Become an 18th century naturalist like John and William Bartram! This father/son duo visited the area in the 1760s and documented the unique environment of southeastern North Carolina.
Visit Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to learn about some of the creatures who once inhabited the colonial Cape Fear (and many that still do) and meet explorers and naturalists from the 1700s. Use a compass to find your way around the ruins of Brunswick. Test your artistic skills and create your own journal detailing your “travels” through the wilds of Carolina.
In addition, the museum portion of the site’s visitor center will be open for the first time since Hurricane Florence caused extensive damage to the building last year. Only the lobby and museum portions of the visitor center will be open to the public.
“This will be an exciting day for visitors and the site staff,” says Site Manager Jim McKee. “Everyone has waited seven months for the museum to reopen and we are happy to finally make that happen.”
This event is free, but made possible through donations. For more information call (910) 371-6613, e-mail brunswick@ncdcr.gov or visit our website at https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/brunswick-town-fort-anderson.
A major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina's Cape Fear River, Brunswick was partially burned by British troops in 1776 and never fully recovered. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop part of the ruins of the town and served as part of the Cape Fear River defenses below Wilmington before the fall of the Confederacy. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort.
Today, visitors to the site can see the archaeological ruins of the foundations of the colonial kitchens, home sites and various outbuildings that once stood as a colonial port town, along with the shell of St. Philip’s Anglican Church.
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site is administered by the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.