Fort-ified in 3 States

We're back home from our "southern" U.S. road trip travels from NH to FL. There's a couple more posts to complete about sites seen & foods sampled along the way. This post describes historic stops in 3 states — Charleston, SC, Fernandina Beach, FL, and Atlantic Beach, NC.

During last year's extended road trip from NH to OR we visited 5 state capitols and 2 state prisons. On this year's road trip, we only visited a single state capitol in Frankfort, KY; however, we did get to 3 Civil War era fortifications, including a very important one.

Fort Sumter in SC was the most notable and historic site. It's where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. This sea fort located on an island in Charleston Harbor is only accessible by boat which is how we visited on a tour boat trip that left us free to explore the fort and check out the on-site exhibit center.

Exhibit Center photo showing Fort Sumter overall size

Named after Revolutionary War hero, and SC native, General Thomas Sumter, it was built after the War of 1812, as part of the coastal defense to protect U.S. harbors. Construction began in 1829 as 70,000 tons of granite were transported from New England to build up a sand bar in the entrance to Charleston Harbor. The fort was a five-sided brick structure, 170 to 190 feet long, with walls five feet thick, standing 50 feet over the low tide mark. (The black structure in the middle of the above photo is where the Fort Sumter exhibit center is housed. The model below shows the fort as originally built.)

Exhibit Center model of original Fort Sumter

Construction was costly (as expected) and stopped in the 1830s due to lack of funds. It resumed in 1841 and by 1860, the island and outer fortifications were done. The interior and armaments remained unfinished when SC seceded from the Union in December 1860. Fort Sumter was still unfinished in 1861 at the start of the Civil War.

Attack illustrations in Fort Sumter Exhibit Center

The First Battle of Fort Sumter began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate artillery fired on the Union garrison. The shots of the war lasted all day. Cannon fire broke through the fortress’s five-foot-thick brick walls, causing fires inside the post.

The fort was cut off from its supply line and with its ammunition deleted, Major Robert Anderson surrendered to Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard the next day. No Union troops died during the bombardment; two men died in an artillery explosion before the Union evacuation. Following the victory, Confederate forces occupied Fort Sumter using it to defend Charleston Harbor.

The Second Battle on September 8, 1863 was a failed Union attempt to retake the fort which while extensively damaged after the 1861 attack, remained in Confederate control. Union artillery effectively leveled Fort Sumter over the next 15 months. Despite over 300 casualties from the Union bombardments, Confederate forces retained control of the fort.

When Union General William T. Sherman was set to capture Charleston, Confederates forces evacuated; Union forces reclaimed it on February 22, 1865. 

In 1948, Fort Sumter was decommissioned as a military post and turned over to the National Park Service. It attracts nearly a million visitors annually.

Fort Clinch is in Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach, FL. This 19th century masonry coastal fortification was built as part of the U.S. Third System Fortifications. This process entailed a series of forts built long the coastline as a defense against foreign invaders after widespread destruction from the War of 1812.

Construction of the fort started in 1847. The pentagonal compound was built using millions of bricks for both its inner and outer walls. It’s named in honor of General Duncan Lamont Clinch who fought in the War of 1812.

The fort holds a unique distinction — no battles were ever fought here. While never used in direct combat, Fort Clinch served as a military post during three U.S. engagements.

It was occupied by soldiers during both the Civil and Spanish American Wars. The Confederate Army captured it briefly early in the Civil War using it as a safe haven for blockade runners during the first year of the war. In March 1862, General Robert E. Lee ordered it abandoned. In early 1862, Union troops re-occupied the fort using it as a base of operations in the area.

In 1869, the fort was on caretaker status until 1898 when the American troops were stationed there for a short time during the Spanish–American War. It was once again abandoned and gradually deteriorated. 

In the 1930s, workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the fort and in 1935, the State of Florida bought 256 acres that included the by-then abandoned fort and surrounding area. Fort Clinch State Park opened in 1938 and the fort was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. 

