Fort Frederica
In the early 18th century, the land lying between British South
Carolina and Spanish Florida was known as “the debatable land.” This
land (which we call Georgia today) was the epicenter of a centuries-old
imperial conflict between Spain and Britain.
Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect
the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia. Colonists from
England, Scotland, and the Germanic states came to Frederica to support
this endeavor.
After successfully repulsing a Spanish attempt to retake St. Simons
Island, the garrison at Ft. Frederica was disbanded, and the town fell
into decline. Today, the archeological remnants of Frederica are
protected by the National Park Service.
The Museum Store carries a variety of colonial toys and children’s
books, including two written about children’s lives at Fort Frederica.
Author Joyce Blackburn’s “Bloody Summer of 1742” and “Phoebe’s
Diary” capture the exciting year of 1742 from the perspective of a boy
and a girl. “Phoebe’s Diary” is based on archeological evidence
uncovered at the Hird House lot. Both are excellent resources for
elementary school teachers. The Museum Store is operated by the Fort
Frederica Association, a non-profit cooperating association. All profits
from sales are donated directly to the park to sustain a variety of park
programs.
The park grounds are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. The Visitor
Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is closed Christmas Day.
Fort Frederica is located on the north end of St. Simons Island. Follow
Frederica Road north until the road forks. Angle left through the fork
and you will see the entrance to Fort Frederica on your left within a
mile.
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Christ Church
Christ Church is nestled amongst huge oak trees on
the scenic north end of St. Simons Island. In this church, two
Englishmen named John and Charles Wesley first preached. Credited with
founding the Methodist Church in England, the Wesley brothers also
played a major role in the development of the Episcopal Church.
The first church structure was built in 1820 but was partially
destroyed by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884,
Anson Phelps Dodge, Jr. built the present structure in memory of his
wife, Ellen, who died during their honeymoon. The church is
constructed of wood in the cruciform design with a trussed Gothic roof
and steeple. Today, the beautiful church and its magnificent stained
glass windows are home to an active congregation on St. Simons. The
grounds contain a cemetery with graves of early settlers.
Christ Church is one of St. Simons Island’s most treasured
landmarks. Services, held every Sunday, are open to the public.
Christ Church, Frederica, Episcopal
6329 Frederica Road
St Simons Island, Georgia 31522
912-638-8683
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The Lighthouse
Built in 1872 and located near the St. Simons Island village and pier,
the St. Simons Island Lighthouse is one of only five surviving light
towers in Georgia. This scenic piece of St. Simons Island is operational
and a navigational aid for traffic entering the St. Simons Sound, casting
its light as far as 18 miles out to sea.
Unlike many other operational lighthouses, visitors are welcome to climb
the 129 steps leading to the top so that they may capture a view of
neighboring Jekyll Island, the mainland (Brunswick), and the south end of
St. Simons Island.
The Lighthouse dates back to Fort St. Simons, a colonial fort that was
built under General James Oglethorpe’s command to protect the southern
tip of St. Simons Island from the Spanish. Fort St. Simons was destroyed
by retreating Spanish soldiers after the Battle of Bloody Marsh in 1742.
In the early 1800s, John Couper acquired the land and named it Couper’s
Point; he sold it for one dollar to the government in 1804 to build the
St. Simons Lighthouse. During America’s Civil War, Confed-erate troops
constructed Fort Brown on the lighthouse property. The fort was abandoned
and the lighthouse destroyed by Confederate forces in 1862 to prevent its
use by Federal troops.
The lighthouse keeper’s dwelling (1872) is a unique Victorian design.
Architectural details not only enhance the beauty of the structure but
also draw the eye upward to the tower. Window moldings and the acanthus
leaf details on the railings are of cast iron. It is a solid, sturdy
structure built of Savannah gray brick. The walls are twelve inches thick.
The heart pine floors are original. Around 1910, Carl Olaf Svendsen, the
head lighthouse keeper, created two apartments in the dwelling by removing
the central staircase. An exterior staircase, stoop and door were added on
the north side to provide access to the second floor. The steps and stoop
were later removed; the doorway was rebricked and the central stairway was
rebuilt during rehabilitation in 1975.
When the lighthouse was fully automated by the Coast Guard in 1953, the
last
lighthouse keeper, David O’Hagen, retired, and the passageway
to the lighthouse from the keeper’s house was removed. From 1989 to
1991, the lighthouse was cleaned and painted under a major rehabilitation
grant from the U.S. Lighthouse Bicentennial Fund.
The lighthouse operates under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast
Guard. In 1984, the Coastal Georgia Historical Society entered into an agreement with the Coast
Guard to allow visitors to climb to the top of the lighthouse. The museum
is open to the public daily.
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