Brunswick County historic site to be dedicated Saturday

For years, few residents in Brunswick County even knew about Fort Christanna and its place in history.

Located in a wooded area down a dirt road, the fort was marked only with a monument -- its historic significance as the first Colonial establishment in what is now Brunswick County was little known but to a few enthusiasts and historians.

But now, thanks to the county's Board of Supervisors, The Garden Club of Virginia and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, the fort is a historic site and public park.

The site, about 2 miles south of Lawrenceville, will be dedicated at 2 p.m. tomorrow in an event open to the public. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has declared the day as Fort Christanna Day.

The site has been landscaped and now has a 26-car parking lot and brick terrace with an information kiosk and four interpretive signs. A walking trail traces the fort's perimeter, and the location's diverse wildlife has prompted its inclusion on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trial.

"Now we really have a world-class historic site out there," said Nat Neblett, chairman of the Fort Christanna Site Planning Committee.

Neblett said local businesses have donated time and work to prepare the site. "I just think they were very interested in the project of great significance to the county," he said.

Gov. Alexander Spotswood established the fort in 1714 with the intention of establishing trade with the Native Americans and protecting settlers moving into the region. Remnant bands of Piedmont Siouan tribes came together in a nearby town and participated along with other tribes in treaty-making and trade at the fort, the governor's resolution said.

The fort's presence would prompt creation of one of the first Indian schools in the county, the resolution said.

Bobby Conner, project manager with the Brunswick County/Lake Gaston Tourism Office, said at least $400,000 has been spent on the fort, and he sees it as a local investment in tourism and economic development. With the economy struggling and gas prices likely to increase, people will be looking to take shorter trips as getaways, he said.

"This is a huge deal for the county," he said. "It's probably one of the least well-known sites in Virginia."

Contact Jamie C. Ruff at (434) 223-3678 or .