Because of their remarkable state of preservation, and their importance in understanding early French and Spanish colonial practices, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001.

The site is accessible through the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Port Royal, South Carolina.

Charlesfort was established when a French expedition, organized by Huguenot leader Admiral Gaspard de Coligny and led by the Norman navigator Jean Ribault, landed at the site on the May River in May 1562, before moving north to Port Royal Sound.

After Ribault left, most of the settlers' stores were burned and Captain Albert de la Pierria died in a mutiny, possibly as a reaction to his heavy discipline.

Without supplies or leadership, and beset by hostility from the native population, all but one of the remaining colonists sailed back to Europe after only a year.

During the long voyage in an open boat, they were reduced to cannibalism: one crew member named La Chère was killed and eaten.

The ship was lost as she entered Port Royal Sound, and the men built a triangular fort, 130 feet on each side, enclosing five buildings.

In the summer of 1917 some of the earthworks associated with the first Fort San Felipe were leveled by United States Marine Corps personnel, filling in part of the moat.