Fort Pemberton on James Island could become Charleston’s newest park

USS ALASKA

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Mar 16, 2016
Fort Pemberton on James Island could become Charleston’s newest park
By Robert Behre [email protected]
Mar 31, 2019 Updated Apr 2, 2019

Fort Pemberton was envisioned shortly after the 1862 battle of Secessionville, a Confederate victory at the other end of James Island that halted the Union advance toward Charleston. But the Confederates worried that the Union would try again, likely by a different route, so they began building an earthen fort that would help defend Charleston from Union gunboats approaching via the Stono River toward and Elliott Cut on the island’s northwestern edge. The five-pointed earthwork, one of the largest built around Charleston, was constructed mostly by slaves from nearby plantations and named after Confederate Brig. Gen. John Pemberton, commander of Charleston’s defenses. It was finished in 1863, and its points closest to the river rise 15 to 20 feet from the bottom of the moat, while those farther away are less discernible ridges that climb 3 or 4 feet. The fort never saw any battles, and six decades after the war, development began approaching the site, as the Riverland Terrace neighborhood took shape. Even though a house was built on top of one of Fort Pemberton’s points around 1948, the earthwork is considered remarkably well preserved. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The deal hinges on the city securing about $6.1 million in greenbelt money from Charleston County, a process that could take about two months. It’s also seeking $600,000 from the S.C. Conservation Bank. The county’s Greenbelt Program has received 16 applications overall for new projects totaling $23.5 million. They include Fort Pemberton and five other urban projects received that total $13 million and would affect 637 acres. Charleston County officials are remaining mum for now. The Fort Pemberton application and others will go before a Greenbelt Advisory Board subcommittee on April 10, and the full board is expected to consider them on May 8. County Council ultimately makes the final decision on the grants.

Full article can be found here - https://www.postandcourier.com/news...cle_b8ff2b4a-45d8-11e9-baa7-2bbecda794f9.html

Cheers,
USS ALASKA
 
Any update?

BTW, I'm still waiting for Rick Hatcher III, retired chief historian for the NPS at Fort Moultrie/Charleston to finish his book on the region. The release date has been pushed back.
 
Charleston moving forward on plans to convert former Confederate fort
Plans to convert an old Confederate Civil War fort on James Island within the city of Charleston into a public waterfront park are moving forward.
By Rey Llerena
Mar. 30, 2023 at 4:01 PM EDT
Updated: Mar. 30, 2023 at 10:27 PM EDT

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Plans to convert an old Confederate Civil War fort on James Island within the city of Charleston into a public waterfront park are moving forward. Director of Parks and Capital Projects Jason Kronsberg said on Thursday they spent over $6 million in Greenbelt funds to buy the old Fort Pemberton site off Yates Avenue, near the municipal golf course. He added the city bought the eight-and-a-half-acre site prior to the pandemic. The earthworks and moat that made the fort's defenses are still visible to this day. Officials plan to create a park on the site with a small parking lot, walking trails and access to the Stono River for kayaking and fishing and adding historical storyboards to tell the fort's history. Over the next few months, the city will be holding community meetings to get more feedback on the project before they clean up the site. "We'll keep the tree cover as it is," Kronsberg said. "Maybe there will be some nonnative invasive species removal projects that happen and a little tidying up. The creation of trails and clear areas, but pretty much the site will be as you see it."


Full article here - https://www.live5news.com/2023/03/3...orward-plans-convert-former-confederate-fort/

Cheers,
USS ALASKA
 
I saw that, and thought it was the stupidest thing I'd heard since the NPS decided to put modern burials around the raiders' graves at Andersonville rather than leaving them set off to the side as the prisoners at the time had wanted.

Given that the Mass 54 Colored Regiment fought their first skirmish on James's Island (and some of their guys captured there were presumably held at Fort Pembleton before being sent on Belle Isle and Andersonville), you would think that ANY CW military establishment there would be considered a major historic landmark and should therefore be untouchable.
 
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