Fort Anderson, at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, recently unveiled its newest exhibit – a long awaited 32-pounder seacoast cannon that was installed in Gun Emplacement #2 on the Southern Battery.
“This is a great day for the site,” said Site Manager Jim McKee. “After more than eleven years we have finally completed this project. It will put Fort Anderson in elite company, in terms of interpretation. The staff and I are beyond excited!”
The cannon is a replica of a Pattern-1846 32-pounder seacoast cannon that originally would have been mounted on a ship. “32-pounder” refers to the weight of the solid cannon ball it would have fired.
The placement of the cannon marks an historic day for Fort Anderson -- it is the first time that the fort has been armed since the summer of 1865 when all the cannons were removed by Union soldiers. It also marks the first time since at least Feb. 18, 1865 that a shot has been fired from the fort, although Thursday’s firing was of a blank charge.
The mission of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site is to preserve and interpret the history of Brunswick Town, the Cape Fear region’s first permanent settlement, and Fort Anderson, the Civil War fortification built at the site. It is located at 8884 St. Philips Rd. SE, Winnabow, N.C. 28479.
For additional information call (910) 371-6613. Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, within the Division of State Historic Sites is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.