Live Oak Public Libraries and Fort Pulaski National Monument have partnered to host the special exhibit: Fort Pulaski’s Workers’ Village.

The exhibit features five panels highlighting the current archeology project at Fort Pulaski. The display covers the history of the Workers’ Village, special artifacts, and how climate change is affecting the fort and archeology work.

“We are thrilled to partner with Fort Pulaski to share this special exhibit with the community,” said Lola Shelton-Council, Executive Director of Live Oak Public Libraries. “Discovering new details from the past brings history alive and provides new insights in the present.”

While Fort Pulaski is known for its pivotal Civil War battle, the fort’s nearly 200-year history has many layered and complex stories that are told less frequently.

National Park Service archaeologists are investigating the Workers’ Village, which was initially home to the people who built the fort. The Workers’ Village later housed hospital patients, self-emancipated “contrabands,” officer’s families, and others, before the area was thoroughly demolished in the 1881 hurricane.

“Fort Pulaski archeologists are excited to bring more of the fort's stories to light,” said Laura Seifert, Cultural Resources Specialist for Fort Pulaski National Monument. “While most people know of the military presence at Fort Pulaski, it was civilians, including enslaved workers, who built the fort decades before the Civil War. We are even finding evidence that women and children were present in these early days. Archaeology is especially good at uncovering the everyday details of lives, and this exhibit allows us to share these artifacts, such as buttons from the workers' clothing and dishes from their kitchen table.”

Fort Pulaski archaeologists will present a special program on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 4:00pm at Islands Library. They will discuss their ongoing research and recent findings.

The Fort Pulaski’s Workers’ Village exhibit is free and open to the public. The display will be on view at Islands Library through April 28, 2023 and at Tybee Library through May 26, 2023.