About 18 months ago I went to the Parris Island Museum. It's on the Parris Island Marine Base near Beaufort, SC. Your cannot find a finer museum that encapsulates the history of the US Marines. There's alot to see. I looked through my phone and I have several photos that can tell the story of the process to build this diorama.
First a little history of Fort Marion.
On the left is the survey drawing of the fort in 1826 by the Marine Corps of Engineers. Note the drawing has an incorrect name of the fort. It was added later. It's odd, the name used was "Lyttleton",even mispelled Littleton. Fort Lyttleton was actually a fort on the same spot occupied by the British at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. It was a different fort altogether and none of the structures were used to construct Fort Marion. There was a third fort up river a few clicks that preceded both of them. Ft. Frederick built to protect settlers from the Yamasee Indians. Those ruins can be visited today. The map shows the location of the fort. It was south of Beaufort on "Spanish Point".
Spanish Point today is populated by upscale waterfront homes. There are a few small outcroppings but for the most part there are no ruins to visit. The last archeological survey done was in 1978. That survey is on fine at the Beaufort Library as a pdf. It was interesting, with one fort superimposed on the other. The survey however did not have ad site map so distinguishing locations of features was difficult for me. I believe the purpose of the site survey was to collect and catalog artifacts. It will be many years before another archeological dig can be performed. Aside from the homes, at the turn of the 19th century there was phosphate mining on Spanish Point.
First a little history of Fort Marion.
On the left is the survey drawing of the fort in 1826 by the Marine Corps of Engineers. Note the drawing has an incorrect name of the fort. It was added later. It's odd, the name used was "Lyttleton",even mispelled Littleton. Fort Lyttleton was actually a fort on the same spot occupied by the British at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. It was a different fort altogether and none of the structures were used to construct Fort Marion. There was a third fort up river a few clicks that preceded both of them. Ft. Frederick built to protect settlers from the Yamasee Indians. Those ruins can be visited today. The map shows the location of the fort. It was south of Beaufort on "Spanish Point".
Spanish Point today is populated by upscale waterfront homes. There are a few small outcroppings but for the most part there are no ruins to visit. The last archeological survey done was in 1978. That survey is on fine at the Beaufort Library as a pdf. It was interesting, with one fort superimposed on the other. The survey however did not have ad site map so distinguishing locations of features was difficult for me. I believe the purpose of the site survey was to collect and catalog artifacts. It will be many years before another archeological dig can be performed. Aside from the homes, at the turn of the 19th century there was phosphate mining on Spanish Point.
