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A clipping from the "Darien News," August 13, 1970, says: "Plans For Squares Important to History of Our City." It drew attention to the asset Darien possesses in her system of squares. Noting, that to neglect them is to put them at forfeit to City Councilmen having thoughts of dividing the squares into lots for the tax benefits. It was a near thing on one occasion, and we owe the survival of the squares to the stalwart Councilwoman, Mrs. Frida Schmidt Stebbins, who battled stubbornly, saving Oglethorpe’s legacy from extinction.

An appeal to Mr. Auverne d’Antignac, the District Engineer of the Georgia Dept. of Transportation, produced a crew to survey the squares. The first set of wooden markers quickly Disappeared and were replaced by four foot concrete markers with a metal core. These were sunk to their heads at each corner of the squares. Which insures the boundaries of the squares may easily be located.

It was a notably conceived plan for a town, and infinite are its possibilities for vistas and green oases. Rich is the city which has an inheritance of such a system of squares, the source of pride, and the envy of less fortunate cities, whose early planners had not this kind of sensitive vision.

Speculation over the source of Oglethorpe’s plan of Savannah has stirred the imagination of many a theorist, going far afield as the great center square of Pekin China. While others with orderly logic were convinced it was the product of the military mind, and refers us to Machiavelli’s Art of War, with which Oglethorpe no doubt was familiar. The engraving illustrating a fortified military encampment, was sized upon as an example, with its troops, baggage, and material disposed neatly, separated by alleys and open spaces, that were interprited as streets and squares, is well argured.

We do not have to search very far for a probable source of Oglethorpe’s inspiration. When the Great Fire swept London, beginning Sept. and, 1666, it raged for five days, destroying most of the old medieval city. The pressures exerted by a necessity of crisis proportions to rebuild, offered opportunity for gifted Renaissance men like Christopher Wren (who was not an architect, but a mathematician) to demonstrate their capabilities. Their response to this call was to transform the city with imposing structures in the Classical mode and in harmonious surroundings.

The interllectual activity of the day was centered largely in the study of the Greek and Latin authors. A well grounded knowledge of these was the mark of the educated man. It follows naturally that the ancient works of Athens and Rome were regarded as the epitome of achievement in the arts and sciences, and their architecture was studied with reverence. England was recovering from the internal strife of civil war, a devastating plague, and fire. Having suffered these ravages of the spirit, both physical and cultural, the effect of the visible stability of renewal going up on all sides was positive. The authoritative balance of the classical orders had appeal, and did satisfy to some extent that longing for relief from the turmoil of Man.

By Oglethorpe’s time the idea of the classical proportions was fixed in the British mind. Adapted from Sirlio’s and Paladio’s reinterpretation of Vitruvius, (1st. century Roman architect), and was transformed by native genius and modified to suit the English temperament. It produced sufficient examples upon which to model the plan for Oglethorpe’s Savannah. It so permeated the building trade that even the smallest cottage reflected that influence. It had progressed beyond fashion to become the soul of 18th century England. It dominated the architecture of British-America, and that well learned lesson would continue for well over a century and a half, deteriorating eventually, into a general fussiness in taste, that was far removed from its original simplicity.

Oglethorpe was the responsible leader, and representative of the authority of the Trustees’ Board, of which he also was a member. His people had to be housed, and in a position to defend themselves. It was a military matter, and Oglethorpe set them to work building homes. By constituted authority he provided a plan, and supervised the laying out of their city. Whether Oglethorpe came prepared with a plan furnished him, or of his own devising during those tedious hours aboard ship, or of the moment, it was the style he preferred. It was ready when the time came to use it. The manner of building its first city emphasises the differences between Georgia and the other British colonies, It is consistant with the philanthropic Plan and Utopian ideals of the Trusttees, to have the town built all at once, and not subject to the whims and vagaries of private enterprise, which was to come soon enough to challenge the authority of the Trustee’s Board.

