Fort Caswell

[J.H. Moose]

My grandmother is teaching a jewelry-making class at the Baptist Convention Center at Fort Caswell this week and she allowed me to tag along and help her. Was a great opportunity to see a beautiful old relic of North Carolina's history that I'm very grateful for. Fort Caswell is an impressive, albeit worn, example of prewar masonry fortifications. It's also the site of one of the largest magazine detonations of the war which was felt nearly 100 miles away in Fayetteville NC when the fort was evacuated following the calamitous fall of Fort Fisher nearby. I only wish there were remnants of nearby Fort Campbell and Battery Shaw that were as equally impressive as the storied old walls of Fort Caswell.

 

[J.H. Moose]

My grandmother is teaching a jewelry-making class at the Baptist Convention Center at Fort Caswell this week and she allowed me to tag along and help her. Was a great opportunity to see a beautiful old relic of North Carolina's history that I'm very grateful for. Fort Caswell is an impressive, albeit worn, example of prewar masonry fortifications. It's also the site of one of the largest magazine detonations of the war which was felt nearly 100 miles away in Fayetteville NC when the fort was evacuated following the calamitous fall of Fort Fisher nearby. I only wish there were remnants of nearby Fort Campbell and Battery Shaw that were as equally impressive as the storied old walls of Fort Caswell.

View attachment 507320

View attachment 507321

View attachment 507322

View attachment 507323

View attachment 507324

View attachment 507325

View attachment 507326

View attachment 507327

View attachment 507328

View attachment 507329

And yes, I did contribute to the jewely course in one way or another

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Fort Caswell being owned by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina is one of the more unusual fates for a fortification.

 

[J.H. Moose]

Fort Caswell being owned by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina is one of the more unusual fates for a fortification.

They've done a pretty good job. Although their primary focus is hosting ministries and events the fort is decently well preserved and the history is advertised. Although public entry isn't allowed it makes the whole area very peaceful and serene. My only real complaint is some landscaping should be done in the parade ground and on the gun traverses as there's tons of fire ant hills, sand spurs, and literal cactus plants that make it quite treacherous to explore unless you're very cautious.

 

[A. Roy]

Fort Caswell is an impressive, albeit worn, example of prewar masonry fortifications. It's also the site of one of the largest magazine detonations of the war which was felt nearly 100 miles away in Fayetteville NC when the fort was evacuated following the calamitous fall of Fort Fisher nearby.

This I think is what you call a Third System fort. It would be interesting to visit and learn about, given its relationship to Fort Fisher and the defense of Wilmington. Thanks so much for roaming around there and taking photos!
ARB

 

[Lubliner]

Fort Caswell

Massive amounts of brickwork went into building the fort. I can't begin to relate how compassionate I feel for the laborers tasked at such a project. It would be nice to research its origins. Thanks for the tour.
Upon further searching I found this.

Forgotten Forts Series - Fort Caswell | Forts, Fortifications, & Other Forgotten Places

When many of us think of the defenses of Wilmington, North Carolina or the Cape Fear River during the ACW Fort Fisher comes to mind however there was another significant fortification nearby called Fort Caswell. Fort Caswell was a pentagon shaped masonry fortification at the mouth of the Cape...

civilwartalk.com

Lubliner.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

And yes, I did contribute to the jewely course in one way or another

View attachment 507330

Haha!

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

Wow - this is an impressive facility even after all this time!

 

[ErnieMac]

Not too far away is Fort Macon (Atlantic Beach NC) which I visited there in my teenage years (late 60s). It was the first third system masonry fort I had seen and left a definite impression.

 

[J.H. Moose]

Not too far away is Fort Macon (Atlantic Beach NC) which I visited there in my teenage years (late 60s). It was the first third system masonry fort I had seen and left a definite impression.

Macon is also very cool, definitely a lot more well preserved than Caswell (and actually saw significant combat)