Fort visitors can tour guard rooms, barracks, hospital, kitchens, a blacksmith’s shop, and a fort prison which Grenville and his cousin experienced. 

Fort Macon is located on Bogue Banks near Atlantic Beach, NC. It’s considered a perfectly restored Civil War-era fort. It was constructed as part of a chain of U.S. coastal defenses after the War of 1812. As part of this chain, Fort Macon's purpose was to guard Beaufort Inlet and Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina's only major deepwater ocean port. 

It's named after Nathaniel Macon, a U.S. Senator from NC, who procured funds to build it. Construction began in 1826 and ended in 1834. The five-sided fort is built of brick and stone. Twenty-six vaulted rooms (casements) are enclosed by 4-1/2-foot thick outer walls. In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, NC confederate forces seized the fort from Union forces and occupied it for a year. In 1862, the fort was attacked and fell back into Union hands. For the duration of the war, it served as a coaling station for navy ships. An ordnance sergeant acting as a caretaker was often the only person stationed there. 

After use as a civil and military prison between 1873-1877, Fort Macon was deactivated. In 1923, it was offered for sale as "surplus military property" to NC for use as a public park (sale price $1). During 1934–35, the Civilian Conservation Corps restored the fort and established recreational facilities. Fort Macon State Park opened in May 1936.

There was a canon firing demonstration when we visited. Fort Macon has several exhibit rooms, but all were closed due to Hurricane Florence water damage. We were told it will take months for the rooms to be repaired, and it's unlikely we will be back.

We enjoyed learning how each fort played a part in the history of the country.

Eats & Treats in SC

While on a (mostly) southern states road trip traveling from New Hampshire to Florida, we're sampling foods along the way. It's part of the road trip fun for us. Here's some recent dining experiences in Charleston, SC.

Hyman’s Seafood on Meeting Street is a family-owned seafood spot, deli, general store spread over most of a city block in buildings dating to the late 1890s. The popular eatery has been at the same location for nearly 130 years. Dining here is casual place; prices are lower, than other city seafood restaurants. The signature dish is crispy flounder, which we didn't try as it's not our favorite fish, but there's plenty of other seafood choices on the menu. If you like seafood, as we do  you won’t be disappointed.

Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, no advance reservations. We joined others out front to wait for our chance to dine at this tourist favorite. While waiting, we chatted with a local couple who said they dined here often, but avoided the busiest times, which seem to be any night. Once seated, we checked out plaques that showed famous folks who had dined at the same table. Ours featured NFL player Tony Dorsett, former SC Senator Fritz Hollings, and talk show host Oprah Winfrey. If you go, be sure to try the hush puppies, which were the best we've ever had (see Grenville's smile below). Notice the two spoons as we shared that key lime pie dessert!

Hyman’s is open 360 days a year, 7 days a week, closed only for Jewish holidays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The restaurant has been voted best seafood by Southern Living Magazine’s reader’s poll for several years. There may be another reason too as a prominent sign boasts two rules: Rule #1 the customer is always right and Rule # 2 when in doubt, refer back to Rule #1. 

Pane e Vino on Warren Street, is a downtown trattoria, located just off Charleston’s busy King Street on a much quieter, off-the-beaten street. Entering the restaurant, we passed by a large patio hidden behind an ivy-covered wrought-iron fence. It’s larger than the restaurant’s main dining room. The interior was very comfortable on a warm SC evening with a dimly lit and cozy atmosphere.

For a restaurant with pane (bread) in its name, there was a lack of Italian breads in the basket, exactly one type. Our dinner choices were stuffed ravioli; mine was stuffed with a pureed spinach and ricotta blend in a light smoked prosciutto and asparagus cream sauce. Grenville chose a lobster-stuffed version.  Both were good, but no side salads were included with dinner, which was disappointing. The restaurant was near our hotel. We should have walked further along to nearby King Street which offered more dining choices.

