Long-Awaited Effort Finally Launched to Prepare Castle Pinckney for Archaeological Excavations, Preservation and Conservation!

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March 8, 2026

Charleston, S.C. ─ Castle Pinckney, Charleston’s “Silent Sentinal,” is no longer silent! Construction of a dock at the historic fort on Shute’s Folly in the middle of the harbor began in early March. It is the first step and the beginning of a long-awaited 18-month-long effort to prepare the historic site for archaeological excavations, preservation and conservation.

“Work on the dock at Castle Pinckney, which commenced only a week ago,” said Castle Guardian Matthew Locke, “appears to be progressing nicely, and based on the information that I have been given, the dock’s pilings should be in place and ready for framing by mid-March.”

Locke led a group of Castle Guardians — Frank Tucker, Tommy Salter, Nat Cabell and Cliff Roberts — on a three-hour-long workday at the fort on Saturday, February 8. Delayed an hour until a heavy fog lifted, they departed the mainland for Castle Pinckney at 9:45 a.m. aboard three boats captained by Castle Guardians Yale Huett, Richard Moore and John Mahoney.

“The purpose of our workday was to inspect the protective framed covers we placed over two of the excavation sites on February 8, and to adjust and repair anything if necessary,” Locke explained. “However, to prepare the site for what we’ll be doing during the next year and a half, we removed several Palmetto trees from inside the fort. We also began the slow, difficult task of removing the remains of one of two brick chimneys and fireplaces that remained after fire destroyed the lighthouse caretaker’s home at the site during the late 1960s.

“As always,” he added, “we tried our best within the little time we had remaining at the end of our workday to clear trash and conduct some much-needed clearing of overgrowth inside the fort, like cutting weeds and grass.”

Castle Guardians lowered the flag of the Maritime Association of South Carolina and hoisted the Flag of Ireland above Castle Pinckney before boarding the three boats at 1 p.m. and returning to the mainland.

“The Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society raised the Maritime Association’s flag over the fort during March to commemorate the association’s centennial anniversary,” said John Mahoney, Vice President of the Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society (CPHPS). “We then hoisted the Flag of Ireland to honor and remember the role that the Irish and their descendants have played in Charleston’s history and the role they still play today in city. After all, St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th.”

The CPHPS also sponsored Hole Number 5 at this year’s Hibernian Golf Tournament, held Sunday, March 8 at Patriot’s Point Golf Links in Mt. Pleasant.

“We had a very productive day,” Locke said. “The fog, which delayed our work at Castle Pinckney about an hour, dampened the mood for awhile. But seeing Castle Pinckney emerge as we approached the fort by boat and the fog began to clear early Saturday morning was quite a sight. Adding to this was the sight of the new dock’s pilings rising out of the water alongside the barges and equipment that is being used to construct the dock.

“The mood further improved as the sun finally cleared the rest of the fog, and we raised the Flag of Ireland early in the afternoon,” Locke said. “The long-awaited goal to save Castle Pinckney — a dream for many years — has finally become a reality. We’re finally seeing the construction of the dock and significant progress being made to prepare the historic site for what’s ahead.”