Series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, built to protect the city of Charleston
General Information
Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day
Children (15 and younger): Free
America the Beautiful and other qualifying National Park passes accepted
How to Get There
From Mount Pleasant (6 mi): Take Coleman Boulevard east, continue onto Ben Sawyer Boulevard and SC-703 toward Sullivan's Island, cross the Ben Sawyer Bridge, follow Middle Street through town, and arrive at Fort Moultrie at 1214 Middle Street.
Overview
Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and nickname of South Carolina, as "The Palmetto State". The fort was renamed for the U.S. patriot commander in the Battle of Sullivan's Island, General William Moultrie. During British occupation, in 1780-1782, the fort was known as Fort Arbuthnot.
On August 15, 1947, the Army lowered Fort Moultrie's flag for the last time and ended 171 years of service. After the war, due to changes in military technology, including submarines and nuclear weapons, seacoast defense of the United States ceased to be a viable strategy.
In 1960, the Department of Defense transferred Fort Moultrie to the National Park Service. NPS manages the historic fort as a unit of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. NPS has interpreted the fort as a tour backward in time from its defenses from World War II to the original palmetto log fort constructed by William Moultrie. The preserved Harbor Entrance Control Post and BCN 520 (now a private residence) are the main relics of the World War II era.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fort Moultrie", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
