#TBT: From Colonial port to Confederate fort

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — This week we’re throwing back to a local spot that played important roles in both Colonial and Civil War America.

Brunswick Town was founded in 1726 by Maurice Moore in the name of England. He named the town for King George I, a native of Brunswick, Germany.

The port town became an important shipping area, known for importing products like tar and turpentine. These goods were crucial to building the wooden ships of the Royal Navy as well as merchant ships sailing between the colonies and Europe. The town was also important politically, having had 2 royal governors located there.

In 1765, colonists protested the Stamp Act. They stopped collecting the tax in the Cape Fear 8 years before the Boston tea Party.

The town began to decline due to the growth of Wilmington as well as the royal governors move to New Bern. Brunswick Town became a calm and quiet town after that, until the Confederate States of America built a fort on the site in 1861.

Fort Anderson was built to help protect the city of Wilmington. It was originally called Fort St. Philip’s. The fort had 2 batteries, with 5 cannons each. They were used to protect blockade runners.

Shortly after the fall of Fort Fisher, Union forces attacked Fort Anderson. After several days of battle, Confederate soldiers evacuated the site.

Today the location serves as a historic site for folks to explore the past.

** Special thanks to the Cape Fear Museum. **