Fort Fisher State Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
Fort Fisher State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park in New Hanover County
, North Carolina
in the United States
. Located near Kure Beach, North Carolina
, it includes Fort Fisher
, site of a major naval engagement during the American Civil War
. The recreation area also served as a home for the Fort Fisher Hermit, Robert Harrill
. Harrill lived in a bunker and shared his beliefs about "common sense" with thousands of visitors every year while surviving on what he could gather from the surrounding salt marsh
and oyster
beds.
Today, the recreation area consists of the remains of the earthen Fort Fisher
and a museum at Fort Fisher State Historic Site, an oceanfront beach pavilion, a large lagoon popular with windsurfers, and a long stretch of beach that is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles. The beach is an important nesting ground for sea turtles, and state park rangers regularly patrol the beach to identify recently built turtle nests. Once they are identified, they are clearly marked and surrounded with a mesh fence to prevent vehicles from driving over the eggs. The openings in the mesh are large enough to allow newly hatched turtles to pass through and return to the sea.
, during the American Civil War
, was the largest naval bombardment and land-sea battle fought in any war up to that time. The outcome of the six-hour battle contributed significantly to the end of the long and bitter struggle of the Civil War. And, this historic event took place at Fort Fisher.
The city of Wilmington on the Cape Fear River was an important port of entry for the Confederacy
during the Civil War. And, by late 1864, it was the last southern port open to trade. Fort Fisher, built in 1861, served to protect this valuable port from Union
ships. In 1864, the first of two Union attacks on Fort Fisher took place. The fort held strong during the first battle and Union forces withdrew, but the Confederacy was not so fortunate the next time.
In early 1865, a fleet of 56 ships bombarded the fort prior to a land assault by a force of more than 3,300 infantry. Fort Fisher was captured and the Confederate supply line was broken. Approximately three months after the fall of Fort Fisher, the Civil War came to an end.
In the late 19th century, a long rock jetty called "The Rocks" was built west of Fort Fisher to aid navigation by stopping shoaling in the Cape Fear River. Completed in 1881, The Rocks closed the former New Inlet, once used by Confederate blockade-runners to avoid the U.S. Navy, and created a lagoon, now called "The Basin". Today, The Rocks and The Basin are part of the Zeke's Island component of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, an 1160 acres (4.7 km²) area of outstanding estuarine and ocean resources with extensive marshes and tidal flats.
During World War II
a series of concrete fortifications was built along the coast of North Carolina. A grass landing strip was built through the earthworks of the fort, and it was used to resupply aircraft that patrolled the coast. The Fort Fisher visitor center was built in the middle of the landing strip, and the north end of the landing strip was paved for the visitor center parking lot. The outline of the original landing strip is still clearly visible, especially when viewed from aerial photos.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, beach erosion continued to wear away at the coastline near the fort. Much of the civil war era fort was lost to the sea. In 1999, construction began on a large seawall to prevent the fort from further erosion. The seawall was controversial because they tend to shift erosion to other parts of the beach, however it was completed in 2000 and it effectively stopped erosion in the area of the fort.
New Hanover County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 160,307 people, 68,183 households, and 41,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 806 people per square mile . There were 79,616 housing units at an average density of 400 per square mile...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located near Kure Beach, North Carolina
Kure Beach, North Carolina
Kure Beach (ˈkjʊərɪ KYUR-ee) is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina about 15 miles south of Wilmington. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2000 census...
, it includes Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
, site of a major naval engagement during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The recreation area also served as a home for the Fort Fisher Hermit, Robert Harrill
Robert Harrill
Robert E. Harrill or Robert Harrell, , was known as "The Fort Fisher Hermit". He became a hermit in 1955 at the age of 62 after a string of unsuccessful and unsatisfying jobs and a failed marriage. Harrill hitchhiked to Fort Fisher on the North Carolina Coast from Morganton, North Carolina, a...
. Harrill lived in a bunker and shared his beliefs about "common sense" with thousands of visitors every year while surviving on what he could gather from the surrounding salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
and oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
beds.
Today, the recreation area consists of the remains of the earthen Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865....
and a museum at Fort Fisher State Historic Site, an oceanfront beach pavilion, a large lagoon popular with windsurfers, and a long stretch of beach that is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles. The beach is an important nesting ground for sea turtles, and state park rangers regularly patrol the beach to identify recently built turtle nests. Once they are identified, they are clearly marked and surrounded with a mesh fence to prevent vehicles from driving over the eggs. The openings in the mesh are large enough to allow newly hatched turtles to pass through and return to the sea.
History
The Battle of Fort FisherBattle of Fort Fisher
Two battles were fought over Fort Fisher during the American Civil War. The first battle was a failed attempt by the Union army and Navy to capture the fort. The second battle was a successful operation which led to the fall of the fort and the city of Wilmington, North Carolina.* First Battle of...
, during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, was the largest naval bombardment and land-sea battle fought in any war up to that time. The outcome of the six-hour battle contributed significantly to the end of the long and bitter struggle of the Civil War. And, this historic event took place at Fort Fisher.
The city of Wilmington on the Cape Fear River was an important port of entry for the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
during the Civil War. And, by late 1864, it was the last southern port open to trade. Fort Fisher, built in 1861, served to protect this valuable port from Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
ships. In 1864, the first of two Union attacks on Fort Fisher took place. The fort held strong during the first battle and Union forces withdrew, but the Confederacy was not so fortunate the next time.
In early 1865, a fleet of 56 ships bombarded the fort prior to a land assault by a force of more than 3,300 infantry. Fort Fisher was captured and the Confederate supply line was broken. Approximately three months after the fall of Fort Fisher, the Civil War came to an end.
In the late 19th century, a long rock jetty called "The Rocks" was built west of Fort Fisher to aid navigation by stopping shoaling in the Cape Fear River. Completed in 1881, The Rocks closed the former New Inlet, once used by Confederate blockade-runners to avoid the U.S. Navy, and created a lagoon, now called "The Basin". Today, The Rocks and The Basin are part of the Zeke's Island component of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, an 1160 acres (4.7 km²) area of outstanding estuarine and ocean resources with extensive marshes and tidal flats.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a series of concrete fortifications was built along the coast of North Carolina. A grass landing strip was built through the earthworks of the fort, and it was used to resupply aircraft that patrolled the coast. The Fort Fisher visitor center was built in the middle of the landing strip, and the north end of the landing strip was paved for the visitor center parking lot. The outline of the original landing strip is still clearly visible, especially when viewed from aerial photos.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, beach erosion continued to wear away at the coastline near the fort. Much of the civil war era fort was lost to the sea. In 1999, construction began on a large seawall to prevent the fort from further erosion. The seawall was controversial because they tend to shift erosion to other parts of the beach, however it was completed in 2000 and it effectively stopped erosion in the area of the fort.