Explore Charleston’s Five Historic Military Landmarks
Charleston’s 300‑year legacy is inseparable from its military heritage. Below, we highlight the city’s most emblematic military sites: Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter National Monument, the Charleston Navy Base and Naval Shipyard Memorial at North Charleston Riverfront Park, and Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.
The first settlement, founded at Charles Towne Landing in 1670, featured a wooden stockade that deterred attacks from native Americans and Spanish raiders.
Fort Moultrie, named after Gen. William Moultrie, was a palmetto‑log fort that withstood a massive British land‑and‑sea assault during the American Revolution. The fort remained an active post until after World War II.
Fort Sumter, the island fortress in the heart of Charleston Harbor, endured the first shots of the Civil War. Under US Army Maj. Robert Anderson, it withstood a 34‑hour bombardment before evacuation, and then fell to Confederate forces for the war’s duration.
The former Charleston Navy Base and Naval Shipyard served our nation’s defense from the early 1900s until their closure in 1996. Today, their legacy lives on in the memorial at North Charleston Riverfront Park.
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, located in Mt. Pleasant, houses the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. Commissioned in 1943, the vessel earned 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for its Pacific Theater service.
Living history is everywhere in the Lowcountry! Discover 21 spots every history buff needs to visit in Charleston.
