Fort Howell
This Civil War fort, named for Gen. Joshua Blackwood Howell (1806-1864), was built by the U.S. Army to defend Hilton Head Island and the nearby freedmen’s village of Mitchelville from potential Confederate raids or expeditions. That village, just east of here, had been established by Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel in the fall of 1862 and was named for him after his death.
This fort was an enclosed pentagonal earthwork with a 23’ high parapet and emplacements for up to 27 guns. It was built from August to November 1864 by the 32nd U.S. Colored Infantry and the 144th N.Y. Infantry. Though Fort Howell never saw action, it is significant for its design and its structural integrity. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Where it stands. Beach City Rd., just SW of its junction with Dillon Rd., Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head Island