We all really enjoyed this sign. Finally a site with some common sense signage…
We are approaching the main entrance to the citadel.
This is called the sally port. It is the primary entrance to Fort Macon. The three sets of original doors date from 1843-44.
This is the inner court known as the parade ground. On either side of the parade are vaulted rooms known as casemates.
The upper area is called the Covertway. This is where the original cannon emplacements stood. This is also the best place to view the surrounding area.
The danger of naval attack along the North Carolina coast seems remote now but during the 18th and 19th centuries the region around Beaufort was extremely vulnerable to attack. Blackbeard and other pirates passed through Beaufort Inlet at will and successive wars with Spain, France and Great Britain during the Colonial Period provided a constant threat of coastal raids by enemy warships.
This area is the ditch and moat. This sunken area was deeper and could be turned into a moat by flooding it with sea water from a nearby canal. The moat posed an obstacle to an enemy assault.
Fort Macon was designed by Brig. Gen. Simon Bernard and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was named after North Carolina’s eminent statesman of the period, Nathaniel Macon.
And now back to Christmas preparations…
I managed to get down a few boxes from the attic and finally have our wreath on our front door. Are you sitting down? I don’t know how to explain it except for it being a God thing, our Christmas cards are in the mail. My roots were all fixed up by my great hairdresser today and I even got a last minute doctor appointment to check some nasty moles on my head that the hairdresser was concerned about. All is well, sigh of relief. I truly hope all is well with all of you, too! Blessings.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
We went there toward the end of Summer, it was a great fort to check out and the audio history telling in each room was cool.
It reminds me of a fort in Maine, but then it would be from the same era.
My goodness, you’ve been busy. So glad that everything is a-okay. Thank goodness for attentive hairdressers! God is good.
What a fascinating fort!
Glad your doctor gave you an all’s clear!
It is fun to visit historical places! Looks like you guys were the only ones there that day! Unless the other people were just not in your pictures. I am glad you are okay. Greatful for the unexpected blessings in our lives! Have a very Merry Christmas!
~Linnea
What a great place to visit! I am glad all is well with you. Christmas blessings to you and yours.
You guys made the most of your time there with Katie … really helping her to settle by making memories of places she has been with you too.
That fort looks a lot like Fort Henry in Kingston – probably the same vintage.
I’m so glad that you saw your doctor and got the ‘all clear’ so that you can relax into your Christmas preparations.
Love a post whereby I learn a bit of history.
Now that we have seen this historical part of your lives, we also anticipate the joys of Christmas as you begin to prepare…and interesting how these things all mingle together, regardless of the time of year.
Ellen B! How are you my friend??? Looks as if you’ve been super busy and having fun as well. North Carolina looks gorgeous! The fort looks similar to one hubby and I visited in Quebec. I really need to catch up on your travels.
Hope you have a great Christmas if I don’t pop in before then.
OH! you’ve got snow!!! How did you do that? I had snow for awhile and then accidentally deleted it. Could you email me the link?
xoxo cori g.
Cori G., I don’t have a link for the snow. WordPress just did without me asking :0)
Thanks for taking us along…..I’ve only toured one fort in my life….lots of history.