The British Colony of Georgia was born in 1732 when General James Oglethorpe was granted a charter by King George II. The colony was to be established in an area referred to as "Debatable Land" in between the British Carolinas and Spanish Florida. Great Britain and Spain didn't like each other very much in those days, (hadn't liked each other for several centuries, actually). Oglethorpe saw Georgia, being the southern-most of the original Thirteen Colonies, as a good place to establish a military buffer for defense in case Spain ever thought about expanding its territory.

Oglethorpe established a fort and town on St. Simons Island in 1736. The name "Frederica" was chosen as an homage to King George II's son Frederick, Prince of Whales, but feminized to Frederica to avoid confusion with Fort Frederick in Port Royal, South Carolina. Little by little, settlers made their way across the pond to begin new lives. The town's population grew to more than 1,000 over the next decade.

Conflicts arose between Oglethorpe's regiment and Spanish soldiers from Florida culminating in the Battle of Bloody Marsh in 1742. The Spanish were defeated and forced to retreat never to bother Fort Frederica again. And all was well . . .

. . . until Oglethorpe's regiment was disbanded in 1749. With the main reason why the town existed in the first place now gone, Fort Frederica began a period of decline. Many of the residents relocated, and the population dwindled. A great fire in 1758 reduced what was left to ruins. The town was abandoned a short time later.

Fort Frederica was rediscovered in the early 20th century. National Monument status was granted in 1936. Archaeological exploration of the site began in 1947. Today, Fort Frederica National Monument is open to the public. Being one of the places I was unable to see last year, I made sure it was going to be open this year.

The Visitor Center features a museum housing displays of artifacts found at the site, a 23 minute film detailing the history of the fort, and the historical grounds which can be explored via self-guided or Ranger guided tours.

I walked around the museum and watched the movie before heading out to the grounds.

The marker seen in the photos above and below describes the history of how this historic site came to be.

"The Town" referenced on the front of the marker in the photo above is exactly what it says - the entire town.

Fort Frederica was laid out according the Oglethorpe Plan, an urban planning method created by General James Oglethorpe and previously utilized when he founded Savannah in 1732. The town was populated mostly by those familiar with a specific trade who prospered supplying the needs of the regiment soldiers.

Using historical records and archaeological findings, researchers have pieced together a story of the town and its inhabitants

Fort Frederica became a National Monument in 1936, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

The entire 218-acre area is open to the public.

Markers are placed everywhere historical information has been confirmed. A "Suggested Tour Route" is labeled for those exploring on their own.

Oglethorpe designed the town in a grid format complete with streets and alleys. Settlers were granted lots measuring 60 feet wide and 90 feet deep, all of which were evenly spaced.

The main thoroughfare through town was the 75-foot wide Broad Street.

While it certainly is possible that The World's Oldest Profession may have been part of life at Fort Frederica, The Flesh Market, in this case, refers to a butcher shop.

Dwellings in Fort Frederica were built mainly from wood. Some of the nicer homes in the town were made of brick or tabby. Those who needed temporary shelter while waiting for a house to be built, or who just could not afford a house at all built thatched huts which is suspected in this case. Historical records indicate a butcher shop occupied the lot shown in the photo above. But no trace of a building has been found.

Mary Musgrove Matthews was the daughter of a Creek Indian mother and served as General Oglethorpe's Indian Interpreter. She was highly valued for her abilities.

Records indicate she had a tabby house on the lot shown in the photo above.

Like in any town, residents would come and go buying and selling homes in the process. Shoemaker John LeValley, Jr. was the first occupant of the lot seen in the photos above and below.

Census records from the day indicate LeValley moved after a few years. Primrose Maxwell, a soldier, moved in and is thought to be the person who built the tabby house discovered here, the remains of which are shown in the photo above.

After original lot owner John Humble died in 1740, Dr. Frederick Holzendorf bought the lot described by the marker seen in the photo above.

Humble was thought to have had only a thatched hut. Holzendorf was thought to have built the two-story tabby discovered here, the remains of which are shown in the photo above.

Even though the town started to decline in 1749 after Oglethorpe's regiment was disbanded, "new" homes have been discovered on the premises. In the case of the remnants seen in the photo above, records seem to indicate that James Spaulding built a home on this lot around 1768. Artifacts from the 19th century were discovered when the remains were excavated.

Captain James MacKay, a soldier, is believed to have built the rather nice two-story house that occupied the lot described by the marker seen in the photo above.

The home is thought to have been destroyed in the town fire of 1758. Burnt wood and melted glass were discovered in the ruins seen in the photo above.

Carpenter Daniel Cannon is thought to have built his own home on the lot described in the photo above.

Cannon is also thought to have built several other homes in the town, as well as oars for Oglethorpe's boats.

The photo above shows the intersection of Broad and Cross Streets, the center of the fort.

"Oranges" were mentioned on several of the markers I saw, indicating they were a popular crop at Frederica.

John Calwell wore many hats in town, one of which was candlemaker.

Records indicate that his tabby home that occupied the lot shown below was quite nice. Evidence of two fireplaces and a bake oven have been discovered at the location seen in the photo above.

The home of Merchant Patrick Houstoun and his wife Priscilla is thought to have been made of wood.

The Houstouns had 6 children including John, a future Governor of the state.

Looking up at a giant tree covered in Spanish Moss.

The lot described by the marker seen in the photo above indicates that the idea of a duplex, two houses that share a common wall, has been around for a while.

And just like it is today, the close quarters can cause neighbors to get on each other's nerves. Tavernkeeper Samuel Davison and his family lived in the left house next to surgeon and magistrate Dr. Thomas Hawkins and his family. Records seem to indicate the 18th century version of a Jerry Springer episode often took place on the lot shown in the photo above.

The marker seen in the photo above describes the actual fort, itself.

The fort sits on the banks of the Frederica River ensuring Oglethorpe had a good view of both upstream and downstream activity.

Storehouses, a Magazine, and a blacksmith shop were located within its walls. A supply of fresh water was needed to sustain everything.

Surviving in this era required the ability to be self-sufficient. Oglethorpe realized that a massive amount of reserve provisions would needed for survival and constructed two large storehouses. These brick and timber buildings were 60 feet long, 20 feet wide, and three stories tall. The North Storehouse was built in 1736 and is thought to have contained food, tools, and weapons. Records seem to indicate that it was also used as a courthouse and church.

The Storehouses were made of brick and timber. The brick foundation is shown in the photo above, (as compared to the tabby foundations seen earlier).

The South Storehouse was built in 1738.

The bricks visible in the photo above were added during the original archaeological excavations to protect the remains of the original foundation.

The King's Magazine stood front and center against the banks of the Frederica River. Evidence seems to suggest the 96 foot wide structure served multiple purposes.

The two rooms shown in the photo above were thought to have been used to store gun powder.

This section of the magazine seen in the photo above has survived mostly intact.

The structure was stabilized and preserved during initial rediscovery efforts.

Moving top to bottom in the photo above, next to the gun powder storage rooms was the main entrance to the fort. Next to the entrance were several rooms used by the guards on duty.

The surviving walls of the King's Magazine.