At Fort Sumter park assets are divided into three major sections – historic, natural, and infrastructure/modern.

Historic assets include historic structures, museum collections, archaeology, and cultural landscapes. Fort Sumter National Monument contains more than 40 historic structures including Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, the Major Robert Anderson monument, and Battery Huger. Each of these historic structures is at least 50 years old. Museum collections are manmade and natural objects used in a historic setting such as buttons from a Civil War soldier’s jacket and animal bones from a Revolutionary War camp fire pit. Archaeology is the study of past cultures by excavating the ground once occupied by the people of the culture. Cultural landscapes are settings that humans have created in the natural world.

Barrier island habitats along with marsh and deep-water harbor make up the natural assets of Fort Sumter National Monument. Maritime forests are located in most undisturbed portions of the Barrier Island that lie above the high tide level. Marshlands are the inner connections between upland resources and subtidal resources. Marshes exist in the intertidal space that is flushed with water twice daily during each tide cycle. Beyond the barrier islands is Charleston harbor. Within these waters are fishes and crustaceans.

Infrastructure, or modern assets, includes those relatively small intrusions that surround manmade facilities, such as restrooms and visitor centers, and are provided to increase the comfort and enjoyment of the park visitor.

Preserving these assets for visitors and providing opportunities for enjoyment are the challenges facing park staff. The Resource and Maintenance division is responsible for preserving these assets. To help you to understand this aspect of park operations, the assets are divided into categories for easy access.