I stopped by Fort George State Historical Park in the afternoon after visiting Fort Morris in the morning. By its very name, it is clear that this fort preceded American independence!

This fort was actually built before Fort Frederica and was intended as part of Britain's claim to Georgia - something Spain disputed. Built in 1721, the fort never saw action against the Spanish. Its enemies were disease with over 140 soldiers dying in the mere six years until it was abandoned.

There are no remnants of the original fort, but the State Park has done a fantastic job of building a complete replica (or at least best-guess) of the original. There are several interior buildings to explore and exhibits outside the fort showing other industries that once were found here.

I was lucky to arrive on a day celebrating 300 years since the fort was built. Several people were dressed in period clothing and uniforms. There was a demonstration firing of one of the period cannons - a long tedious process. One table had a man in a French uniform. He possessed an actual dueling pistol from the time of the fort - and he let anyone hold it who wanted to! He also had a replica of a musket that would have been carried by the soldiers. I lifted it and can attest that it was quite heavy. I can't imagine having to carry this all day, let alone hold and fire it.

In the end, I was quite happy I chose to visit these two state parks during an off day of my National Park visits. For history buffs, I recommend both.