Castle Guardians Complete “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.
“Managing the growth — especially the weeds that quickly grow within the fort — will always be a battle, and it takes a significant amount of time and effort to keep it under control,” Locke added. “While conducting general maintenance isn’t as exciting as conducting archaeological excavations and constructing a dock, it’s vital to maintaining and preserving the historic fort. So, the more time we can spend conducting general maintenance — often seen as mundane and repetitive — the more time we’ll be able to dedicate to the real work of preservation and conservation.”
Conducting General Maintenance
Matthew Locke
Vital to Maintaining and Preserving the
Historic Fort.
Castle Guardians conduct general maintenance at Castle Pinckney. (All photos by Matthew Locke and John Mahoney)
Between 9:30 and 10:15 a.m., Castle Pinckney Boat Captains Yale Huett and John Mahoney, assisted by First Mate John Crum, transported aboard two small boats the following Castle Guardians from Remley’s Point to Castle Pinckney on Shute’s Folly, a small island in Charleston Harbor: Nat Cabell, John Fisher, Grace Houston, Harley Houston and Matthew Locke.
The Castle Guardians worked at the site for several hours. Once dark clouds began forming over Charleston around 1:30 p.m., however, the boat captains advised the volunteers to “call it a day” and transported them back to the mainland.
The Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society (CPHPS) began constructing a dock at Castle Pinckney in March to help facilitate the fort’s preservation and conservation. When completed, the impressive structure’s 6 foot wide, 10 foot high boardwalk will be about 150 feet in length. The dock, monitored by security cameras, will include a 10 foot wide, 30 foot long section at its water’s end that will permit authorized personnel to dock their boats. (See story, March 21, 2026)
“The dock is coming along nicely,” said Locke, who checked on the structure’s progress. “The decking of the boardwalk is about 80 percent completed, and I believe its handrails and associated fittings will be added by June, weather permitting.”
The CPHPS recognized the importance of preserving the fort’s structural and historical integrity, and worked with marine engineers and scientists to design and build a dock for this purpose. The dock is being constructed so that its boardwalk, pilings and gangway will not interfere structurally with the fort. In fact, a gangway — designed not to touch the fort’s fragile outer walls — will be added soon to connect the dock to the fort whenever it is used.
The new dock is being constructed near the location of the original dock, which was larger but no longer exists. The original dock was used when Shute’s Folly served as Lighthouse Depot for lighthouses on the Atlantic Seaboard.
“The new dock, once completed, will allow for easier access and safer access to Castle Pinckney for volunteers, scientists including archaeologists, and members of the Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society, and allow us to use many of the tools and equipment that will be needed in the future,” Locke explained. “In addition, the new dock will help minimize the impact that visitors will have on fort, and the natural habitat and wildlife on Shute’s Folly where Castle Pinckney is located. (See Story, Feb. 25, 2026)
Photos showing the interior of Castle Pinckney, including the large pile of debris collected by Castle Guardians (first photo, lower row) and the new dock (last photo, lower row) taken from a slightly different angle than the larger photo shown above.
Castle Guardians almost always lower a flag and raise a new one when they work at Castle Pinckney, and they did so before they left at the end of the recent general maintenance workday. They lowered the South Carolina State Sovereignty flag, which had flown over Castle Pinckney for several weeks, and raised the French National Flag in its place.
“We raised the National Flag of France (shown in photo gallery above) to recognize the influence that the French have had in Charleston,” Locke said. “French Protestants, known as Huguenots, began migrating here during the late 1600s, and the French have contributed significantly to the city’s unique character since then.”
Locke spoke briefly after reaching Remley’s Point, unloading his gear and disembarking with the other Castle Guardians at the end of their workday at Castle Pinckney.
“This isn’t a short-term project,” he said. “Saving Castle Pinckney, uncovering the fort’s historic past and working to preserve Shute’s Folly, the small island where the fort is located, isn’t something that can simply be done by a few well-meaning volunteers.
“So, I encourage everyone to visit the Society’s website at www.CastlePinckney.org, and to spread the word about what we’re trying to do, and to join us as a Castle Guardian and become a part of our team.”