Smoke BBQ on upper King Street started with a food truck business that's expanded to two Charleston storefront locations. We had read that the chef-owner treats smoked meats as gourmet-level fare, and we believe it after eating here. Apparently so do others as it was very crowded the afternoon we were there. 

The menu is simply printed on a single page with several sandwich choices, some wings, meat platters, and a salad. Food is served on small metal trays (easy cleanup). The BBQ was served between the sides in the above photos. My choice was pulled pork and Grenville had house-smoked pastrami. Our meal choices came with two sides as we both selected the slaw, which as more of a salad. It was lightly dressed and included shredded carrots, apples, and pickled red cabbage and pecans. Fresh and crunchy, it was a welcome break from mayo-based slaws. Service was fast and so friendly (it's a Southern "thing"). Every employee stopped by to see if everything was to our liking, which it was and very good as well. 

Brown Dog Deli on Broad Street is a traditional deli, surrounded by attorney and real estate offices and art galleries. This small unassuming restaurant was very busy the afternoon we ate there. There's a  bench where folks can wait for take out. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. While waiting for lunch, it was fun looking at the inside wall art which had musical memorabilia and a selection of albums. The outdoor patio has open air and covered tables and is decorated with hanging lights, a bubbling fountain, and colorful plants. (We didn't know about the patio until after being seated.)

The menu features traditional deli favorites, like hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, salads and hot dogs. The hot dog menu has basics like traditional Chicago dogs, chili dogs and pastrami dogs in addition to some Brown Dog Deli specialties. There's also a build-your-own hot dog option which lets diners start with a plain hot dog and top it however they like.

Grenville’s gourmet lunch choice was called The Fab Four and included pastrami, Swiss, provolone, kraut, spicy brown mustard, Russian dressing, horseradish pickles, pressed baguette, au jus. I opted for a traditional Reuben of corned beef, kraut, Russian dressing, Swiss, rye.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream on King Street features artisan ice creams using whole ingredients and dairy from grass-pastured cows vs. synthetic flavorings, emulsifiers, and stabilizers. The company is headquartered in Columbus, OH, home of its founder, Jeni Britton Bauer for whom the company is named. Currently, Ms. Britton is possibly the most notable ice cream authority in the world. The Wall Street Journal has called her cookbook “the homemade-ice cream-making Bible.” 

Jeni’s operates 33 “scoop shops” in 10 cities, but there’s only one in SC. Lucky for us, it's in Charleston. A first taste of these rich, creamy flavors convinced us that the lines we had seen the night before were worth the wait. We returned the next night at an earlier hour with no lines and could “sample” before making our choices.

The ice cream has unique flavor and unique names as well, including: Sun-Popped Corn, Blackout Chocolate Cake, Strawberry Buttermilk, Sweet Cream Biscuits and Peach Jam, Wildberry Lavender, Pistachio & Honey, Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks, Darkest Chocolate, Salted Caramel, Brambleberry Crisp, Coffee with Cream and Sugar, Cream Puff, Texas Sheet Cake, Roasted Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam, Lemon & Blueberries. Which flavors do you think we enjoyed?

But, if there’s no Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream shop near your location, don't worry as the company distributes pre-packed pints to over 3,000 grocery stores across the country, and also ships anywhere in the U.S. via an online e-commerce shop.

(Here's what we selected —  Salted Caramel and Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks for myself and Green Mint Chip and Blackout Chocolate Cake for Grenville.)

Charleston is Charming

We're currently on a "southern" U.S. road trip from NH to FL and posting about sites seen & foods sampled along the way. This post describes a stop in Charleston, SC.

Charleston, SC, is not only one of America's most historic cities, it's the state's oldest and largest city. This port city was founded in 1670 and is full of antebellum grandeur, historic churches, cobblestone streets, horse drawn carriages, and pastel buildings. It's home to Fort Sumter, the site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Charleston is known for its history, architecture, eateries, and friendly residents and has become a very popular tourist destination as we found out first-hand. (City highlights will be shared in this, be forewarned, lengthy post.)

