Fort Fremont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Fremont Battery
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Frogmore, South Carolina |
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| Area | 2.8 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1899 |
| Built by | US Army Corps of Engineers |
| Architectural style | Coastal Fortification |
| MPS | Historic Resources of St. Helena Island c. 1740-c. 1935 MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 88001821 |
| Added to NRHP | May 5, 2010 |
Fort Fremont was an important military base on Saint Helena Island, in Beaufort County, South Carolina. This fort and its gun battery are very special. They show us what military buildings looked like in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is also one of only two forts from the Spanish–American War that are still standing today.
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Building Fort Fremont: A Look Back
The United States needed more forts along its coast during the Spanish–American War. So, in 1898, Congress approved money to build new coastal defenses. Fort Fremont was one of these projects.
Building started in 1899. The US Army Corps of Engineers built the fort. They hired many workers from the nearby Beaufort area. These workers helped create the entire military complex.
What Was Fort Fremont Like?
Fort Fremont was named after John C. Fremont. He was a famous person in American history. Fremont was the first person to run for president for the Republican Party in 1856. Later, he became a general during the American Civil War.
The fort covered about 170 acres of land. It had many buildings besides the main fort. These included an office building, a guard house, and barracks where soldiers slept. There was also a hospital, a stable for horses, and a mess hall for eating. Other buildings included a bakery, a store, and a water tower.
The soldiers at Fort Fremont had powerful weapons. They used three large 10-inch "disappearing guns." These guns would pop up to fire and then hide again. This protected them from enemy fire. They also had two smaller, faster 4.7-inch "rapid fire guns." Today, you can still see parts of the fort's walls and the concrete spots where the guns were placed.
In 1900, the fort was handed over to the Coastal Artillery. This was a special branch of the army that focused on defending coastlines.
Why Fort Fremont Closed Down
By 1906, the army started thinking about closing Fort Fremont. This was mainly because of money problems. They needed to save money.
In 1912, a newspaper reported that the fort would not be sold. A small group of soldiers stayed at the fort to take care of it. Most of the troops had moved to Galveston the year before.
In 1921, the U.S. Treasury Department asked for Fort Fremont. They wanted to use it as a quarantine station. This is a place where people are kept separate to stop diseases from spreading. The fort was no longer needed by the military. So, Fort Fremont officially closed as a military base in 1921.
The fort was sold to the public in 1930. On May 5, 2010, the Fort Fremont Battery was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes important historical sites in the United States.
Today, Fort Fremont is a Historical Preserve. Only the 10-inch gun battery, the rapid-fire battery, and a brick hospital built in 1906 are left. The other buildings were made of wood and were taken down over time. Fort Fremont is special because it is one of only two forts from the Spanish-American War that still looks like it did back then.
Images for kids
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Rear view of Fort Fremont
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Front face of historical plaque
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Rear face of historical plaque
