News Release

Hilton Head Island Honors Its Past With New Historical Marker

November 1, 2023

Hilton Head Island has unveiled a new historical marker at Fort Howell, one of the best-preserved Civil War-era fortifications in South Carolina, to honor and acknowledge the dedicated efforts that shaped this area.

On Wednesday, the Town’s staff and other historical ambassadors revealed a marker that more comprehensively recognizes the significant contributions made by the 32nd U.S. Colored Infantry in the construction of Fort Howell, located on Beach City Road. This fort holds a prominent place on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a key site on the National Park Service's Network to Freedom, which encompasses the Underground Railroad and the Civil War Discovery Trail.

Working closely with the Hilton Head Land Trust, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and their historical marker contractor, the Town staff collaborated to create an improved and updated marker. "The new sign symbolizes the unity of Hilton Head Island, bridging the gap between the soldiers and leaders who played pivotal roles in the fort's construction and the protection of the Island. It's now one sign that, while still having two sides, conveys a single cohesive narrative of our history," said Mayor Alan Perry.

The brand-new marker replaces one that had long occupied the Fort Howell site but didn’t provide a complete account of the fort’s construction and its true purpose. Originally built in 1864, it was intended to safeguard and defend the nearby Mitchelville, the first freedman's village in the United States for formerly enslaved men, women, and children.

Historical records show 500 officers and men from the 32nd U.S. Colored Infantry worked for more than two months to create this natural encampment known as an "earthwork fort." It was designed to be manned by artillerymen and as many as 27 large weapons. Many historians felt these facts about the fort deserved more prominence on the marker.

The new marker not only pays tribute to U.S. Army Generals Joshua Blackwood Howell and Ormsby M. Mitchel but also underscores the pivotal role played by the 32nd U.S. Colored Infantry in the construction of Fort Howell.