brunswick town state historic site

It has been several years since we last visited, but we enjoyed it just as much this time. They have taken steps to provide even better interpretative signage (it was already good), and have done more with paved trails to protect the site. The museum is small but interesting. The movie was not available when we visited -- there was a problem with their projection system -- but in its place one of the site staff members gave an extended and interactive talk on the Fort Anderson flag they have on display. We will gladly be back.

I actually was visiting Fort Anderson as part of my tour of NC Civil War sites. I visited Fort Fisher earlier in the day located across Cape Fear River. Fort Anderson is far more interesting than Fort Fisher because it is largely still intact and well preserved, whereas a portion of Fort Fisher has been lost to the sea and the rest rebuilt. Fort Fisher has the more known reputation since it gave a good fight and was the first to fall to the Union forces. I was pleasantly surprised to discover this is also the location of Brunswick Town, an early colonial town destroyed by the British in 1776 and never reoccupied. The remains of foundations have been unearthed. You can envision the main street that ran down to the river. It must have been a beautiful town. The visitor center has a nice film of the site and the park attendant was full of enthusiasm for the site and added a lot of knowledge and stories.

we have lived in Southport for over 4 years and had never been to Brunswick Town until yesterday. It is small, but very historic, informative and has breathtaking water views. I would go back just to walk around the park; it is peaceful, quiet and very clean. Do not miss this little gem.

We visited this site on vacation with my daughter's family. We had 5 children 6-13 years old. The small museum had a traveling exhibit of Blackbeard which made it even more interesting. The museum had an interactive computer program on Blackbeard that held the interest of the little boys.The ruins of the old church was the only actual structure as the rest were foundations - much like visiting old Jamestown. It was interesting covering two periods of history from colonial America through the Civil War. The walk around the earthen walls of the "fort" was interesting because of all the beautiful river views.One of the employees shared lots of interesting things as we visited the old church. One exciting thing was the TV series Sleepy Hollow had been filming there until 3 AM the night before and the headless horseman had ridden into the church ruins! There were also some temporary "modifications" made to the church and surrounding area including removing the fence around the graves. We could walk right up to see them!Very enjoyable day!

We stayed in Wilmington and this attraction was well worth the drive. There's a small museum to go over the history of the area, then you get to walk the grounds and see the archeological findings from the old settlement. There are the old walls to a church from the 1700's. It was a relaxing walk and there were amazing views of the river. This is also connected with Fort Anderson. The trails take you through the earthen mounds created to defend the area. When we attended there was a Blackbeard's exhibit in the museum. They had many artifacts from one of his ships that ran aground just north of Wilmington. This was a rotating exhibit, so call ahead to see what items they are currently displaying.

This stop was a little of of the way for civil war touring, but I enjoyed it. The earthworks for Ft Anderson remain as well as the ruins of a town that never quite made it. There is a small visitor centre and you can self tour the grounds. The guy at the visitor's centre was full of interesting information as the location has a long history. It is hard to imagine that this location never became a permanent town as it is very beautiful. Note that it isn't open Sunday/Monday.

The first thing you'll see as you pull into the parking lot is the remains of the old church and graveyard from the 1700s. Then as you follow the path you will come to the earthen Fort Anderson (constructed on top of Brunswick Town during the Civil War). Continue your walk and you will come to the pre-revolutionary unearthed foundations of Brunswick Town that was burned by the British in 1776 and never rebuilt. Look behind you and you'll see the beautiful views of the Cape Fear River. You can also visit the museum on the property that contains many artifacts. Even if you aren't interested in the history it's a very nice walk. Please leave a donation at the museum as you leave.

