Rediscover Fort Raleigh National Historic Site!

Established in 1941, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site is located on Roanoke Island overlooking the Albemarle Sound. The park is best known as the site of the first attempted English settlement in the “New World,” which is often referred to as the “Lost Colony” for its mysterious disappearance. Prior to the arrival of the English, the island was the home of the Carolina Algonquian peoples.   

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site was also the site of the Freedmen’s Colony, which was established by freedom seekers and members of the Union Army during the Civil War. After the war, the colony was disbanded, but some brave individuals and families joined together to buy plots of land and establish a community on Roanoke Island. Many of their descendants still live on the island today.  

Thousands of visitors come to the park each year to learn how this small island has played such an important role in America’s history. 

Whether you visit the park every year or haven’t been in a while, make plans to rediscover this amazing park: 

• Reflect at the First Light of Freedom Monument. The First Light of Freedom monument commemorates the Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony that was set up during the Civil War. The colony provided a safe haven for freedom seekers to help prepare them for a new life. 
• Visit the reconstructed earthen fort. Archeological evidence shows an earthwork and science workshop were present on the site in the 1580s. Copper nuggets, charcoal, furnace bricks, and more were discovered just west of the earthwork, which could be the workshop site of Joachim Gans, a metal expert on the 1585 expedition. 
• Explore history and nature on two beautiful trails. The Freedom Trail is a 1.25 mile-trail through maritime forest that ends with views of the Croatan Sound on the western edge of the park, near the location where the Freedmen’s Colony and Civil War forts once stood. Return by the trail or use the bike path along Highway 64 for a loop back to the Visitor Center of 2.5 miles. For a shorter walk, check out the Thomas Hariot Trail, a 0.3-mile loop through the island’s maritime forest to the sandy shores of Albemarle Sound. Along the way you’ll learn about the forest habitat, the Carolina Algonquian methods for gathering food, and resources the English found valuable on Roanoke Island. 

• View the 1896 Monument. On November 24, 1896, the Roanoke Island Memorial Association dedicated the marker to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the “New World.”  

PS: If you use social media, follow Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to stay up to date with the latest happenings! 

The Freedmen’s Colony – The Civil War on Roanoke 
A beacon of hope! During the Civil War, Roanoke Island became a safe haven for freedom seekers. Discover the successes and struggles of the Freedmen’s Colony and its fate after the Civil War. 

The “Lost Colony” – Walking Tour
Delve into the history and mystery surrounding England’s first attempt to establish a colony in the new world. This walk follows paved sidewalks and is .25 miles in length.  Meet at the plaza outside the Visitor Center. This program is wheelchair accessible.  

This education garden will include three 2’ x 8’ raised garden beds that will be used to grow crops that were cultivated by the Carolina Algonquian and members of the Freedmen’s Colony. The garden will allow our park’s staff and volunteers to share why these crops were vital to the history of our community. 
 
The goal of this new education garden is to enhance the understanding of our local history, and to help our park better tell the important stories of the people who shaped our unique community. The garden will also focus on the role women from these communities played in leading, organizing, and performing agriculture.

Consider a tax-deductible gift today to help us continue to protect and enhance this special place.