Fort Frederica National Monument, on

St. Simons Island, Georgia St. Simons Island (or simply St. Simons) is a barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located on St. Simons Island in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. The names of the community and the island are interchangeable, known simply as ...

, preserves the archaeological remnants of a fort and town built by

James Oglethorpe James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to r ...

between 1736 and 1748 to protect the southern boundary of the British colony of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

from

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

raids. About 630 British troops were stationed at the fort. A town of up to 500 colonial residents had grown up outside the fort; it was laid out following principles of the

Oglethorpe Plan The Oglethorpe Plan is an urban planning idea that was most notably used in Savannah, Georgia, one of the Thirteen Colonies, in the 18th century. The plan uses a distinctive street network with repeating squares of residential blocks, commercial ...

for towns in the Georgia Colony. The town was named Frederica, after

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fa ...

, son of King George II. The monument was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on October 15, 1966.

History

In the early 18th century, Europeans called the land lying between British South Carolina and

Spanish Florida Spanish Florida ( es, La Florida) was the first major European land claim and attempted settlement in North America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, ...

the "Debatable Land". Today's state of Georgia was then the center of a centuries-old imperial conflict between Spain and Britain. After the

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

founded the colony of Georgia in 1733, to provide a place where poor debtors could settle, colonists from England and Scotland, and refugees from the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Electorate of the Palatinate The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine o ...

built Fort Frederica in 1736 to defend their new territory. They named Frederica for

, (1707–1751). The name was feminized to distinguish it from Fort Frederick in South Carolina. In the 1742 battles of Bloody Marsh and Gully Hole Creek, forces under Oglethorpe successfully repulsed Spanish attempts to invade St. Simons Island. Afterward the Spanish no longer threatened the colony; in 1749 the government disbanded the

garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mili ...

at Frederica. Soon the village fell into economic decline, and by 1755 it was mostly abandoned. The town survived a fire in 1758, but after a few more years, it was abandoned. Naturalist

William Bartram William Bartram (April 20, 1739 – July 22, 1823) was an American botanist, ornithologist, natural historian and explorer. Bartram was the author of an acclaimed book, now known by the shortened title '' Bartram's Travels'', which chronicled ...

visited the site in March, 1774. Though it was in ruins he noted that there was still a small garrison there. Fort Frederica was documented and authorized as a

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spe ...

on May 26, 1936, under the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

.para.7
During this period, the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(WPA) sponsored numerous surveys of historic areas and buildings across the country to identify, document and protect the resources for the future, as well as to provide employment. Starting in 1947, the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

and the Ft. Frederica Association, a citizens' interest group, sponsored a series of

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

investigations at the Frederica site. Using information from 18th-century maps and journals as guides, the archaeologists excavated sections of the fort and village. By correlating the archaeological data with the historic documents and excavating remains of structures, the archaeologists have provided important insight into Frederica's past and colonial history, a complex time of international rivalries. As a historic area under the National Park Service, the National Monument was listed on the

on October 15, 1966. Fort Frederica is open to the public and admission is free.

Gallery

File:Fort Frederica 1742.jpg, Historical layout of the colonial fort File:FortFredMagazine.jpg, The

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

of Fort Frederica File:FortFredBackside.jpg, Fort Frederica on riverfront File:FortFredBarracks.jpg, Remains of Fort Frederica barracks File:FredericaHomesite.jpg, Remains of Frederica house File:StSimonsMap.jpg, Modern map of the area File:Frederica, St. Simons Island, Georgia.jpg, Historical layout of the town

Related sites

Fort Argyle Old Fort Argyle Site is a historic site near Savannah. It is in Fort Stewart in Bryan County, Georgia. It was an English military settlement. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 1975. Access is restricted. There w ...

Battle of Bloody Marsh The Battle of Bloody Marsh took place on 7 July 1742 between Spanish and British forces on St. Simons Island, part of the Province of Georgia, resulting in a victory for the British. Part of the War of Jenkins' Ear, the battle was for the Brit ...

Battle of Gully Hole Creek The Battle of Gully Hole Creek was a battle that took place on July 18, 1742 (new style) between Spanish and British forces in the Province of Georgia, resulting in a victory for the British. Part of a much larger conflict, known as the War of ...

* Castillo de San Marcos National Monument *

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* Fort King George * Fort Matanzas National Monument * Fort Morris State Historic Site *

Wormsloe Historic Site The Wormsloe Historic Site, informally known as Wormsloe Plantation, is a state historic site near Savannah, Georgia, in the southeastern United States. The site consists of protecting part of what was once the Wormsloe Plantation, a large estate ...

* List of National Monuments of the United States

Footnotes

References

* ''The National Parks: Index 2001–2003''. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

* Official NPS website
Fort Frederica National Monument

Archeology at Fort Frederica National Monument

* ttp://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/glynn/fort-frederica Fort Fredericahistorical marker * {{authority control Government buildings completed in 1748 Infrastructure completed in 1748 Archaeological sites in Georgia (U.S. state) Frederica National Park Service National Monuments in Georgia (U.S. state) History of the Thirteen Colonies Military and war museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Museums in Glynn County, Georgia Archaeological museums in Georgia (U.S. state) Protected areas established in 1936 Frederica Frederica Protected areas of Glynn County, Georgia Frederica 1736 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state) National Register of Historic Places in Glynn County, Georgia Former county seats in Georgia (U.S. state) St. Simons, Georgia