Located on the western banks of the lower Cape Fear, the history of Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson spans over two centuries...
A major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina's Cape Fear River, Brunswick was razed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop the old village site, and served as part of the Cape Fear River defenses below Wilmington before the fall of the Confederacy. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort.
Today Brunswick is one of North Carolina's State Historic Sites. Situated on over 100 acres of land located directly on the Cape Fear River, the site and Visitor Center/Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 9am-5pm. While at Brunswick you can visit the site’s Museum to learn more about the Spanish Attack of 1748, in which a small group of citizens defended the town against the onslaught of Spanish Privateers; the Stamp Act Resistance of 1766, the first successful armed rebellion against British authority in the American Colonies; and the fall of Ft. Anderson in 1865, a structure which is today one of the best preserved earthen fortifications in the United States. Fully ADA accessible and rich in Colonial and Civil War history, this serene riverside setting makes for a memorable outing.