Despite its popularly today, Charleston has its very dark side too. It's been estimated that nearly half of all Africans brought to America arrived in Charleston, which was controlled by white planters and merchants. It became the only major antebellum (pre-Civil War) American city with a majority-enslaved population. By 1770, it was the fourth largest port in the colonies, after only Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with a population of 11,000 of which slightly more than half were slaves. Founded in 1670 as Charles Town, in honor of King Charles II of England, Charleston adopted its current spelling in 1783 when it was incorporated at the end of the Revolutionary War. In May 1788, SC was the eighth state to join the union. 

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon (also called the Custom House) at East Bay and Broad Streets is a landmark and the site of some of the state’s most important historical events. When the Exchange was built in 1767, Charleston was the most prosperous port in the South. The Palladian style building was constructed to house the city’s growing commercial import and export trade. During the Revolutionary, confiscated tea was stored here in 1774. When British forces captured the city, the bottom floor became a military prison known as the “Provost dungeon” where American prisoners of war, British soldiers, private citizens, and enslaved people all endured harsh conditions. In 1788, it housed the SC convention to ratify the Constitution. The second floor ballroom was used for entertainment venues. 

In the 19th century, it also served as a Confederate post office. In WW I, the building served as the army headquarters of the U.S. Lighthouse Service. In WW II, it served as a USO facility and troop canteen. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972 and is now a museum operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. (This was the only site in this post that cost $ to tour; happily there was a senior discount.)

Charleston’s City Hall was once the site of a public market within the civic square of the Grand Model (“Grand Modell”), a 17th century plan for the city. Fire destroyed the market in 1796, and in 1800 the city transferred the property to the Federal government for the purpose of erecting “an elegant building” that would serve as a branch of The First Bank of the United States. Charleston's branch was one of eight in the country, serving as the “Office of Discount and Deposit.” The contract between the city and the government dictated that in 1818 the U.S. would convey the property back to the city, after which the building became City Hall. The former bank teller windows remain on the first floor. white marble trim is thought to have been from Italy before it was cut in Philadelphia. The original red brick walls were covered with stucco in 1882. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 and has some of the city’s most important collections of portrait art, including John Trumbull’s 1791 painting of President George Washington (no photographs were allowed.) The walk around was FREE.

The Charleston City Market is recognized as one of the oldest in the country. (It’s even part of a permanent exhibit, “Life in Coastal South Carolina c. 1840” at the American History Museum of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.) The Market Hall complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as “Market Hall and Sheds” and has been designated a National Historic Landmark.

This historic market complex in downtown Charleston, SC was established in the 1790s and stretches for four city blocks. First called the Centre Market, it was developed as a replacement for the city's beef market (now site of City Hall) which burned in 1796. Charles Pinckney (SC statesman, Revolutionary War veteran, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and 37th governor) ceded the land to the City of Charleston for a public market; it was stipulated that the land must remain in such use for “perpetuity” (forever). Throughout the 19th century, the market was where area farms and plantations sold meat, fish and produce, and was a local gathering spot. Meat scraps thrown into the street were gobbled up by local buzzards, nicknamed “Charleston Eagles.” Coincidentally, the University of Charleston’s athletic teams are known as the Golden Eagles. The original sheds include vendors selling souvenirs, jewelry and other items. City Market is also the center of sweetgrass basketry, one of the nation's oldest handicrafts of African origin. 

The market sheds have survived fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The afternoon we visited, many vendors had left or were in the process of closing up. Heavy morning downpours had flooded the market earlier and there were concerns that the afternoon’s tides would do the same.

