Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves England's first New World settlements and the cultural heritage of Native, European, and African Americans.

Here, the first infant cries of English colonization in the New World (1584-1590) burst upon the world. These efforts, sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, ended with the disappearance of 116 men, women and children, including two that were born in the New World. The fate of this lost colony remains one of the world's great mysteries.

This site also celebrates the preservation of Native American culture and was the location of an important Freedmen's Colony during the Civil War era. One of the early radio pioneers, Reginald Fessenden, conducted many of his experiments here.