Most People Have No Idea South Carolina Has A Lost National Park

A LOST National Park is sitting in plain sight in South Carolina. It may surprise you to learn just how close it is to the historic city of Charleston, or of the state of disrepair in which it currently exists. Here's the story behind Castle Pinckney in South Carolina...

In defense of the beautiful City of Charleston, it's not their fault a national treasure - Castle Pinckney - is collapsing into the sea. It was abandoned in 1951 by the National Park Service and left to rot in the spoils of the salt air, sea and wind.

In addition to a few minor assigns, Castle Pinckney served as both a defense fortress and a prison for union soldiers and officers during the Civil War.

However, some like to speculate a single defense shot was never fired from the fortress.

A uniquely-designed round fortress, Castle Pinckney was built in 1812 on top of the remains of a previous log and earthen fort. After the Civil War some modifications were made to prepare for the Spanish-American War. Following, a lighthouse was built on the fort in the late 1800s. It operated until the early 1900s.

Then, in 1924 Castle Pinckney was declared a U.S. National Monument by presidential decree. Its neighbors to the north and south, Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter, too were added to the esteemed list of National Monuments. All three would fall under the umbrella of the National Park Service. But one of them would eventually be sacrificed.

In 1956 Castle Pinckney was removed from that list and given to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Over the years and decades, the stewardship of this lost national park has changed hands almost too many times to keep up.

The most recent news of Castle Pinckney reports it was purchased by the Fort Sumter Camp No. 1269, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Unconfirmed reports say the group bought this lost national park for ten confederate dollars.

Did you know South Carolina had a lost national park? If you've ever taken the boat tour to Ft. Sumter then you have likely passed right by this forgotten national treasure. You can learn more about Castle Pinckney in South Carolina by visiting its website.

If you enjoy exploring the abandoned sites of South Carolina, here is an entire list of some you can check out.