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Fort Benjamin Hawkins
Fort Hawkins was a fort built between 1806 and 1810 by the United States Army during President Thomas Jefferson's administration. Built in what is now Georgia on the Fall Line on the east side of the Ocmulgee River, the fort overlooked the Ocmulgee Old Fields. The Lower Creek Trading Path passed by just outside the fort's northwestern blockhouse, and continued in a westerly direction to a natural ford on the Ocmulgee River. The fort became important to the Lower Creek Indians, the United States, and the State of Georgia for economic, military, and political reasons.
The fort originally had a log palisade wall surrounding a 1.4-acre area, which contained living and working quarters for soldiers and officers, as well as two blockhouses on the northwestern and southeastern corners. A replica of the southeastern blockhouse was begun in 1928 based on architectural plans by Curran Ellis and Henry Behr, but not completed until 1938. A small archaeological excavation was conducted in 1936. The Fort Hawkins Archeological Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is included within the boundaries of the Fort Hill Historic District, also listed on the NRHP.
The Fort Hawkins Commission ran the site from 1990-2018. Under the guidance of Chairman Bob Cramer, the commission hired the Lamar Institute to conduct archaeological excavations in 2005. These excavations continued intermittently until 2013, and found evidence of a second palisade wall, as well as several brick buildings, and recovered nearly 40,000 artifacts. Historical research by Dan Elliott has also added greatly to the current understanding of the fort. A replica log cabin was dedicated in 2014 to serve as a Visitors' Center. The commission was replaced by the non-profit Fort Hawkins Foundation, Inc. in 2018, and this organization has run the site ever since.
Fort Hawkins was built by the United States in 1806, and was a place of "relatively great economic, military, and political importance." For the Creek Nation, it was a center of the deerskin trade with Americans, who had a trading post or factory there.
The US government used the fort as the Southeastern Command of the U.S. Army. It was "a major troop garrison and bivouac point for regular troops and state militia in several important campaigns, and a major government fur trade factory for regulating the Creek economy." The Creek Indians ceded their lands east of the Ocmulgee River, except for the Ocmulgee Old Fields. The fort was built on the highest ground in the immediate vicinity. The Lower Creek Trading Path passed just outside of the fort's northwestern blockhouse. This ancient path was improved and became a part of the Federal Road to connect the nation's capital city with the ports of Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana. This change encouraged the travel of many more troops, settlers, and visitors to the area.
Fort Hawkins (not Fort Benjamin Hawkins) was named for Benjamin Hawkins, who served as the General Superintendent of Indian Affairs (1796–1816) South of the Ohio River, as well as principal US Indian agent to the Creek. A former US Senator from North Carolina, Hawkins had been appointed by President George Washington to deal with the Choctaw, Cherokee and Chickasaw in the larger territory, and worked to bring about years of peace between the Creek and American settlers. Hawkins was named the Beloved Man of the Southeastern tribes, indicating the respect they had for him. He married Lavinia Downs, the daughter of Isaac Downs, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War.
Fort Hawkins was used during the U.S. military campaigns of the War of 1812 against Great Britain. General Andrew Jackson visited the Fort and used it as a staging area for the Battle of New Orleans from 1814-15, as well as during the Creek and Seminole wars. After the frontier moved farther west, the military threat to interior Georgia essentially receded. Through the treaties of 1825 and 1826, the Creek were forced to move west of the Chattahoochee River. The city of Macon was founded in 1823, and by 1828, the fort was in private ownership.
From 1928, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Macon Kiwanis Club raised funds to create a replica of one of the blockhouses to memorialize the fort. In 1936, archaeological a small excavation under the direction of archaeologist Gordon Willey, and supported by workers and funded under the US Works Progress Administration (WPA) was conducted. The reconstruction of a replica of the southeastern blockhouse was completed in 1938. Some of the original stones were recovered to be used in the basement section. The upper floors were made of concrete formed to simulate the original wood timbers, intended to be more durable at a time of uncertain funding for historic projects.
