The Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Brunswick County, North Carolina has a long and storied history. Until recently, archaeological analyses did not extend into the waters of the Cape Fear River bordering the historic site. Following modern river development, the historic site’s shoreline is rapidly eroding from a combination of dynamic wave energy and a changing environment. These effects are uncovering and destroying significant submerged heritage sites previously covered by the retreating tidal salt marsh at the water’s edge. The Brunswick Town Colonial Waterfront Project is an effort to recover information about waterfront archaeological sites associated with the colonial port town before valuable diagnostic information is swept by the tide. This paper will discuss recent findings and the patterns emergent in the dynamic environment as part of the ongoing project led by East Carolina University’s Program in Maritime Studies alongside NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources partners.

During East Carolina University Program in Maritime Studies’ 2024 and 2025 field schools several waterfront structures were identified and investigated via non-disturbance techniques as well as excavation. This paper provides an overview of the investigations of those structures and their potential associations with waterfront activities at Brunswick Town – drawing links between the land and sea. More specifically, the paper reports on an anomalous coquina-walled structure on Lot 23 that may be associated with an early 1738 ferry location.

Brunswick Town was one of the busiest port towns in colonial America, at one point serving as the largest exporter of naval stores in the world. After its abandonment in the late 18th century, Brunswick Town remained relatively untouched for almost 150 years. This lack of development has resulted in a high level of preservation for colonial artifacts. Despite the revolutionary work done by Stanley South and others over the years, research into the waterfront of Brunswick Town has been comparatively neglected. Lot 23 was the first Lot sold in 1726, and it was occupied throughout the lifespan of the town. It was also a waterfront property and potentially served as the site of the town’s ferry. Typological investigation of the artifacts recovered from this site may yield incredible insight into the use-life of the property and the development of trade and transport in Brunswick Town.

The colonial landscape of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site (BTFA) has long been the subject of archaeological research. Increased erosion of a marsh along the Cape Fear River, however, is rapidly exposing the site’s well-preserved eighteenth-century waterfront. Among the features recorded is a shipwreck first identified mostly buried in the riverbed but later became disarticulated and deposited on a nearby beach. Over 40 timbers were recovered in May of 2026 by a collaborative team from East Carolina University, North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch, and BTFA. Preliminary analysis of the timbers and wood samples suggest it was likely built in Spanish Caribbean colonies in the eighteenth-century. As the only historically reported shipwreck of Spanish origin in the area, the remains may belong to the Cuban privateer La Fortuna, which exploded near the colonial wharves at Brunswick Town during an attack in September 1748.