Fort Benjamin Hawkins

Fort Benjamin Hawkins was a fort, built in 1806 by the United States government under the administration of President Thomas Jefferson. It overlooked the ancient Indian mounds of the Ocmulgee Old Fields, as well as, the future site of Macon, Georgia, across the river.

History

Fort Hawkins was a War of 1812 frontier fort and U.S. Army headquarters complex that operated from 1806 to 1821, which was located in present-day Macon, Georgia. In fact, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Hawkins chose this site because the fort overlooks the sacred Native American lands of the Ocmulgee Old Fields, transportation on the Ocmulgee River. People from the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw Nations, England, Germany, Ireland, the Muskogee Nation, Scotland, the Seminole Nation, Spain and West Africa are historically represented at the fort.

Preservation and reconstruction

From 1928 to 1938, through the efforts of the Macon Kiwanis Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and with the Works Progress Administration, a replica of Fort Hawkins' southeastern blockhouse was reconstructed on the exact location of the original, using some of the original stones in the basement section. The upper floors are made of concrete formed to simulate the original wood timbers.

During reconstruction, archaeological studies in 1936 conducted at the site revealed the location and extent of some of the stockade walls and corner blockhouses. Further archaeological investigations of the fort site were conducted in 1871. These excavations uncovered many everyday items used by the fort's inhabitants. The City of Macon acquired the historic site in 2002. The replicated southeast blockhouse, which is occasionally opened to the public, is a Macon icon.

Currently, the City of Macon’s Fort Hawkins Commission is raising funds to reconstruct the entire 1.4 acre (5,700 m²) stockade. Extensive archaeological excavation of the fort were conducted in 2005 and 2006, led by archaeologist Dan Elliott. These excavations revealed not one, but two, forts, as well as many thousands of artifacts from the fort era (1806-1821) that paint a colorful picture of life on the American frontier.

External links

* [http://www.cityofmacon.net/Living/hawkins.htm City of Macon Ft. Hawkins page] [http://lamarinstitute.org Fort Hawkins Archaeology Project]