The genius of Oglethorpe’s design is in its logic, yet flexibility. The motif of the unit with a square at its center retains the human scale of the small community. As other units are joined, there is the feeling of agreeable detachment within, while conscious of support by the surrounding group. The intervening streets are buffers, giving a variety that avoids monotony. Visualized, the plan in not unlike a highland tartan, a motif appropriete to Scottish Darien.

General Oglethorpe came to the Bluff of the Altamaha in highland dress of kilt and tartan to welcome and honor the military company of men recruited from Inverness, Scotland. He reviewed the company, and having chosen the site he proceeded to layout the streets of the town to be called Darien. Oglethorpe had only to lift a single square and its component of surrounding streets from his plan of Savannah, comprising a unit sufficient for Darien’s small needs as a frontier post. But dignifying it in an orderly fashon, (by Edward Kimber’s account of the original Darien). This he did also for Ebenezer. Bill Haynes. — To be continued

The series of brief sketches beginning in this issue of "Altamaha Echoes" is devoted to British Colonial and the later American fortifications, but it excludes the Spanish defenses of the 16th and 17th century Guale period of the Georgia coast.

The various fortifications of coastal Georgia have played a vital and significant role in the military affairs of the region. The forts date as far back as 1721 with the establishment of Fort King George near Darien. From that time onward, the forts were built along the coast on a regular basis, according to the needs of first, the British Crown, the American colonists and the U. S. government. The evolution of the fortifications is an enlightening study in developing military technology, especially in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century in which the art of warfare was subject to almost constant change.

Fortunately, many of the forts in coastal Georgia, especially the 19th century structures, are in a fair state of preservation and are open to the public. All of the forts arc within easy driving range of each other and are so situated that several maybe visited in a single day’s outing. These forts are open to the public under the auspices of either the U.S. Park Service or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

FORT KING GEORGE, 1721—The fort was built by South Carolina Rangers under Colonel John Barnwell to serve as protection on South Carolina’s southern flank against the incursions of French, Spanish, and Indians from northern Florida. The fort was built on the Altamaha riverbank (northern tributary) with a triangular earthwork and a moat on the landward side enclosing a three- story, gabled cypress blockhouse. Palisaded protection was located around the moat. Fire damaged the fort in 1726 and soon after, the garrison was withdrawn to Port Royal, S. C.

As of mid-June, 1988, the construction of the blockhouse at Fort King George is right on schedule with about 6o% of the work already completed. Just recently the channels (slots in the frame) were constructed and 4 inch cypress planks were slid in place. This construction technique long used in Europe, and it allowed the blockhouse to be taken apart and reassembled elsewhere if needed and makes the Fort King George blockhouse unique in its type of construction. ("Channels" were used to keep the vertically held plank siding in place in the thousand years old Stave Churches of Nor-

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( ) Libraries $25.                       ( ) Family $15.
( ) Historical Societies $25.        ( ) Individual $10.
( ) Corporate $25.                     ( ) Student $2.50.

Lower Altamaha Historical Society — P. 0. Box 1405, Darien, Georgia 31305
Annual Membership dues, by May 1st.

way which gave the clue to Colonel John Barnwell’s term for this unfamiliar builder’s technique.)

Although visitors do not have access to the building as yet it is an incredible sight at the fort overlooking the Darien River. July 15 has been set for completion date on the cypress planking, and hopefully the blockhouse will be ready for opening to the public by the end of July. A formal dedication ceremony featuring dignitaries from around the world is slated for October 23rd. If you have not seen this impressive building the fort is open to the public 9 A. M, to 5 P. M. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 P.M. to 5:30 P. M. on Sunday, and open all Federal holidays.

The Blockhouse Fund Drive is closing in on the $50,000. target but there is still $7,200. to raise. A $50, or more donation will allow your name to be put on a plaque that will be a part of the permanent history of the fort on display in the museum.

