Robert E. Harrill, also known as “The Hermit,” is a character woven into the history of Fort Fisher, NC. He surely one of the most famous characters in Pleasure Island. He has been the subject of a documentary, a book, a “society” and has written many articles about his life and his times. He lived “off the ground” in an old abandoned World War II bunker for 16 years. Harrill hitchhiked to Fort Fisher on the North Carolina coast from the mountains in search of peace and refuge from an abusive and disappointing life. In his early 60s, he finally decided to get away from society and get closer to nature. His life was sad, sweet, inspiring and brave; his death shrouded in mystery just adds another layer to his story. He was gregarious, teaching his version of “the school of common sense”, in the late 1960s it was considered to be the second largest tourist attraction in the state of North Carolina after the battleship USS North Carolina.
I followed the “Hermit Trail” to the bunker I used to call home. Like everyone else, I’m intrigued by a man who lived in the middle of a salt marsh, right by the ocean, independently for so long. He lived off the “fat of the land”, here on the coast it was oysters, fish and a garden that he himself planted. He faced the hurricanes, the humidity and the heat of the Carolina summers, he fought for his right to stay in his “home” against developers and other authorities who considered him a vagrant. Mainly, his friends were animals, stray cats, dogs and wild raccoons. Although I do not imagine that he felt lonely for human company, it has been said that he kept a guest book that at his death contained no less than 100,000 entries. These passers-by made his contributions, throwing money into his pan or sharing some food. He also accepted donations for posing in a photo.
He was quoted in 1968 in the New Hanover Sun regarding his popularity,
“Everyone should be a hermit for a few minutes or an hour or so every 24 hours, to study, meditate, and commune with their creator…millions of people want to do exactly what I’m doing, but as it is, it’s much easier thought than done, they unconsciously choose me to represent them, that’s why I’m successful…”
I imagine he didn’t miss much food or drink. There is an entry on his website from a local who was about 16 at the time and used to drive him into town for groceries. The man remembers stacking 30 bags of groceries in his trunk!
letters and stories, along with his collected personal writings, indicate that he lived a hard life. He grew up through depression in an abusive home as a child. His marriage ended in divorce and his eldest son’s committee committed suicide. I can relate to his desire to escape to a simpler life. However, to continue his story, his youngest child, Edward, founded The Hermits’ Society. The Hermit’s inspirations, “teachings” and thoughts are recorded in photographs and film.
His death on June 3, 1972 was listed as a heart attack. The Hermit was found by a group of teenagers early in the morning. His body was in an eagle position spread out on a pile of garbage. I find it hard to convey how sad this makes me.
You can still visit his bunker and walk the trail from Fort Fisher/South End Beach Access. The trail starts in front of the Visitor Center. The trail is about ¼ mile to the bunker. You can continue to the Observatory deck at the top of the island, where you can see herons, ibis, egrets, and other amazing coastal colonial birds. A regular sight for our friend the hermit.
Having learned all this about Robert Harrill, I felt compelled to follow him and find his grave. It is located on Dow Road in the Federal Point Methodist Cemetery. It is a quiet spot by the river in a shady, historic area of the grounds. The grave itself is covered in shells that have been left as keepsakes, in fact I left one myself as I knelt down to read the headstone. He says “He made people think.” I’m not the only one, visitors to him are still looking for him, more recently a DVD of the movie Fort Fisher Hermit was also left at Robert’s grave. His life story, “The Battle for Independence; The Life and Times of the Hermit of Fort Fisher” is for sale at lulu.com.