For those who’ve stood on the edge of the Charleston harbor gazing in awe of the gorgeous views, you know it’s easy to get lost in the dreamy sights and sounds of the harbor and the horizon, where the sun rise alone is mesmerizing. But don’t overlook America’s forgotten castle: Castle Pinckney, an 1810 fort on Shute’s Folly found just to the left of the more widely known Fort Sumter.
In reality, this now abandoned fort known as Castle Pinckney was built a full year before neighboring Fort Sumter, but receives little glory for its minor role in the Civil War or the War of 1812.
We like to call it the Hello Kitty Fort (not its official name, by the way) because now that aerial photography and drones are so prevalent, it's easy to see the shape of a cat head very similar to pop culture's Hello Kitty when viewing the abandoned fort from high above.
But the Hello Kitty fort is anything but a cartoon figure beloved by small girls. It, as well as the preceding structures that existed here, served as a military fort beginning way back in 1797, with an earth and log fort on this site.
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The brick and mortar version of Castle Pinckney was completed in 1810 and was a garrisoned post during the War of 1812, although it wasn't in the heart of any action.
After some minor use following the War of 1812, the fort was no longer actively used and fell into so disrepair before being revamped in 1860 prior to the start of the Civil War. The image above is from 1860.
Just one week after South Carolina seceded from the Union, Castle Pinckney became the first federal military installation seized by the South Carolina militia.
One hundred and fifty-four of them were transferred to Charleston and actually stayed the (now notoriously haunted) Old Charleston Jail until the lower floors of the barracks of Castle Pinckney could be refashioned into cells.
It's a history that doesn't stop with the Civil War. For the better part of a hundred years beyond the end of the Civil War, Castle Pinckney was cared for, at least up until 1951, when the National Park Service, the last government steward for the property, walked away from it. And then in 1967, a fire ripped through the island and burned much of the remaining structures.
Today, although it appears to be abandoned, if you look closesly — especially over a period many weeks — you'll notice the flags on Castle Pinckney regularly change.
Each new flag not only has a meaning (which you can find here), it also breathes life into the ruins of Castle Pinckney, our Hello Kitty fort.
We'd love nothing more than to see Castle Pinckney open for limited tours in the near future. And the good news is that CastlePinckney.org is moving in that direction, according to their website.
The Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society was formed in 2013 and among a variety of plans for the future of this abandoned fort is an overwhelming desire to create public access to the structure. If you'd like to help, donations are always accepted and you'll find a link for more information on the official website.
Did you know about Castle Pinckney in the Charleston harbor?
Would you welcome the explore this relic one day on a guided tour of the ruins? Show your interest and support by leaving a comment and join the discussion!
Editor’s Note: Castle Pinckney is private property and it’s against the law to visit without permission. Although the current organization that owns the property doesn’t have guided tours at the moment, they do have future plans to allow public access. Until then, this site is off limits to the public.
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