Fortifying A Community through Public Archaeology: The Collaboration of Public and Private Organizations to Preserve, Protect, and Promote a Spanish-American War Fort on a South Carolina Sea Island.

Summary

In a collaborative partnership among the surrounding community, local government, private non-profit groups, and professional organizations, the first archaeological investigations involving Phase III data recovery excavations were conducted at Fort Fremont in advance of the development of a local government sponsored interpretive center. Entrenched in a maritime forest along the Port Royal Sound, Fort Fremont is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and enhances the coastal landscape of Saint Helena Island, South Carolina. It is an Endicott Period coastal defense fortification constructed during the Spanish-American War. Throughout its history, the fort has had a complex relationship with the surrounding community. When the fort was garrisoned between 1899 and 1921, there were well-documented conflicts with the surrounding African American community, known as the Gullah people, who occupied the region long before Fort Fremont’s construction. Through collaboration with local non-profit and professional organizations, public archaeology is being used to strengthen ties with local residents and the Gullah community. The archaeological investigations and public outreach based initiatives utilized both social media and conventional means to enhance awareness and support the archaeology and history of Fort Fremont within the local community.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Collaborative and Community Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15795