Did you know Hilton Head is home to a Civil War-era fort? How to check it out
A piece of Civil War history on Hilton Head Island is getting a face lift.
Union troops once used Fort Howell, located on the island’s north end off Beach City Road, to defend nearby Mitchelville from Confederate soldiers. Now, it’s an excellent place for a peaceful walk outdoors with pets or family members.
Until recently, the fort’s earthen walls were hidden by brush. With recent cleaning efforts and a new pathway, the distinct outline of the fort rises from the ground and provides solace from the nearby traffic on Beach City Road and from the Hilton Head Island Airport.
Crews are at work expanding the parking lot outside the fort and paving it to make the area more accessible to visitors. The project will be done in the next two weeks, according to Hilton Head Island Land Trust president George Banino.
Although there was never a shot fired from Fort Howell, it remains a rich example of Hilton Head’s surprisingly notable Civil War history.
Banino said around 80% of the visitors to the fort are also visitors to the island. Many discover for the first time that the island was home to the Department of the Army South Headquarters during the Civil War. As many as 30,000 troops and sailors were stationed on the island at any one time.
Banino and the Land Trust membership hopes the new project reflects that history. Educational signs have been installed to bring context to the fort site and share information with residents and visitors.
“It represents the history of the island as much as anything else on the island,” Banino said.
While the fort doesn’t have traditional stone walls, the new project makes the boundaries more defined as a piece of the island’s history rather than a dirt bike course (the Land Trust has had problems with that before).
Still, “you have to have some imagination,” Banino said.
The fort’s parking expansion is being funded by an accommodations tax grant from the Town of Hilton Head Island.