LAHS BLOCKHOUSE FUND: Please send donations (tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law) to: Mrs. Lillian Schaitberger, Treasurer, Lower Altamaha Historical Society, Box 691, Darien, Georgia. 31305.

MEETINGS OF LAHS are held at 7:30 p. m. on the 3rd Thursday, of every month at the Courthouse, Darien.

To draw upon wider resources, a committee was formed to plan the programs for the monthly meetings. Ken Akins, Bill Haynes, and Carolyn Hodges compose this committee. The programs are filled through the month of October, 1988.

THIS issue of Altamaha Echoes is devoted to announcing the completion of the replica of Colonel John Barnwell’s Blockhouse (1721), its dedication, and opening to the public, at Fort King George Historic Site, on Sunday, October 23rd, 1988.

Originated by the Lower Altamaha Historical Society, and in cooperation with the Georgia General Assembly, and the Department of Natural Resources, the reconstruction of the blockhouse represents a remarkable achievement in participation.

2:15 March past at the Fort Site
Troops and Guests assemble at the Graves Site
NATIONAL ANTHEMS
God Save The Queen…
The Star Spangled Banner…
The Very Reverend Dean Charles Hay conducts the grave-side service assisted by the Reverend Stephen Barnwell
Rifle Salute
Piper plays the Scottish Weird "Flowers of the Forest" 2:35
Band and troops move to Fort Replica

Mr. Ken Akins, Fort Superintendent
Mr. 0. R. Cothran, HI, Director, Parks and Historic
Sites, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Lieutenant Colonel David H. A. Shephard, Queens
Regiment, Military Liason Officer for Her Majesty’s Government

British Union Jack (1721) raised
Cannon fires
Muskets fire from the Fort
Fighter Planes fly over

The dedication of the blockhouse at Fort King George is an important event for both Darien and the Lower Altamaha Historical Society. The drive for funds to restore the fort was originated and led by the Society. The purpose in founding the LAHS (1980) was to support improvements at Fort King George Site, namely, reconstruction of the fort as a priority.

About 1912 a Lewis family settled in McIntosh County. There was a daughter, named Bessie, and as a young woman she taught school, as some of us can testify to receiving instruction from her. This was the time of the "Florida Boom," and interest was focusing on the Georgia Coast, which fired Miss Bessie’s curiosity about the County’s past. She interviewed the older citizens for what they could remember, and she began serious study of regional history. She combed the pages of the early newspapers, the Colonial Records of Georgia, and those of the Colony of South Carolina. Miss Bessie found 18th century charts and maps showing a Fort King George (1721) at the mouth of the Altamaha River. A surprise, for this was prior to the Scottish settlement of Darien (1736), and unknown to most people. The British Record Office in London furnished from its files a plan of this fort by the hand of its builder, Col. John Barnwell, and the subsequent plans for repairs by military engineers.

Col. John Barnwell’s Journal is his Report to Governor Francis Nicholson, the first Royal Governor of the Colony of South Carolina. In it he describes the situation regarding his scoutmen, and his method of constructing the blockhouse at the Fort. It was found in the records of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." The Library of Congress obtained a copy, and it was published in the October, 1926 issue of the South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine. It is not so strange to have found this document in the SPGFP’s files. A strong missionary feeling toward the American Indian was prevailing, inspiring many English clergymen, and there was a movement also to help their own destitute people. This was the motivation for the Georgia Colony; certain members of its Board of Trustees were also members of the SPGFP. The need for reliable information on the area was vital to their plans. The source of the Journal was probably the agency managing colonial affairs, or even Governor Nicholson himself.

Miss Bessie was building a reputation of respect by her articles on the Scots of Darien, Oglethorpe, and her persistent enthusiasm for the reconstruction of Fort King George could no longer be ignored. Recognizing the Fort’s significance, in 1948 the site was relinquished by the Sea Island Company to the State of Georgia. Archaeologists uncovered the graves of British soldiers, establishing that the fort site was indeed nearby. Vestiges of earthworks visible to William Bartram in 1773 had been obliterated by the timber industry’s century of occupation on the site.

