Kure Beach in New Hanover County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
32 Pounder Naval Cannon
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, January 24, 2025
1. 32 Pounder Naval Cannon Marker
Norfolk was abandoned by the United States
Banded and converted
at Richmond into a 6 Inch Rifle
Mounted at Fort Caswell North Carolina
Dismounted by exploding magazines
when the Confederates evacuated that fort
in January 1865
Presented by US War Department
1902
Erected 2024.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1865.
Location. 33° 58.314′ N, 77° 55.028′ W. Marker is in Kure Beach, North Carolina, in New Hanover County. It can be reached from Fort Fisher Boulevard South (U.S. 421) 0.1 miles north of Battle Acre Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is under the Visitor Center exterior overhang. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1610 Fort Fisher Boulevard South, Kure Beach NC 28449, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Coastal Plain and on the Cape Fear Coast. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named 32 Pounder Naval Cannon (a few steps from this marker); Fort Fisher & the Civil War (a few steps from this marker); "These are North Carolina's pets." (about 300 feet away); A Desolate Spit Of Land (about 400 feet away); 1st Battle Of Fort Fisher - December, 1864: A "Fiasco"
this page online
Other markers no longer nearby. Blockade-Running (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been confirmed missing); Fort Fishers Armstrong Cannon (was about 300 feet away but has been confirmed missing); A Trophy of War (was about 300 feet away but has been confirmed missing); History Trail (was about 400 feet away but has been confirmed missing); Growth of Fort Fisher, 1861-1862 (was about 400 feet away but has been confirmed missing); Lamb Expands the Fort, 1862-1865 (was about 400 feet away but has been confirmed missing).
More about this marker. This marker dates to 1902 and was originally erected on the lawn of the state Capitol building in Raleigh. It was removed from its original location along with the gun it describes in the aftermath of the George Floyd riots in 2020. The marker was re-erected
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, January 24, 2025
2. 32 Pounder Naval Cannon Marker
And the gun it describes.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This link directs the reader to the marker's previous page at its old location.
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, January 24, 2025
3. 32 Pounder Naval Cannon
This is the older of the two guns on display (1848 vs 1852) and is notable for the prominent spike stub still in the ignition hole. This view shows what is essentially a broken nail that would have been pounded into the hole used to light off the powder charge, crippling the cannon from immediate reuse.
Photographed by Hunter Ingram, Star News, 2020
4. 32 Pounder Naval Cannon Marker
This is the previous location of this marker and its associated gun, from a Wilmington Star News article dated 29 June 2020. The marker described here is on the gun mount to the right.
Photographed by Carol Highsmith, June 20, 2017
5. 32 Pounder Naval Cannon Marker
This is the original location of the marker, viewed in 2017, photo from the Library of Congress. There are two guns and two markers; this marker entry is about the gun and marker to the left of the statue in this image.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 94 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 17, 2025, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
