Fort Frederica National Monument (Additional Documentation)
Why it's listed
Fort Frederica National Monument preserves the remains of a fortified British colonial town founded in 1736 on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Most surviving features are tabby or brick foundations of houses, storehouses, a barracks, the King's Magazine, a burial ground, and earthen works including the town moat. The district also includes the Bloody Marsh Battle Site, a wooded and marshy eight-acre tract where British defenders stopped a Spanish advance in July 1742. Frederica served as the headquarters of Oglethorpe's regiment and the center of the colony's defense against Spain during the War of Jenkins' Ear. At its peak the town held about 1,500 people, including skilled tradesmen, and John and Charles Wesley preached there. The town declined after the regiment disbanded in 1749, a fire in 1758 destroyed most buildings, and the last soldiers left in 1763. The National Park Service now maintains the site.
Significance in brief: The form describes Frederica as the most strategically important early settlement in Georgia, the hub of the colony's defense against the Spanish. In 1742 it was headquarters of the forces that turned back a Spanish invasion, and the Battle of Bloody Marsh was a major factor in halting the attempt to destroy Georgia and South Carolina. It was also a planned community tied to the Wesley brothers and to James Oglethorpe's humanitarian aims.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 66000065, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 12 mi. north of Brunswick, Brunswick |
|---|---|
| County | Glynn County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000065 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 18th Century |
| Areas of significance | Military, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Publicly owned and preserved by the National Park Service as a national monument with unrestricted public access; the structures are largely foundations, ruins and earthworks. Condition is marked as unaltered, original site and ruins. |
| Acreage | 218 |
| Coordinates | 31.22312, -81.38928 (Wikidata) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 66000065.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1438527
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.