Fortson in Muscogee County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Fortson House
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The Fortson Community
Photographed by David Seibert, August 24, 2009
1. Fortson House Marker (side 1)
Fortson House. 1858. Thomas and Elizabeth Almond settled in this area with her orphaned brother Thomas Daniel Fortson in the 1830s. In 1858, as a prominent farmer, Fortson built this Greek Revival Georgian Cottage, its surrounding outbuildings and cotton terraces. He also ran a gristmill on the nearby Heiferhorn Creek during the Civil War. His son, Thomas Willis Fortson, established a general store and was appointed Station Agent and Postmaster for Fortson, Georgia in 1885. The Fortson House has remained continuously in the family and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
The Fortson Community. Originally called Blanchards Crossing, this area was renamed Fortson in 1885 when the Columbus & Rome Railroad built a station on Fortson property. Thomas Willis Fortson established the Fortson General Store and Post Office, housed from 1904 in the brick building adjacent to the tracks. Luther Getzen Fortson operated the store and post office until 1963. Across the tracks from the store, the Getzen House, built in 1882 for T.W. Fortsons sister, was the home of his in-laws, Samuel Luther and Fannie Mealing Getzen, who organized the Getzen Memorial Baptist Church in 1904.
Erected 2008 by Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Dr. and
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Postal Mail and Philately series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 32° 36.411′ N, 84° 56.207′ W. Marker is in Fortson, Georgia, in Muscogee County. It is at the intersection of Fortson Road and Almond Road, on the right when traveling north on Fortson Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11100 Fortson Road, Fortson GA 31808, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont and in Greater Columbus. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep 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 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fortson General Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Camp McKenzie (approx. 2.8 miles away); Kingsboro & Cataula (approx. 5.2 miles away); Blind Tom (approx. 5.4 miles away); Samuel Cooper (approx. 5.9 miles away); Textile and Banking Pioneer (approx. 7 miles away); Richard Christmas (approx. 7.3 miles away); The Wire Road (approx. 8 miles away).
Additional commentary.
1. Error in the narrative
Sirs - in studying the marker for the Fortson House, I note an error in the narrative; in the opening sentence, reference is made to "Thomas Almond" when in fact
Photographed by David Seibert, August 24, 2009
2. The Fortson Community Marker (side 2)
— Submitted July 3, 2023, by James Atwood Taylor, III of Nashville, Tennessee.
Photographed by David Seibert, August 24, 2009
3. Fortson House Marker with the Railroad Tracks in the Background
Credits. This page was last revised on October 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 4,882 times since then and 258 times this year. Last updated on July 3, 2023, by James Atwood Taylor, III of Nashville, Tennessee. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 30, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
