The National Park Service has awarded the state a $75,000 grant to perform an archaeological assessment at the Brunswick Town-Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Winnabow.
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced the award this week that is to go toward an “up-to-date, all-encompassing study of the site’s waterfront where a significant colonial port once operated,” using the latest technology such as digital mapping, drone photography, ground-penetrating radar and shoreline monitoring.
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Only a quarter of Brunswick Town, which was established in 1726 as the state’s colonial seat of government, has been archaeologically excavated, according to the state. The previous archaeological investigations were limited and intermittent, preventing a comprehensive understanding of the historic artifacts and resources on the property.
Related: NOAA awards Brunswick Town shoreline project $2.5M grant
“Not since the archaeological investigations of Stanley South in the 1960s has a comprehensive assessment at the colonial capital and port of Brunswick Town been possible,” State Archaeologist Chris Southerly said in a statement. “With the modern tools and technology available, this grant will allow us to collect new and consistent data to better manage, steward, and protect this invaluable resource.”
The project was awarded under the National Park Service Semiquincentennial Grant Program, which commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War in 2026.
“Particularly as we reflect on Brunswick Town’s complex and important role in the founding of this country, we are excited by the possibilities of what this full assessment may reveal,” N.C. Historic Sites Director Michelle Lanier said. “We are extremely grateful that the National Park Service recognizes the urgency of this work and is investing in the long-term preservation of North Carolina’s cultural heritage.”
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