Fort Pulaski National Monument Landscape: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Fort Pulaski National Monument, National Park Service

Fort Pulaski National Monument is located at the mouth of the Savannah River in east Georgia and encompasses land on Cockspur Island, McQueen's Island, Daymark Island, and the tiny islet upon which Cockspur Island Lighthouse stands. The 609-acre Fort Pulaski Historic Landscape associated with Fort Pulaski includes all of Cockspur Island and Islet. The remaining Fort Pulaski National Monument property is about 5516 total acres of tidal marshland, extending across the adjacent islands. Distinctive features within the site include the fort itself, the surrounding dike system, the Cockspur Island Lighthouse, remains of the North Pier, the Workmen’s Village site, and Battery Horace Hambright. Due to its strategic position, the island has supported nearly continuous military and governmental presence since the 18th century, containing features that are significant to a range of historical contexts including the Civil War, Spanish American War, New Deal Era, and World War II. An update to the park's 1975 National Register (NR) listing may be necessary, as it does not accurately reflect the period of significance, size of the landscape, or full list of contributing features. Based on analysis of this landscape and associated documentation, the CLI suggests a period of significance of 1829-1900. This begins with the building of the fort, includes its use during the Civil War, and continues to its roles as a quarantine station and defense structure during the Spanish-American War. Fort Pulaski National Monument is significant for its association to Confederate General Robert E. Lee, serving as the location of his first military assignment. The fort and the Cockspur Island Lighthouse also embody architectural importance. Fort Pulaski was considered an impregnable engineering marvel; this was not the case, however, as the fort came under siege by Union troops during the 1862 Battle of Fort Pulaski, which also marked the first use of the newly patented rifled cannon. A cycle of construction and hurricanes continued to change the appearance of the landscape until 1900, which included the additions of the Battery Horace Hambright and a quarantine station. The island also holds potential to yield archeological information about non-extant features of the site. A second period of significance, 1933-1942, is associated with New Deal improvements on the island realized by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Public Works Administration (PWA). During this time, vegetation was removed, the drainage ditch was partially excavated, and trails and structures were built. This work was closely followed by the U.S. Navy construction of World War II bunkers in 1943, still important for their military association to this period. The historic condition of the site is a low-lying island subject to tidal flooding, containing a masonry fort and associated buildings and structures. The land was cleared of vegetation since the time it became used as a military site, providing unique views to the ocean, river and marshes. The fort fell into disuse after construction of Fort Screven (1897), and President Calvin Coolidge established Fort Pulaski as a national monument in October 1924. The site was transferred to the National Park Service through an executive order from President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. The dominant features of the landscape, Fort Pulaski and the dike and ditch system, retain integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, and association. The landscape partially retains its open character, although much of the island is covered in a succession of maritime forest that compromises integrity of setting and feeling. Erosion and natural weather patterns continue to threaten the landscape and structures, including the lighthouse.

Fort Pulaski National Monument Landscape: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Fort Pulaski National Monument, National Park Service

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