War.
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
1809 Powder Magazine
Overlooking the ca.1809 powder magazine towards the World War 2 control tower...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
The surroundings seem quite odd from this location at the southwest corner of the fort...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
1809 Powder Magazine
Time to take a look inside the old powder magazine...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
1809 Powder Magazine
The powder magazine is surrounded by a separate barrier wall to provide added protection to the occupants of the facility in the event of an explosion...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
1809 Powder Magazine
ca.1809 Powder Magazine...a look inside...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
1809 Powder Magazine
This small hole in the wall bears testimony to the fort's violent past...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
A group of visiting soldiers offered a unique photo opportunity...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Evidence of past repairs to the walls of the fort are obvious...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
An extension to the walls was built here during the Civil War to provide additional protection from attack...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
A stone path leads out from the fort towards the beach...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
We took a few minutes to explore the beach, though darkening clouds meant we couldn't stay long. The famous 'Palmetto Log Fort' of the Revolutionary War stood directly along the shore near here. No trace of this fort remains today...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
We took a few minutes to explore the beach, though darkening clouds meant we couldn't stay long. The famous 'Palmetto Log Fort' of the Revolutionary War stood directly along the shore near here. No trace of this fort remains today...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
To the east of the main fort are a couple more 20th Century shore batteries and a nice display of old cannon, so we wandered over to take a closer look...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Civil War Sea Mine
A Civil War era sea mine...bigger than I imagined for some reason...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Battery Jasper
Located a short distance from the main fort Battery Jasper offers a better look inside a World War era shore battery than its counterparts within the fort...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Battery Jasper
How many long, boring hours were spent in this position by soldiers during World War 2 looking for a German threat that never materialized?...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Battery Jasper
One mechanical component of Battery Jasper remains...and old shell lift that would have been used to raise ordinance from beneath to the guns above...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Battery Jasper
One mechanical component of Battery Jasper remains...and old shell lift that would have been used to raise ordinance from beneath to the guns above...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Battery Jasper
This hole marks the location of one of Battery Jasper's gun emplacements...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
Battery Jasper
Looking back towards the main fortifications...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument
A 15-star Old Glory snaps in the wind above us as we depart...A clearer day would have been nice from a photographic standpoint but it was a wonderful visit none-the-less...
Civil WarRevolutionary WarAmerican War for IndependenceCharlestonSpanish American WarWorld War 1World War 2fortfortificationFort SumpterSullivan's Islandcoastal batterycannonPalmettoSouth CarolinaNational Monument