Built with wood from local palmetto trees, Fort Moultrie rose to fame in 1776 when it held off the British during the American Revolutionary War. The soft palmetto log walls helped thwart the attack by absorbing the British shells. After the battle, the palmetto tree became the symbol of South Carolina, and it is still known as the Palmetto State. The present brick fort dates from 1809 and was an active military installation until 1947.