Locust Grove in Orange County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Fort Germanna Visitor Center
The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, Inc., known as the Germanna Foundation, was organized in 1956 by a group of descendants from the original Germanna colonies who had taken great interest in their Germanna genealogy and had begun meeting together once a year. This annual reunion of Germanna descendants continues to this day.
The Brewdus Martin Fort Germanna Visitor Center, Museum, and Genealogy Library today serves as headquarters for the Germanna Foundation and its continuing efforts to learn about and share the history of this important frontier landscape.
The Visitor Center, constructed in 2000, was designed by architect Douglas Harnsberger, who is a Germanna descendant. The building has five sides to recall the pentagon shape of the original Fort Germanna, which is also the shape of our logo. The horseshoe in the middle recalls Alexander Spotswood's famous trek from Fort Germanna on his Knights of the Golden Horseshoe expedition in 1716.
[Timeline:]
1940s: R. Brawdus Martin gathers Germanna descendants, including those of Alexander Spotswood, for annual reunion picnics on landthat was once part of Germanna.
Click or scan to see
this page online
1956: The Memorial Foundation of the Germanna Colonies in Virginia, otherwise known as The Germanna Foundation, is incorporated.
1969: The Germanna Foundation donates 100-acres of land to the Commonwealth of Virginia to form Germanna Community College.
1969: Archaeologists discover ruins of Spotswood's Enchanted Castle.
2000: The Brawdus Martin Fort Germanna Visitor Center is built.
2013: The Germanna Foundation becomes the steward for the Enchanted Castle site with the support of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
2016: Archaeological explorations begin to identify the remains of Fort Germanna and explore the history of the German immigrants and their part in Virginia history.
2019: Hitt Archaeology Center opens.
The Future: What will future archaeological discoveries tell us about Fort Germanna? Join us as we explore Virginia's past.
Erected by the Germanna Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Colonial Era • Education • Forts and Castles • Immigration • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.
Location. 38° 22.667′ N,
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Virginia and in the Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Alexander Spotswood's Enchanted Castle (here, next to this marker); Fort Germanna (here, next to this marker); Grant Takes Command (within shouting distance of this marker); Germanna Ford (within shouting distance of
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), April 17, 2021
3. Germanna Foundation Founders Memorial on the grounds of the visitor center
Credits. This page was last revised on April 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 957 times since then and 99 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 19, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
