Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is a small site in Manteo, North Carolina commemorating the first English settlement in the United States.
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Sir Walter Raleigh, a prominent Englishman, was one of the main proponents of the English colonization of America. After several earlier scouting expeditions, a little over 100 colonists, led by John White, sailed to the New World to start a colony. They intended to establish their colony in the area of the Chesapeake Bay but after stopping to check on the men from the scouting expeditions who were on Roanoke Island, the ship pilot forced them to remain at Roanoke.
White’s granddaughter, Virginia Dare, became the first English child born in the New World. White returned to England for supplies but was unable to return to Roanoke until 1590 due to the Anglo-Spanish War. Upon his return, he found the colony abandoned. The only clue as to what happened to them was the word “CROATOAN” carved into a tree. The fate of the “Lost Colony” remains unknown, even to this day.
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site visitor center offers a 20-minute movie giving the history of the colonization attempt, as well as presenting several theories as to the fate of the colony. There is a room with real Elizabethan wood carved walls where you can listen to recordings of various historical people discussing starting a colony in the New World. There is also an area of artifacts and signage. This area not only has information on the Roanoke settlement but also on other interesting historical events of the area. On Roanoke Island in 1902 Reginald Fessenden, an inventor, broadcast the first clear wireless voice transmission, earning him the title of “Father of Modern Radio.” The area is also historically significant due to the Civil War battle that took place there and the subsequent development of the Freedman Colony, a haven for African American families seeking to escape slavery and start new lives. A small gift ship completes the visitor center. Make sure to stop at the visitor center and get your passport stamp.
Outside, there isn’t much to see at Fort Raleigh. An earthen mound exists but it marks the site of the 1st fort built, not the site of the Lost Colony, whose exact location remains unknown. There are also several short, paved trails. Fort Raleigh offers ranger talks about the Lost Colony and the Freedman Colony. We listened to part of a talk about the Freedman Colony and found it very informative, entertaining, and enjoyable.
Fort Raleigh is a fee free site but connected to the site are both the Elizabethan Gardens and the Waterside Theatre, which do require admission fees. We did not visit the Elizabethan Gardens but we did attend “The Lost Colony”, the longest running outdoor symphonic drama in the United States at the Waterside Theatre.
Fort Raleigh offers a Jr. Ranger program for kids ages 3+. The Jr. Ranger program offers a fun way for kids to learn more about the site they are visiting and rewards them for their efforts by swearing them in as a Jr. National Park ranger and presenting them with a badge. This is the first location that we encountered that has two site specific jr. ranger badges but the kids can only choose one.
My Takeaway
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is a relatively small site that could easily be visited in an hour or two but if you are at the Outer Banks, it is well worth checking out this site that highlights not just one but several important pieces of United States history.