Fort Moultrie

We had allowed ourselves a week to visit Charleston and Savannah, GA, but rainy weather curtailed our touring time so we had to be selective with our options. We wanted to visit the several forts in the area but decided on one and a short visit of the Charleston historic area.  Our ride took us across the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge from the Peninsula to Mount Pleasant.  This bridge was designed to last 100 years, thus the arches and cables

We drove through Mount pleasant then took the drawbridge to Sullivan's Island.  The island is small with the typical coastal or island housing and businesses--mostly eating places.

Some of the few large manors

and a big church

Our goal 

The National Park Service maintains the visitor center and fort.  After a short film we toured the small but informative museum.   The cap below is part of the uniform for the SC army.  The color of the flag and crescent emblem on it were incorporated into the state flag, along with the palmetto.

It was the tradition to add a star and a red and a white stripe whenever a new state was added to the Union, but after 15 that got rather unwieldy, so the flag went back to the original thirteen stripes and added only stars for new states.

At Fort Moultrie five section of the fort and two outlying areas, each mounting typical weapons, represent a different historical period in the life of the three forts.  The first fort saved Charleston from British occupation.  After the Revolution, Fort Moultrie was neglected and by 1791 little of it remained.  

In 1794 Congress, seeking to safeguard American shores, authorized the First American System of nationwide coastal fortifications.  A second Ft. Moultire, was completed in 1798.  It too suffered from neglect and was finally destroyed by a hurricane in 1804.

This info-board explains the nickname of the fort, the flag, and the state nickname--the palmetto state.

By 1807 many of the other First System forts were in need of extensive repair.  Congress responded by authorizing funds for a Second American System.  By 1809 a new brick fort stood on Sullivans Island.  Between 1809 and 1860 the fort changed little.  After the Civil War Fort Moultrie lay hidden under the bank of sand that protected its walls.  The new rifled cannon used during the Civil War had demolished the brick-walled fort.

A view of Fort Sumpter.  Fort Moultrie is out of the pic on the right.

Fort Moultrie was modernized in the 1870's  Huge cannon were installed, magazines and bombproofs were built of thick concrete, then buried under tons of earth to absorb the explosion of heavy shells.  In 1885 the coastal defenses were again modernized.  New batteries of concrete and steel (the one in the distance is Battery Jasper) were constructed in Ft. Moultrie.  Larger weapons were placed elsewhere on Sullivans Island and the old fort became just a small part of the Fort Moultrie reservation that covered much of the island.  Today Fourt Moultrie has been restored to highlight the major periods of its history, from the site of the palmetto-log fort of 1776 to the WWII Harbor Entrance Control Post.

For all the modern engineering efforts in the fort, the restroom at the visitor center seems to have a small problem.  Another inch to the left would have made a big difference!

Down the street a bit the Charleston Light has guided mariners since 1962.  The lighthouse is part of the US coast Guard Historic District that included historic buildings dating back to 1864.  The National Park Service protects and preserves the historic district.  Not a typical circular shape, the lighthouse is triangular with steel girders for framework and aluminum alloy for siding.  The unusual design was chosen for its ability to withstand winds up to 125 mph  Its strength was demonstrated when it withstood Hurricane Hugo in 1989.  Originally painted red-orange and white, the siding was repainted in its current black and white pattern in response to complaints from island residents.  Adjacent to the lighthouse is the former US Life-Saving Station established in 1894 Its purpose was the protection of lives and materials in the maritime trade.  Today this Historic District serves as quarters for seasonal park staff, a carpentry shop and garage.  These historic structures are accessible to the public only during quarterly open houses.

After our tour we rode back to Charleston.  We had never seen a bike like this.

We had only a couple of hours to see a bit of old Charleston so we took Meeting St. to Market then looked for street parking.  The place was packed and the parking full.  We drove around until we found an open spot (one hour limit).  Our first stop was Hyman's General Store at 213-221 Meeting St.  for homemade hand-dipped ice cream.  It was worth the walk.  From there we walked down the street reading historic information, admiring the hand-forged ironwork, and taking in the different architectural designs.

Charleston has more than 199 churches and a skyline  pierced with steeples.

For our firefighter friend.

The oldest public building in the Carolinas, the powder magazine stored the powder crucial for defending Charleston.  Although replaced by a newer magazine in 1748, it served effectively until the American Revolution.  Here it is restored to its mid-nineteenth century appearance.  On the building next to this one are gas lanterns, two of several to be seen around the historic district.

This building has been replaced with a modern building.

Nice piece of ironwork.  Too bad a piece of the light fixture is broken.

Out of time, we walked one block west to King Street.  This is mostly high-end shopping.

The Hyman also own and operate a deli and seafood restaurant.  The General Store is in the right.

Historic church

The bulk of historic homes open for tours were further south.  This one was north on our way out.  This is the Aiken-Rhett House.  It is the city's most intact antebellum urban complex, c. 1820.  Historic interiors, surviving virtually unaltered since 1858, have been conserved and stabilized.  Many family objects are still found in the rooms for which they were purchased.  This home and many others are open for tours.  The typical fee is $10.  Also available for tours are area plantations.

This is a typical neighboring house of the Aiken-Rhett house.

Time to head for home to arrive before dark.  While crawling along Meeting St. with the afternoon outgoing traffic, I had time to photo this ant on the lawn of a pest control business.

 

We decided this might have an interesting story.  May have to research it on the net.

A beautiful ending to a beautiful day.

Next, tour Savannah with us.

Louise and Duane