(continued from previous page) war had significantly changed the lives of the Bethabara Moravians, leading to greater interaction with non-Moravian neighbors and the building of a second town, Bethania, to relieve overpopulation as the number of refugees fleeing to Bethabara swelled.
With help from neighbors, brethren felled trees and dug trenches to complete the fort in 18 days‌ The Bethabara palisade fort is the only French and Indian War fort in the Southeast reconstructed on the original site. In the early 1960s South Carolina State Archeologist Stanley South, an expert on historic archeology of early fortifications, researched, excavated and reconstructed the fort, uncovering the remains of the first fort during his archeological excavations. Fort posts followed the footprint of the palisades discovered during his excavations. In January 1990 the fort was reconstructed. A fort in need of protection The fort that once protected the Carolina piedmont’s Moravian forbearers now stands in need of protection. The fort has deteriorated and many of the posts have fallen, creating gaps in the walls. Others have become unstable. It is time for replacement, and the Park’s Board of Trustees, Historic Bethabara Park, Inc., has initiated a Save the Fort campaign to raise the funds necessary to reconstruct this structure. The project involves the removal of the existing posts, digging new footings, and installing pressure treated, hand hewn posts that will be set in stained concrete with 8
The Moravian