Near Tazewell in Tazewell County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Big Crab Orchard or Witten’s Fort

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023

1. Big Crab Orchard or Witten’s Fort Marker

Inscription. Native Americans established a palisaded town nearby as early as ca. AD 1400. Thomas Witten and John Greenup built cabins here ca. 1771. Conflict between settlers and Indians intensified early in the 1770s as Native Americans of the Ohio Country resisted white occupation. Lord Dunmore, royal governor of Virginia, recommended the construction of a line of fortifications in June 1774. Witten's Fort, built on the hillside to the south, was garrisoned later that year by militia troops under Capt. Daniel Smith. No attack on Witten's Fort was recorded. A replica of the fort was built in 1926.

Erected 2018 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number XY-14.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1774.

Location. 37° 7.173′ N, 81° 34.414′ W. Marker is near Tazewell, Virginia, in Tazewell County. It is on Crab Orchard Road (Business

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U.S. 460) south of Trail of the Lonesome Pine (U.S. 19), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3665 Crab Orchard Rd, Tazewell VA 24651, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Witten (a few steps from this marker); 250th Anniversary of the United States of America (a few steps from this marker); Fincastle Turnpike (within shouting distance of this marker); Thomas Whitten (within shouting distance of this marker); Pisgah United Methodist Church (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023

2. Big Crab Orchard or Witten’s Fort Marker

The second replica fort, built in 2017, is visible in the background.

line); Indian-Settler Conflicts (approx. 1.7 miles away); Tazewell (approx. 2.7 miles away); Roark’s Gap Incident (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tazewell.

Other markers no longer nearby. Big Crab Orchard Or Witten’s Fort (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Pisgah United Methodist Church (was about 500 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . . Fort Witten. Brief history of the three forts – the original and two reproductions – that have stood at the site. (Crab Orchard Museum) (Submitted on July 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 644 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 16, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.