Fort Charlotte is located in McCormick County, South Carolina beneath the waters of the Strom Thurmond Lake. It was named for the reigning queen at the time. The Fort was made mostly of granite quarried from across the Savannah River. Construction began in the summer of 1765 and took a couple of years to complete because of structural complications as well as the constant threat of attack by the Creek Native Americans. The Fort measured approximately 170 foot squared with bastions at every corner and a wall height of between 10 and 20 feet. The Fort was built for defensive purposes—to protect local settlers, as opposed to being a trading fort, meant for Native American/ European trading. Almost as soon as the Fort was completed the British Royal (Federal) government abandoned the Fort by p