During the American Civil War, Pleasure Island was the site of Confederate Camp Wyatt. The area is also home to the remains of Fort Fisher, which held significant strategic value to the Confederate supply chain. Fort Fisher was the largest earthwork fortification in the Confederacy and was the site of a major amphibious battle, before it fell to Union forces in 1865.The Fort Fisher portion of the island was home to various military installations between 1865 and 1988, including a World War II firing range and landing strip. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961, the first in North Carolina. It is now part of Fort Fisher State Historic Site, belonging to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and includes the main fort complex, a museum and a visitor center. Fort Fisher State Recreation Area is adjacent to the State Historic Site, just to the south.