Fortson in Muscogee County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Fortson House/The Fortson Community
1858
Photographed By David Seibert, August 24, 2009
1. Fortson House Marker (side 1)
Inscription.
Fortson House/The Fortson Community. (Side 1):
Fortson House. 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., (Side 2):
The Fortson Community. Originally called Blanchard’s Crossing, this area was renamed Fortson in 1885 when the Columbus and 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. Fortson’s sister, was the home of his in-laws, Samuel Luther and Fannie Mealing Getzen, who organized the Getzen Memorial Baptist Church in 1904.
(Side 1):
Fortson House
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.
(Side 2):
The Fortson Community
Originally called Blanchard’s 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. Fortson’s 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
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by Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Dr. and Mrs. Mark R. Fortson.
Location. 32° 36.411′ N, 84° 56.207′ W. Marker is in Fortson, Georgia, in Muscogee County. Marker 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.
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
Photographed By David Seibert, August 24, 2009
2. The Fortson Community Marker (side 2)
Almond" when in fact it was Isaac Almond (or "Almand"), who with his wife, Elizabeth Fortson Almond, brother-in-law, Thomas Daniel Fortson, Issac's ward by court order after the death of Thomas Daniel Fortson's parents, Jesse Fortson and Mary White Fortson, migrated from Elbert County, Georgia to the subject lands in West Georgia. They were in turn accompanied by Elizabeth's and Thomas Daniel's cousin, James Thomas Fortson (also known as "Thomas"). In 1837, James Thomas Fortson married Martha Angeline Almond, the daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth. James Thomas Fortson and Martha Angeline Almond Fortson are my ggg-grandparents. Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor
— 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 July 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2009, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 2,476 times since then and 167 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.