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Fort Benjamin Hawkins
Fort Hawkins was a fort built between 1806 and 1810 by the United States Army during President Thomas Jefferson's administration. Built in what is now Georgia on the Fall Line on the east side of the Ocmulgee River, the fort overlooked the Ocmulgee Old Fields. The Lower Creek Trading Path passed by just outside the fort's northwestern blockhouse, and continued in a westerly direction to a natural ford on the Ocmulgee River. The fort became important to the Lower Creek Indians, the United States, and the State of Georgia for economic, military, and political reasons.
The fort originally had a log palisade wall surrounding a 1.4-acre area, which contained living and working quarters for soldiers and officers, as well as two blockhouses on the northwestern and southeastern corners. A replica of the southeastern blockhouse was begun in 1928 based on architectural plans by Curran Ellis and Henry Behr, but not completed until 1938. A small archaeological excavation was conducted in 1936. The Fort Hawkins Archeological Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is included within the boundaries of the Fort Hill Historic District, also listed on the NRHP.
The Fort Hawkins Commission ran the site from 1990-2018. Under the guidance of Chairman Bob Cramer, the commission hired the Lamar Institute to conduct archaeological excavations in 2005. These excavations continued intermittently until 2013, and found evidence of a second palisade wall, as well as several brick buildings, and recovered nearly 40,000 artifacts. Historical research by Dan Elliott has also added greatly to the current understanding of the fort. A replica log cabin was dedicated in 2014 to serve as a Visitors' Center. The commission was replaced by the non-profit Fort Hawkins Foundation, Inc. in 2018, and this organization has run the site ever since.
Fort Hawkins was built by the United States in 1806, and was a place of "relatively great economic, military, and political importance." For the Creek Nation, it was a center of the deerskin trade with Americans, who had a trading post or factory there.
The US government used the fort as the Southeastern Command of the U.S. Army. It was "a major troop garrison and bivouac point for regular troops and state militia in several important campaigns, and a major government fur trade factory for regulating the Creek economy." The Creek Indians ceded their lands east of the Ocmulgee River, except for the Ocmulgee Old Fields. The fort was built on the highest ground in the immediate vicinity. The Lower Creek Trading Path passed just outside of the fort's northwestern blockhouse. This ancient path was improved and became a part of the Federal Road to connect the nation's capital city with the ports of Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana. This change encouraged the travel of many more troops, settlers, and visitors to the area.
Fort Hawkins (not Fort Benjamin Hawkins) was named for Benjamin Hawkins, who served as the General Superintendent of Indian Affairs (1796–1816) South of the Ohio River, as well as principal US Indian agent to the Creek. A former US Senator from North Carolina, Hawkins had been appointed by President George Washington to deal with the Choctaw, Cherokee and Chickasaw in the larger territory, and worked to bring about years of peace between the Creek and American settlers. Hawkins was named the Beloved Man of the Southeastern tribes, indicating the respect they had for him. He married Lavinia Downs, the daughter of Isaac Downs, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War.
Fort Hawkins was used during the U.S. military campaigns of the War of 1812 against Great Britain. General Andrew Jackson visited the Fort and used it as a staging area for the Battle of New Orleans from 1814-15, as well as during the Creek and Seminole wars. After the frontier moved farther west, the military threat to interior Georgia essentially receded. Through the treaties of 1825 and 1826, the Creek were forced to move west of the Chattahoochee River. The city of Macon was founded in 1823, and by 1828, the fort was in private ownership.
From 1928, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Macon Kiwanis Club raised funds to create a replica of one of the blockhouses to memorialize the fort. In 1936, archaeological a small excavation under the direction of archaeologist Gordon Willey, and supported by workers and funded under the US Works Progress Administration (WPA) was conducted. The reconstruction of a replica of the southeastern blockhouse was completed in 1938. Some of the original stones were recovered to be used in the basement section. The upper floors were made of concrete formed to simulate the original wood timbers, intended to be more durable at a time of uncertain funding for historic projects.
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