The Darien Jaycees expressed interest, but it was beyond their resources. At this point Dr. William Tailer proposed forming a Chamber of Commerce as an organized base for pressuring the State to reconstruct the fort to attract visitors. A large delegation from Darien, headed by Miss Bessie Lewis, Dr. Tailer and Jimmy Williamson, attended upon Governor Sanders, and obtained a matching grant to be administered by the Georgia Historical Commission toward the site development. The full $25,000. could not be met, but even so the Governor gave the promised money. Additional funds were made available, and the Chairman and Director of the Historical Commission met with interested citizens at Darien. It was agreed on a museum and a dwelling for a resident superintendent for the first construction, and the replica of the fort to follow at a later time. With these two buildings accomplished, the site was officially opened to visitors.

The Historical Commission was dissolved, and management of the system of historic sites was transferred to Parks Division of DNR, which lacking experience in historic site management, put them on hold.

McIntosh County tried again in 1983, at the celebration of Georgia’s 250th anni-

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1988 Officers		1987-88 Board of Directors
President: Marion F. Ricker		Everett Moriarty Mrs. Annie Gill
Vice-President: Bill Merriman		Marion Ricker Philip Hodges
Secretary: Carolyn Hodges
Treasurer: Lillian Schaitberger
1988-89 Board of Directors		"Altamaha Echoes"
Elizabeth W. Aug Carolyn Crowder		Printed at the Ashantilly Press
Will B. Dean Bill Haynes

( ) Corporate $25. ( ) Student $2.50
Make Check Payable to Lower Altamaha Historical Society

Lower Altamaha Historical Society — P. 0. Box 1405, Darien, Georgia 31305
Annual Membership dues, by May 1st.

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versary, but was unsuccessful in raising the kind of funding needed to build the blockhouse. It was a bad year financially for all, and the foundations and corporations were unresponsive. As alternate a history of Darien and the Coast in dramatic form called Origins was performed, made possible by a Humanities matching grant through the Georgia Committee for the Celebration.

True to its stated purpose, to promote improvements at Fort King George, LAHS had kept constant pressure upon those in authority. "Investment, "it said, "in the potentials of the site would surely increase revenues. An exhibit mounted in the museum outlining long -term planning for th₀future, would arouse beneficial interest in Legislators, Foundations, and Corporations, as worthy of notice for financial response by this show of commitment on DNR’s part." This investment in Fort King George is a test of that claim. There is a risk in positive action, but it may advance Darien as the Coastal Center for Historic Tourism.

Observing the growing interest in Historic Preservation, LAHS decided 1987 was the year ripe for trying again. A committee was appointed for this major effort. The resourceful chairman, A. Rundle Cook, suggested a new approach. Consequently, a letter to Commissioner J. Leonard Ledbetter, proposing that LAHS undertake a drive to raise $50,000., if DNR will accept these funds, add what is needful, and proceed to build the replica of blockhouse and fort. Means for broad community participation representatives. The success of this project owes much to Senator Glenn E. Bryant was provided to express approval of this project where it counted, to their legislative and response of the other Legislators that money for the blockhouse was available to DNR to carry it through. We are indebted to Ed Rowley, architect, for the authenticity of his design for the "post and beam" framing supporting Col. Barnwell’s concept for the blockhouse. LAHS’s thanks go to all who contributed, especially to Mr. Cook for bringing to a successful conclusion his difficult assignment. Bill Haynes. LAHS BLOCKHOUSE FUND: Please send donations (tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law) to: Mrs. Lillian Schaitberger, Treasurer, Lower Altamaha Historical Society, Box 691, Darien, Georgia. 31305.

MEETINGS OF LAHS are held at 7:30 p. m. on the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Courthouse, Darien.