Fort Fremont

Fort Fremont (1898-1921) - An Endicott Period Coastal Fort first established in 1898 as a military reservation on Saint Helena Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina.. Named in G.O. 43, 4 Apr 1900, after Major General John C. Fremont, U.S. Army, of South Carolina, famous for his early explorations in the far west and for the part taken by him in the early history of California. Abandoned in 1921.

Fort Fremont Preserve Sign

Fort Fremont 1904 Hospital Building now a Private Residence

Endicott Period

Part of the Harbor Defense of Port Royal Sound.

Two Endicott Period gun batteries were completed and turned over to the Coast Artilley on 2 Sep 1899. Battery Jesup was a 10" three gun battery and Battery Forance a 4.72" two gun rapid fire battery.

Fort Fremont was built out as a small, one company coast artillery post. The majority of the post buildings were completed in 1899 and 1900 including three CAC barracks with a total capacity of 109 men, five NCO quarters, three officers quarters, a mess hall, a guardhouse and a temporary hospital. A permanent brick hospital was completed 15 Oct 1904 and that is the only remaining building on the fort site. A total of 32 numbered structures were built on the post the last being a searchlight shelter.

A category 2 Hurricane struck the Fort Fremont area in late August 1911 destroying two post buildings, the post exchange and the firehouse. Additional damage was caused post wide.

By 1913 the decision was taken to abandon Fort Fremont as a garrisoned post and the Secretary of War ordered the majority of the buildings on the post destroyed. Only the brick hospital and one set of NCO quarters were retained. The post was put into caretaker status.

Fort Fremont Endicott Period Battery (edit list)

Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Notes
Battery Jesup	3	10"	Disappearing	1899-1918
Battery Fornance	2	4.72"	Pedestal	1899-1920
Source: CDSG

Fort Fremont Plan

World War I

All three of the 10" guns were removed from Battery Jesup during 1918 and not returned after the war leaving only Battery Forance armed after the war.

During World War I Fort Fremont was manned by a detachment of 30 CAC enlisted men and one officer beginning 15 May 1917. The detachment used the remaining brick hospital as a barracks and mess. By 13 Jan 1919 the detachment numbered 6 men and 2 civilians. The post was abandoned in 1921.

Current Status

Now a part of Fort Fremont Preserve acquired by Beaufort County Rural and Critical Lands Program. No period guns or carriages in place but the battery structures remain. Battery Fornance has been overbuilt with some kind of structure. Battery Jesup is structurally intact.

{"selectable":false,"width":"500"}

Location: Fort Fremont Preserve on Saint Helena Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Maps & Images Lat: 32.30527 Long: -80.64333 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 8'

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 713.
• CDSG

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Fremont

Visited: 25 Jan 2010

Fort Fremont Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!