A Piece of History Off the Beaten Path in Coastal Carolinas: Old Brunswick/Fort Anderson State Historic Site
The Wilmington, North Carolina area is full of beautiful places and fun activities to explore and take advantage of. There is the beach, downtown Wilmington, plenty of good restaurants, and so much more to see and do. However, if you are either a local or visitor, Old Brunswick Town/ Fort Anderson State Historic Site is another place you should add to your list of things to see. I will go ahead and warn you that the park is a detour from Wilmington (Google Maps saying 52 minutes from downtown Wilmington). However, if you are looking for both history and some pretty views, this is a great place to stop.
Old Brunswick Town/ Fort Anderson is the site of both the original settlement for the area in 1726. However, as part of the Revolutionary War, the town was razed by British Troops in 1776 and never again rebuilt. Until that time, Brunswick was an important port in the region for the exportation of ‘sticky gold’ or pine resin which was important in the time for use on sailing ships. This product would continue way beyond the colonial era as an important export for eastern North Carolina and some speculate is the origin of the name ‘Tarheel’ that is nascent to North Carolina. Another event worth noting during this period was the fact that Brunswick was the site of a Spanish Attack in 1748. Nearly 90 years later, the area would become the site of another historically important event during the Civil War. This is when Fort Anderson was built by the Confederates who sought to protect Wilmington from Union invasion. Fort Anderson was one of the many forts and fortifications guarding the way to Wilmington like Fort Fisher nearby. The earthen ramparts of the fort are still there today and are just another interesting sight to see whilst exploring the area.
There are a museum and one trail in the park that is roughly a mile-long loop that takes you through the old earthen ramparts of fort Anderson, and where Brunswick was. There are still the original foundations of some of the buildings in the park as well as the original walls of St. Philips Parish which have been standing since 1768. The trail is gorgeous with parts covered by Spanish moss-covered oaks and includes a stretch along the Cape Fear River where you can get a good image of what exactly Fort Anderson was protecting. There is also a small graveyard by the church with some original graves that are also fascinating to see.
The museum has exhibits on Brunswick, Fort Anderson, and the local area that are really interesting to see and provide a good basis of historical knowledge to understand the role that the Cape Fear region had on the development of the Carolina colonies. The last time I visited, they also had a cannon that was found in the Cape Fear River that the museum was in the middle of stabilizing for preservation. This is for history nerds like me, a fascinating place to visit for a multitude of reasons.
Now in terms of a review for this park. It’s small, it is a drive to visit, and the trail is small. However, the history, the views, and the church are all very worthwhile to see. There is a reason why there are weddings at this location. St. Philips Parish is absolutely gorgeous to see sitting among the Oaks and Spanish Moss, the walk along the Cape Fear River on a sunny breezy day is its’ own medicine in some form and there are so many pieces of history in one small area. For those reasons, I would definitely recommend the park. For harder hikers, this isn’t the place to visit. However, if you want to see something unique and having a significant impact on Carolina history, please visit and support this place!
