Monday, May 12, 2014

Fort Yargo State Park, Winder, Georgia

Copyright 2014, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

While working our way slowly north last month, Man and I stopped for a few nights at Fort Yargo State Park, just south of Winder Georgia (east of Atlanta).  What a nice park, and, yipee, historical too!  We had one of the longest nicest campsites we have ever had.

Here is Mr. G enjoying the campsite.  The gravel was level; the timbers marking off the campsite were as well. It is hard to describe how lovely these campsites were.  Some of the nicest we have ever found, anywhere, at any price. We had 50 AMP service and water, no sewer.


The LONG LONG campsite. You can see how neatly groomed this campground was.  Jolly was parked in front of Tana!  Did I tell you, this is ONE LONG campsite?


Fort Yargo has a great history (as well as a nice lake, a wooded disc golf course, and 18 miles of trails for mountain bikers and hikers.)


Here is the log blockhouse, it is 18 by 22 feet and 2 stories tall.


The logs are about 10 inches thick. The corners are interlocking wedge shaped notches.


On the second floor, portholes. They are to aide in defense.  One of the signs indicated that 30 to 50 people would seek safety in this blockhouse at one time. Even with 2 stories, I am not sure how 50 people could crowd into this small, 18 by 22 foot structure.


The fire place was rebuilt during the move of the building in 2005 from a nearby location to the current location next to the lake.


The chinking for this cabin is mud and straw.  It cracks and falls out during the year and requires yearly maintenance.  The Living History Society repairs the chink each fall.  The signage around the building indicated that the volunteers attempt to use 18th century tools to do repairs, if possible.


It is not often that a "fort" blockade house built around 1793 still exists.   Thanks to my cousin NLB and her friend for taking us to see this.





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2 comments:

Charles said...

Notice the corner joints are made to shed any water that gets into the joints out away from the building. That is one reason this building survived from the 1700s. Water is always an enemy of any building and to keep it out helps a building to survive for a long tome.

Carol said...

Thanks Charles for your insight. How very interesting. Appreciate your take on this! :-)