Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Oct. 14, 1993, edition 1 / Page 9
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Old Brunswick Town Improvements To i? ? Welcome Visitors BY PEGGY HOWE N.C. Dept. of Cultural Resources On the hanks of the Cape Fear River. Brunswick Town Stale Historic Site was North Carolina's first major port. Today's remains re call the colonial town that once stood there and the great mounds that make up Fort Anderson, Confederate defenses, built a centu ry later. Archaeologists have excavated ;ind left uncovered the more than 60 foundations of Brunswick Town's ruins, revealing to visitors what Knglish colonial life was like. Also, visitors can walk along the tort's breastworks, viewing the river as C onfederate defenders saw it. Surrounding the ruins of both the town and the fort are 120 acres of maritime woodlands ? home to sev eral rare plants and an excellent se lection of birds, according to Jimmy Bartley, site manager. Of the 1 20 acre park, roughly 100 acres are still intact. Bartley says he welcomes the op portunity to explain the forest man agement practices now in progress. "Our first priority is the cultural re sources, but we cannot neglect na ture." he said. "Those (people) with wildlife ap preciation understand land manage ment ? how important management is to wildlife. He said Brunswick Town's nature trail is especially im portant. "Many of our visitors come just to enjoy the birds and vegeta tion. including the Venus flytrap, a native to the area, which is on the trail." Recognizing management's im pact is vital, he said. "For several years we have worked on the forest management program. During the past two years, we have consulted with landscapes, the Department of Agriculture and (Department of Environment. Health and Natural Resources) Forestry Division to plan ? to determine which old. storm-damaged or diseased trees should go and which healthy trees should stay to bring the park into manageable condition and preserve the maritime forest. "We did selective cutting, trying to minimize the effect on visitation. Now visitors can see the plants and birds, and breezes reduce the num ber of bugs. The river is visible through the tree branches." Bartley said the project required special legislation to enable the site to cut the timber and keep the pro ceeds for site improvement. State Rep. David Redwine introduced it. "Civil War fans are especially im pressed." he continued. "Careful timbering has increased visibility to Fort Anderson. Originally the fort had no trees. We are removing some stumps from the breastworks where the guns were mounted and vines and undergrowth from access and visibility standpoints." Also, improving security had be come important. Vandals with metal detectors were coming into the grounds to roam at night. "This is an isolated site and the thick under growth made detection difficult." It is a felony to remove anything from a state historic site. "Before the timbering, we didn't have this wonderful breeze," Bartley saiJ. "Here, it was stagnant, buggy. I am pleased with the outcome. As custodians of the land we have made some difficult choices. "Some (people) in the community didn't understand our clearing, al though most state parks do clear un derbrush for fire prevention." Bartley noted that during its private ownership, the site was timbered. Cutting began March 30, just af ter the "storm of the century." "The timing was good for us ? af ter the storm we had limb damage and trees down. (The site) did look a bit rough during the spring visita tion?unfinished. with no grading done. It's gradually getting back into shape. "We're through cutting," he not ed. "No more large-scale timbering is planned ? we just wanted to thin it out; to get light and visibility in there. We even exposed some rare varieties of plants, some we never knew were there." He added that the cleared underbrush also revealed more colonial ruins. "This year we're improving Fort Anderson, removing trees from the breastworks and from Battery B. A Happy Bosses' Day to bbs-s Dave & Julie We're Nuts About Ya! Rhonda, Jill & ?'r&s&MFfr - ? - '<1 ir?g!fo #S*,r'7 ? -J<W IMPROVEMENTS to Brunswick Town Slate Historic Site include removing trees and stumps from Fort A nderson breastworks. new history trail, to be designed, will wind around with signs posted at the gun emplacement sites select ed for future reconstruction. We must get the traffic off the mounts and direct people