My Mom, son and myself went here a couple of weekends ago. It was a beautiful spring day and we spent a couple of hours here. We went through the museum and checked out all of the information and things found at this site. The walk takes you along the Cape Fear River with information along the way. The walk is nice and about anyone could do it. There are several places with benches along the way. It is really a beautiful place. We talked to a nice lady that worked in the museum and she was very knowledgeable. She told us that only a minimal number of sites on the property had been excavated. She told us about some of the early settlers and the area.This is where is gets weird... My son and I had stopped to take pictures along the way and my Mom had walked ahead of us and we couldn't see her. When we caught up to her, she was sitting on a bench and said "I think I saw a ghost boy". Our family jokes around all the time and my son had been going along hiding behind trees trying to sneak up on her so we assumed she was talking about him. She said, "no. She saw a boy in period clothing looking out at the water." The path took a curve where she could no longer see him as she continued to walk but, she came to to a place where she should have been able to see him he was no longer there and no one was around. No one came by us and we didn't see anyone off in the distance in front of us. We did ask if people had seen ghosts and were told yes. My Mom was freaked out about it and of course my son, thought that was very cool.It is an interesting place if you are into history. I would recommend it. I would like to go back again by myself. There is no cost but, they take donations.

This place is rich in history and shouldn't be missed. They aren't open on Sunday or Monday, so keep that in mind. The scenic trail has some great views of the water and landscape. I learned a great deal from this trip and I plan to visit it again in the future.

North Carolina takes its history very seriously and the attention to detail and loving care evident at this site is a great example of the State's commitment to historic preservation. Located on a bluff on the Cape Fear, the views are spectacular, the trail is easy to navigate and the history of the place is explained very well. If you're in the neighborhood, you should definitely make a stop at Brunswick Town!

If you like early American history, you will find this North Carolina ghost town a worthwhile stop. NC sports some of the earliest European settlements, and the state has followed the successful formula used by the National Park Service to make sites like this one come alive. There is a very nice staffed visitor center with a 12 minute orientation film, a well designed chronological presentation of Indian, Spanish and English interactions, an easy to walk tour of the town ruins and some nice views of the Cape Fear River, the only river in North Carolina with direct access to the Atlantic. About 90 years after the town's destruction by the British in 1776, the site was used by Confederate forces to build Fort Anderson in order to fortify Wilmington, a crucial seaport during the Civil War. This is a super site to visit if you are planning to visit Fort Fisher, another North Carolina state historic site. You can save lots of driving by hopping on the state-run Fort Fisher ferry at Southport to cross the Cape Fear. Have fun!

A historical gem "hidden" near the Cape Fear. Grew up in NC but somehow had never visited this site. The foundation remains of the Colonial town of Brunswick Town sit beside the earthworks of Civil War Fort Anderson. A nice, paved 1 mile trail loops thru the remains with a few historical signs to let you know what was going on. Nice views across the marsh and Cape Fear River. The staff of the Visitor's Center were first rate. They were extremly informative as to the history of both sites and the museum, while small, is very interesting. Fort Fisher, which is across the Cape Fear River and fell a couple weeks before Anderson gets most of the publicity and makes this site almost forgotten. The area is off the beaten path, but just follow the signs and they will lead you right in. Would be a great place to take the familiy for a picnic outing as I get the feeling the site is rarely crowded.

If you are into history, Brunswick Town is the place to go. Only church ruins and house foundations remain for what was a pre-Revolutionary war thriving town on a commercial waterway. You can clearly discern the house sizes, layout of the streets, etc. Adjacent to the townsite is Ft. Anderson, built during the Civil War opposite Ft. Fisher, to protect the port of Wilmington. Wilmington had the distinction of being the last Confederate port city to be captured.

The site is a great stop for historians interested in North Carolina's colonial and civil war eras. The Visitor Center staff are friendly and helpful, especially Jim McKee, who provided me with detailed information about mine and my wife's ancestor's roles in nearby civil war battles. In the Visitor Center, one can view a movie about the site and historic artifacts. There is also a gift shop. Outdoors consists of a walking tour that includes the walls of St. Phillips church from the first half of the 18th century, the church cemetery where lie the remains of prominent local citizens and several colonial home sites, most of which front the Cape Fear River. The earthen walls of civil war Fort Anderson are present and remarkably well preserved.

Other than the church remains and the interpretive center, this site is really a walking tour of house foundations and a view of the river. But it is worth the side trip, if you're already in the area, to see the alligator(s) that lurks at the pond edge waiting for handouts (which is illegal, don't feed it). If you do stop, remember that alligators can run 11mph (that's a 5' 45" mile...faster than me) but they don't chase over land (at least not very far). I prefer to stay near the car, although I've really never seen them move much.