Brunswick Town

Brunswick Town is a colonial port settlement with preserved foundations, earthen ramparts, and church ruins scattered along the Cape Fear River. Archaeology has revealed details about how people lived and worked in this 18th-century community.

The settlement began in 1726 and quickly grew into one of the most important ports in the colony. It was destroyed in 1776 when British troops attacked during the fight for American independence.

The settlement served as a vital port for exporting naval materials needed by British ships traveling the seas. The river location made it easy for merchants to load cargo directly onto vessels from around the Atlantic world.

A visitor center displays artifacts and explains the different periods of the site with helpful displays. Walking paths lead to the ruins and are marked with information signs that guide you through the layered history.

Confederate soldiers built a fort directly over the colonial ruins in 1862 to defend nearby Wilmington during the Civil War. This unusual overlap of two historical periods remains visible on the grounds today.