around." he said Foot traffic has begun to erode the mounds. Among improvements planned are 30 outdoor exhibit signs, upgrad ing of interior exhibits and stabiliza tion of ruins. "We will move the handicapped ramp and provide transportation for handicapped visi tors ? wheelchairs just bog down in sand trails. Additional archaeology is on the agenda. These are improve ments we wouldn't have had with out the timber money." Early exploration began in the Cape Fear area in 1524 for the French by John Verrazano. In June 1726. Brunswick Town was launched as a business venture by South Carolinian Maurice Moore. Soon becoming an important port for naval supplies and lumber to liurope and the West Indies. Brunswick also was an active politi cal center that served as the seat of government for New Hanover County and later Brunsw ick County. The colonial assembly met often ill the Brunswick Courthouse since nearby Russellborough estate was the home of two royal governors. Arthur Duhhs ami William Tryon. Because of its location on the Cape hear River and Atlantic Ocean, the settlement was especially vulnerable to enemy ships Its color ful history includes attacks and a siege by Spanish privateers During one counterattack townspeople seized the Spanish ship l ortuna. sold its contents and used the pro ceeds to help f inance construction ot St. Phillips Church, now an impor tant ruin at the site. In 1 7f>5 Brunswick citizens ral lied against the hated Stamp Act. forcing several officials to resign in one of the first incidences of armed resistance to British authority. As the upriver port of Wilmington grew. Brunswick declined. Townspeople fled in the wake of de structive hurricanes, high humidity and malaria-carrying mosquitoes. In 1 776. as the British burned the town, the remaining few' slipped away. Never recovering. Brunswick was sold in the 1840s for $4.25 to the then-owner of nearby Orton Plantation. Experiencing a revival nearly a century later. Brunswick became the site of Confederate Fort Anderson, consisting of two five-gun batteries .irul small emplacements along the length of protective sand mounds. Wooden barracks housed troops stationed at Fort Anderson who were responsible for protecting the river leading to Wilmington. In December ISM the Federal navy at tacked loft f inIici, winch leii in January 1X65. Several weeks later. Feb. I'), 1K(>5. a severe Union bom bardment and an encirclement movement forced Confederate forces to abandon Fort Anderson ('?reeling today's guests at Brunswick Town Visitor Center are exhibits about colonial life and arti facts gathered from archaeological excavations. Also available are guide maps to help visitors tour the site. Later this month. Oct. 26 and 28. Brunswick Town will provide demonstrations of colonial domestic skills from 1-3 p.m. each day. Again. Dec. 12. the public is invited to a special program, the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson Christmas Celebration featuring Christmas concerts and tours conducted by costumed guides. If anyone has the need, we have the time to teach you to read. 754-READ 9 -MONTH CERTIFICATE i ANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD 9 -MONTH CERTIFICATE ANNUAL RATE 4.00% It's the birth of a terrific special deal! A CD at a limited-time rate you haven't seen in months. Our 9-month Bonus Baby CD is available for a minimum deposit of $5,000 at the First Citizens offices listed below. A penalty will be imposed for early withdrawal. Besides locking into a great rate higher than what you'd get on a one-year CD, opening a Bonus Baby CD automatically qualifies you for Senior Quest" In case you haven't heard, Senior Quest is the best banking package in the state, with free perks and privileges like free checks and a 3x5 safe deposit box (where available), along with a no-annual-fee Standard Classic or Standard Gold credit card.*And that can save you serious money. Open your Bonus Baby CD W now... this special offer is only Ml J.JT9 1 good through November 15, ^?X,T7Ih11VI^i 1993. You may be surprised 1 :klv this babv erows. JyVlXlV at how quickly this baby grows. First Citizens Bank / 464 6 Main Street / Shallotte, NC 28459 First Citizens Bank / 212 North Howe Street / Southport, NC 28461 First Citizens Bank / 130 Yaupon Drive / Yaupon Beach, NC 28465 ' Normal credit approval applies. Member F 1)1(1.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 14, 1993, edition 1
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