I love shrimp. And I’m willing to travel to find the good stuff. So I drove 50 miles North to B & J’s Steak and Seafood in the small town of Darien, Georgia, for what I’d heard was incredible wild Georgia shrimp. It was. But while in Darien I discovered something even more incredible (at least according to this history nerd): a stunning 18th-century British fortress complex.

Fort King George is the oldest British fort remaining on Georgia’s coast and was the southernmost outpost of the British Empire in North America.

The British built this fort here in 1721 because it was halfway between British-controlled Charles Town, South Carolina, and Spanish-controlled St. Augustine, Florida. But the British were not the only nation who valued this land along the Altamaha River; it was one of the most coveted areas in North America because it was rich in natural resources and had easily-accessible waterways. The Spanish had already built a mission on the fort’s land in 1600. It was destroyed later in the century, but the Spanish viewed the British claim here as an obstacle to their goal of expanding their empire North from Florida. The French wished to control the Altamaha River to expand their empire eastward while simultaneously blocking the British advance southward. These threats as well as the possibility of attacks by Guale Indians made Britain’s establishing the fort here imperative.

However, Fort King George was doomed from the start when England sent about 100 invalids and soldiers who were past their prime to protect it. Their harsh journey from England, compounded with poor diet, resulted in sick soldiers who could not even reach the fort but had to winter at a hospital in Port Royal, South Carolina, about 100 miles away. Months later the surviving members of the regiment finally arrived, but within a year almost half of them died due to fevers and disease. Conditions were so bad that when the fort burned down in 1726, its commanding officer suspected that his own men had set the fire!

By 1732, the British abandoned the rebuilt fort due to the hardships of maintaining it against threats of Spanish and Native American attacks in this harsh and unknown environment. Although it was manned for only six years (most of the troops were recalled from the fort in 1727), more than 140 officers and soldiers died here, mostly of diseases, and were buried on the adjacent bluff. However, despite these setbacks, the fort was successful in establishing British control over what is now Georgia.

In 1736, General James Oglethorpe brought Scottish Highlanders to the site, and they created the new outpost of Darien (originally called New Inverness), which is the second-oldest town in Georgia after Savannah. The sawmill they built eventually led to a large-scale lumber industry lasting until 1925.

In 1988, this 18^th-century fort was beautifully reconstructed based off of old records and drawings (the original wooden fort may have been destroyed by milling in the area). The most impressive part of the complex is the blockhouse, the main fort building. It is forty feet high with three levels: a powder, ammunition, and supply storage room on the lower level, a gun- and cannon-port room on the second floor, and a lookout post on the third floor.

The blockhouse is surrounded by earthen ramparts, officers’ quarters, barracks, a guardhouse, moat, palisades, and a museum. There are also tabby remains as well as ruins of three sawmills from the 19^th century when Darien was a major seaport. There is a beautiful, easy trail circling the property, too. This complex is a fantastic place for children to explore the blockhouse, climb around the moat, and peak in the guardhouse while parents absorb the interesting information on plaques scattered throughout the grounds. All these factors make Fort King George a fun and fascinating visit for the whole family.

Just be sure you behave, or else you could end up in the stocks like me. I’m innocent, I promise!

Visitor Information:

Tuesday–Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed Mondays (except holidays), Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s Day.
Closed Tuesday when open on Monday.

Admission:

• Adults (18–61): $7.50
• Seniors (62+): $7.00
• Youth (6–17): $4.50
• Children (under 6): Free

Address:

302 McIntosh Road SE
Darien, GA 31305
McIntosh County