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Once a marvel of military engineering, Fort Pulaski was abandoned at the turn of the 20th century. Deserted for years, the forgotten fort fought a different kind of battle against vandals, mother nature, and time. It wasn’t until the nation fell into the Great Depression that Fort Pulaski’s future began to change for the better. The Great Depression When the Great Depression began in the early 1930s, many young people in the United States could not find work. In an attempt to boost the devastated economy, the federal government appropriated money for projects in national parks through a program called the Emergency Conservation Worker Program. Projects included reforestation,fire-fighting, insect control, and road & trail construction. Several new agencies were created, putting thousands of young people to work revitalizing the nation’s most important natural and historical resources. 
NPS Photo New Deal Agencies at Fort PulaskiIn 1933, Fort Pulaski National Monument was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service for preservation and protection. The Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Public Works Administration (PWA) did much of the early development of the park, preparing it for public visitors. The CWA was established to employ 4 million Americans in small projects to repair and renovate public facilities. In December 1933, 212 men were assigned to Fort Pulaski. They were tasked with cleaning up Cockspur Island, removing dense vegetation from the parade ground and fort walls, conducting engineering surveys, constructing walkways, and excavating drainage canals. The following year, approximately 175 men established CCC Camp 460 on Cockspur Island near Fort Pulaski. These were just a few of the 12,600 CCC workers employed in national parks across the country. Enrollees of the newly formed CCC completed many of the projects started by the CWA on Cockspur Island and commenced several more. These included mosquito control, constructing sidewalks and drainages, repairing the historic dike system, building more than five miles of trails, and excavating the moat and canals by hand until a suction pump arrived on the island. By December 1935 the newly installed sluice gates were opened, allowing the Savannah River to fill the moat for the first time in 60 years.
NPS Photo A Skilled Work Force NeededThe Public Works Administration (PWA) employed highly skilled craftsmen, concentrating on technical jobs such as building bridges, dams, and housing developments. Similiar skills were necessary to restore Fort Pulaski’s historic character. In September 1934, the PWA began work at the fort itself, fixing the lead roof, restoring the officers’ quarters and barracks rooms, repairing the gorge wall walkway, repointing brickwork, rebuilding wooden casemate doors & the northwest stairway, and installing electrical wiring for lights and a telephone. By June 1936, the PWA had largely completed their work, erecting a new flagpole and reconstructing the drawbridge using original blueprints. All the New Deal agencies were supervised under a military-like regime of fitness and discipline, but life at Fort Pulaski wasn’t all hard labor. The men were given time for classroom instruction and recreational opportunities such as playing basketball, photography, writing home, or spending time on the water.
NPS Photo The Eve of World War IIAs the 1940s began, unemployment levels decreased, war was imminent, and public support of the New Deal agencies waned. By 1941, the National Park Service closed all CCC camps not supporting the war effort. Ultimately, the CWA, CCC, and PWA contributed over a quarter million dollars into restoring the fort, constructing administrative offices, a museum, and a bridge to the island. While World War II unfolded, the CCC at Fort Pulaski took on one last project: installing a visitor welcome sign at the park entrance. Almost immediately afterward, Cockspur Island was taken over by the United States Navy for use during WWII and Fort Pulaski was closed to the public from 1942-1946.
NPS Photo Preservation TodayToday, a team of historic preservationists continues to preserve and protect the historic character of Fort Pulaski National Monument. Your entry fee supports the challenges of sustaining a preservation program for a fort and lighthouse that are nearly 200 years old.Between October 2016 and September 2017, Fort Pulaski National Monument sustained nearly $3 million in damages from hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and an unrelated EF-2 tornado. Three natural disasters in less than a year have created a whole new set of preservation challenges that Fort Pulaski staff continue to adapt to and manage. The Ultimate Fixer-Upper
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Last updated: December 7, 2020