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Discover the fascinating history of Castle Pinckney, the harbor fort that was constructed around 1809 to defend the City of Charleston prior to the War of 1812. Called Charleston’s “Silent Sentinel,” the fort’s strategic location allowed anyone to command the city and the busy wharves along East Bay Street facing the Cooper River. So, it became an important chess piece in the secession turmoil of 1832 and 1850, and in the months leading up to the shelling of Fort Sumter on Apr. 12, 1861. Read Article
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Led by Co-Authors of Holding CHARLESTON by the Bridle (2024), the first book on the fort.
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From the history of Castle Pinckney to the activities of the Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society, you’ll find everything you need to know on this website. Please join, donate or shop to support the Society in its effort to save Castle Pinckney. For more information, use the form at the bottom of this page to contact us.
Castle Guardians Conduct “Another General Maintenance Workday” at Castle Pinckney
Apr. 25, 2026
Charleston, S.C. ─ Castle Guardians, taking advantage of good weather, conducted “another general maintenance workday” at Castle Pinckney on Shute’s Folly in Charleston Harbor on Saturday, April 25.
“Our objective was to cut weeds and to cut up the remains of several Palmetto trees we cut down earlier in the spring for burning, and we accomplished most of it in just a few hours before the weather deteriorated, and we were forced to leave,” said Matthew Locke, who regularly leads Castle Guardians — volunteers all — to maintain the fort when coastal birds are not nesting there. “We cut back and trimmed almost all of the overgrowth inside the fort, cut up into small sections all of the felled Palmetto trees and cut down and removed one more tree. More
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