Fort Moultrie

Fort Moultrie, situated on Sullivan’s Island near the entrance of Charleston Harbor, has a history that covers more than 220 years of seacoast defense, from the first decisive victory in the American Revolution, to protecting the coast from U-boats in World War II. The National Park Service has preserved and restored Fort Moultrie, as well as Fort Sumter in the same national historical park, to its numerous appearances throughout the fort’s use.

The first fort, then called Fort Sullivan and made of palmetto logs and sand, was incomplete when the British Navy attacked on June 28, 1776. After the nine-hour battle, American Colonel William Moultrie and his Patriot forces were triumphant in defending Charleston Harbor from one of the largest navies in the world. Subsequently, the South Carolina General Assembly renamed Fort Moultrie in honor of the commander. In May 1780, the British finally captured Charleston, including Fort Moultrie. Following the war, the fort was left neglected, with little of it remaining in 1791.

A second Fort Moultrie was constructed in 1793 as a safeguard from the ongoing war between France and Great Britain, but it also suffered from neglect and was destroyed by a hurricane in 1804. The third Fort Moultrie, constructed of brick, was completed in 1809.

Between 1809 and 1860 Fort Moultrie changed little, but outside its walls Fort Sumter was constructed in the harbor. In December of 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union, and the Federal garrison abandoned Fort Moultrie for the stronger Fort Sumter. Confederate troops shelled Fort Sumter into submission only months later, plunging the nation into civil war. When the Confederate army evacuated the city in February 1865, Fort Sumter was little more than a pile of rubble while Fort Moultrie lay hidden under the band of sand that protected its walls from Federal shells.

Once the war ended, the fort was repaired and modernized, eventually seeing construction of metal and concrete batteries as the threat of world conflict escalated. Throughout World Wars I and II, the fort continued to be outfitted with naval defense artillery, but the changing scope of long-range weapons led to its closure, and in 1960, the fort was decommissioned to become part of the National Park Service.

To celebrate 250 years since Fort Moultrie first defended the American coastline, South Carolina 250, South Carolina 250 Charleston and the park have installed a Palmetto Log Fort Exhibit to help tell the Revolutionary story. The palmetto tree, used to construct the original fort due to its abundance in the region, was added to the South Carolina state flag in 1861. It would also give the state its nickname — the Palmetto State. Now, with the palmetto log fort on proud display, Fort Moultrie tells the complete story of its dramatic history.