National Register of Historic Places

Fort Sumter National Monument

Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
66000101

About this property

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in Charleston County, in coastal South Carolina. It mainly protects Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, the Charleston Light and Liberty Square. It was known as Fort Sumter National Monument until it was renamed in the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed March 12, 2019. The Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center is located at 340 Concord Street, Liberty Square, Charleston, South Carolina, on the banks of the Cooper River. The center features museum exhibits about the disagreements between the North and South that led to the incidents at Fort Sumter, particularly in South Carolina and Charleston. Displays include slavery and the plantation culture, major figures, politics, and how the Confederate Army was formed. This site is also the main departure point for tour boats heading to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Park rangers and volunteers offer topical programs throughout the week for every boat. The museum at Fort Sumter itself focuses on the activities at the fort, including its construction and role during the American Civil War. The fort is open to the public only via concession tour boat; access from private watercraft or via the low-tide sandbar is not permitted. The Fort Moultrie Visitor Center is located at 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island across from the fort itself. There is a self-guiding brochure available and interpretive wayside exhibits posted throughout the fort. Guided tours are offered daily at 11:00 am and 2:30 pm, based on staff availability. The center offers an orientation film and museum exhibits about American seacoast defenses from 1809 to 1947, and the history of the first two forts. There is an information desk staffed by NPS Rangers, a book/souvenir store and bathrooms. Charleston Light is not open to the public but can be viewed from its surrounding grounds, which also allow beach access. Black, Olivia Williams. "The 150-Year War: The Struggle to Create and Control Civil War Memory at Fort Sumter National Monument" Public Historian (2016) 38#4: 149–166. DOI: 10.1525/tph.2016.38.4.149. Silkenat, David. Raising the White Flag: How Surrender Defined the American Civil War. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019. ISBN 978-1-4696-4972-6.

Location

Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
32.75767, -79.86665

Categories

MILITARYENGINEERINGPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Moultrieville Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Fort Moultrie Quartermaster and Support Facilities Historic District
Civil War
0.9 mi
Sullivan's Island Historic District
Listed
1.2 mi
Patrick, Dr. John B., House
Industrial
1.4 mi
U.S. Coast Guard Historic District
Listed
1.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Star of the West — Fort Sumter Relief Attempt
1861Civil War
0.3 mi
Battle of Fort Moultrie (1776)
1776Revolutionary War
0.3 mi
Battle of Sullivan's Island
1776Revolutionary War
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort Sumter National Monument listed on the National Register?

Fort Sumter National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Fort Sumter National Monument?

Fort Sumter National Monument is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort Sumter National Monument?

The period of significance for Fort Sumter National Monument is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Fort Sumter National Monument?

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