As part of the coastal defense system in Charleston, Fort Moultrie is the only system where the entire 171 year history can be perfectly traced.

One of the guns on the east wall

This was the second fort I have visited during my time in Charleston, the first being Fort Sumter. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Fort Moultrie much more simply due to the fact that it is largely underground, and underground military bases are just awesome.

Panorama atop the WWII defense structure overlooking the batteries

Fort Moultrie, at the time named Fort Sullivan, was built in 1776 as part of an effort to build up the American defense system. It was attacked in 1776 right before construction was completed, and the troops there were able to fend off the British attackers.

William Moultrie was the commanding officer of the fort at this time, and after this successful defense, the fort was renamed after him.

The main north entrance

After the revolutionary war, the fort was mostly neglected by the US government until 1798 when the fort was completely rebuilt.

This rebuilt fort stayed roughly the same until 1860 when the Civil War broke out.

One of the many passageways to the underground ammunition storage areas.

The fort changed hands several times in the Civil War and proved as a crucial defensive system to protect Charleston Harbor.

More rifled cannons dating back to the Civil War era

After the Civil War, the fort was modernized with new guns and its walls were fortified to a greater extent.

Eventually, Fort Moultrie became part of President Grover Cleveland's Endicott Coastal Defense Network. This meant that the more guns and artillery were added to the defenses of the fort.

A more modern gun installed before the first World War

When the World Wars broke out, much of Fort Moultrie was further constructed involving a significant portion of the fort being turned into an underground armament and bunker.

While it was never involved in a battle in the World Wars, it proved an essential stronghold to deter coastal attack.

Below you can see a search light atop the WWII bunker structure.

Search light on top of the WWII structure

This is the main part of the area built up for WWII defense. While it may look like a hill, below the exposed structure there existed large rooms for ammunition storage as well as living quarters for stationed troops.

The entire WWII bunker

I really enjoyed my time exploring the Fort, and the amount of rich history here takes you back to the many battles that were fought here.

If you ever get a chance to explore this fort on Sullivan's Island in Charleston, SC, do it.

Re-creation of the original powder room

All original photography. You can see my other adventures here as well.

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If you enjoyed this EXPLORING post, you can check out some of my other photographs from my Explore series through the links below or FOLLOW me to stay updated on my new content.

Exploring the Beautiful Beaches of South Carolina Through Photography

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Exploring Fort Sumter – The Island Fortress Where the American Civil War Began