By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

The ruins of the colonial Fort Frederica overlook the coastline of St. Simons Island.

I just love to go to old forts and tramp around. So what better place to visit an old fort than St. Simons Island on the Georgia Coast?

Fort Frederica National Monument is really an archaeological site that tells the story of the 1736 town and fort built by General James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia, and a group of British Colonists. Oglethorpe’s main purpose for building Frederica was to protect the coastline and the colonies to the north from the dreaded Spanish, who were headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida. Two battles were fought on St. Simons, the 1742 Battles of Gully Hole and Bloody Marsh – which really wasn’t that bloody. But the British victory over the Spanish eventually led to the abandonment of Fort Frederica and the town’s decline.

Most artifacts collected at Fort Frederica since archeological investigations began in 1947 are stored offsite, but the site is a fun place to explore and think about the people who built it and lived there. A 23-minute film about the park, “Fort Frederica, History Uncovered,” is shown every 30 minutes in the visitor’s center. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Fort Pulaski National Monument on Georgia’s Coast is a place where kids can experience cannon firings, musket and soldering demonstrations and learn something about the history of the Civil War as well. 

If you want to coax a little history on children, one of the best ways to do it is to visit a fort. I love to take kids to forts. They can run around, make noise, and are usually fascinated by the cannons, drawbridges, and moats, as well as the idea that people (soldiers) actually once lived in this place.

Fort Pulaski National Monument is a good introduction to forts for any family. Fifteen miles east of Savannah, it stood guard over the Savannah River for over 150 years. The Battle of Fort Pulaski in April 1862 marked a turning point in this country’s military history because it signaled the end of the masonry fortifications that had guarded the coastline. Those new rifled cannons belonging to the Union Army shattered the fort’s walls from over a mile away, and Confederate troops at the fort eventually surrendered. (more…)