The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse is on the southeast corner of Meeting and Broad Streets in an area known as the "Four Corners of Law" (more info below). The building and its annexes serve the federal court for the Charleston Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

This location was the site of the gallows for public executions during British rule. After the Revolutionary War, the site was a police guardhouse and armory destroyed during a 1886 earthquake. A decade later, the site was redeveloped as a new post office and courthouse. The building, completed in 1896 at a cost of $500,000, was designed in the Renaissance Revival style and clad in granite quarried from Winnsboro, SC. The design includes a square tower, balustraded balconies, large enormous double doors, and high broad steps like those of an Italian palace. 

The Charleston Post Office is one of the oldest in the U.S. It was established by George III in 1740. Its interior has magnificent public spaces, restored in 2002. This splendor reflects the importance of public buildings at the end of the 19th century. The postal lobby on the first floor looks like it did when the building opened in 1896. Rich interior finishes include red Brazilian marble and mahogany walls at the sales and box areas. The ornate grand staircase is finished with brass newel posts. Brass designs with geometric, curvilinear patterns and rosettes are beneath the railings. Massive plaster columns are painted in a faux marble style. The effect of these high-quality finishes is distinctive to the Victorian era. (They just don't build post office like this any more, and the walk around was FREE.)

We found a bonus (not mentioned many places) inside — The Postal Museum. This room-sized (small) and FREE museum focuses on the history of the postal service in Charleston and features old stamps, post office memorabilia and newspaper clippings. The museum is open during normal P.O. business hours. (The current price of a U.S. first-class stamp is 55 cents, so free is always nice.)

The U.S. Post Office and Courthouse is at a Charleston intersection called the "Four Corners of Law.” (This phrase was coined in the 1930s by Robert Ripley, creator of Ripley's Believe it or Not! and so I believed it.) On the NW corner, a 1792 courthouse represents the role of county government in Charleston. City Hall on the NE corner, symbolized the presence of municipal government. St. Michael's Episcopal Church signifies divine law as a component in community life when the Anglican Church was the established church of the community. 

Rainbow Row is the collective name of 13 brightly-colored historic houses that represent the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the U.S. They are located on East Bay Street near the waterfront and, while you can't tour these private residences, looking at the exteriors is FREE. The name was coined after the houses were repainted in pastel colors following 1030s and 1940s restoration. This very popular tourist attraction is one of Charleston’s most photographed areas. Visit this area any day to see photos being taken for special occasions, along with tourists, like us, trying to get an unobstructed photo of the colorful residences. Which, by the way is difficult given the street-parked cars and other sidewalk photo-takers. 

The Rainbow Row homes are privately owned, and there’s no chance of the color schemes being changed. WHY? Because city ordinances ensure that the pastel colors remain.The city wouldn’t want to lose a tourist draw that costs it no maintenance dollars.

As with most historic buildings in Charleston, the homes have a backstory and it's just as colorful. First constructed about 1740, the owners were merchants who ran a business on the ground floor and lived on the top floor. Over the years, houses were damaged or destroyed by fire and suffered damage by Union artillery during the Civil War. After the war and decades of neglect, the buildings had badly deteriorated. In 1920, the Founder of the Society for the Preservation of Old Dwellings (now the Preservation Society of Charleston) purchased six of them, but lacked funds to restore them right away. In 1931, a Charleston couple purchased several more properties and began to renovate them and drawing on Charleston’s Caribbean roots, painted the first house a shade of pastel pink.

Other owners also painted their homes various pastel shades and so began Rainbow Row. Aside from the eye-appeal factor, there’s various theories as to WHY the homes were painted lighter colors — to cool them during hot summers, so drunk sailors could find their way home, or for merchants to indicate items they were selling.

Whatever the reasons, they're now a colorful city attraction and, did I mention, a FREE one as well. And, if you're patient enough, you may (finally) be able to get a photo with no one else on the sidewalk !

Thanks, as always, for virtually traveling along with us. We've been reading and appreciating all your comments, while reading your blogs has fallen somewhat behind, I'm catching up when possible.  We've been having a great time seeing more of the U.S. on this trip and meeting friends and family and hope that you're enjoying it as well.