Visitors can get a sense of what the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site was like in colonial times and the Civil War during two different living history programs being offered at no charge.
Before the American Revolution, Brunswick was a major port on the Cape Fear River in what is now called Winnabow. British troops destroyed the village in 1776 and it was never rebuilt, according to the state. Fort Anderson was constructed on top of the site during the Civil War, and was part of the river’s defenses south of Wilmington before the Confederacy fell.
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The first program for the fall, “The Carolina Blues: Indigo on the Cape Fear” is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.
The program is to illustrate how enslaved African laborers extracted dye from indigo plants, and the science behind dye production. Visitors will be able to watch and work an active fermentation vat during the day’s dyeing demonstrations. The Friends group that supports the site plan to sell shirts for $25 each to visitors to try their hand at dying material.
During the next program set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, costumed historic interpreters will explore colonial life and trades at the port with blacksmithing, woodworking, cooking, baking and candle dipping demonstrations. The event will feature a demonstration of an active tar kiln, which was essential to the production of valuable naval stores in the colony, and colonial games throughout the day.
The site is managed by North Carolina Historic Sites, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
