Manchester in Coffee County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The Long Back Wall
| | The Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park | |
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 28, 2025
1. The Long Back Wall Marker
Stretching for nearly two thousand feet, this section spans the distance between the Big and Little Duck Rivers. As elsewhere, the wall is built in a pattern of internal stone cores with soil and rubble fill between and over the stone cores. Some amount of ground surface preparation seems to have occurred and there is a continuous shallow trench cut into the ground between the stone cores. Where the mound has been leveled, the ground level core of the wall is sometimes still visible.
This mound also straddles a boundary between two different terrains and ecosystems. The open field on one side represents the Highland Rim habitat, supporting its particular types of plants and animals; while, on the other side, the forests of the transition to the Central Basin support other species. Living in a region with these transitions gave the builders of the Old Stone Fort access to natural resources from both environments, providing many opportunities to find food and useful supplies.
Erected by Tennessee State Parks. (Marker Number 6.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Forts and Castles
this page online
Location. 35° 28.852′ N, 86° 6.366′ W. Marker is in Manchester, Tennessee, in Coffee County. It can be reached from Stone Fort Dr south of U.S. 41, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Manchester TN 37355, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee and in the Highland Rim. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Mound Walls Meet the Cliffs (approx. 0.2 miles away); Patterns in Mound Wall Construction (approx. 0.2 miles away); Powder Storage and Distribution (approx. 0.2 miles away); Powder Production (approx. Ό mile away); Mills Interrupt the Walls (approx. Ό mile away); Water: an Industrial Power Source (approx. Ό mile away); The Uses of Water in Different Cultures (approx. Ό mile away); The Bark Camp Fork or Little Duck River (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manchester.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 28, 2025
2. The Long Back Wall Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 75 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 6, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
