Fort Frederica National Monument, St Simons Island, Georgia, USA
Fort Frederica National Monument preserves the archaeological remnants of a fort and town built by James Oglethorpe between 1736 and 1748 to protect the southern boundary of the British colony of Georgia from Spanish raids.
Fort Frederica National Monument: 6515 Frederica Rd, St Simons Island, Georgia, USA
In the early 1700’s, Georgia was the epicenter of a centuries-old conflict between Spain and Britain.
In 1736, three years after the founding of Savannah, James Oglethorpe established Fort Frederica to protect his southern boundary. 44 men and 72 women and children arrived to build the fort and town, and by the 1740s Frederica was a thriving village of about 500 citizens.
Colonists from England, Scotland, and the Germanic states came to Frederica to support the endeavor. Georgia’s fate was decided in 1742 when Spanish and British forces clashed on St. Simons Island. Fort Frederica’s troops defeated the Spanish in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, ensuring Georgia’s future as a British colony.
However, the declining military threat to the Georgia coast saw the Fort’s regiment disbanded in 1749.
The visitor center.
The red dots are the forts along the coast.
View toward the town, but no building remained.
Map of the Fredrica
This was the site of the town wall, but the walls are gone now
The road in front of you is where Broad Street was
The only thing that remained is the foundation of the buildings
Looking toward the ocean
The function of the building was identified by materials found in the building
The town was destroyed by fire and was not rebuilt because the town was no longer needed.
Looking back
Only the small remnant of the fort remains
Looking back
Walking back
