Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area, TN (1-31-14)

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area is located near Elizabethton in northeastern Tennessee along the banks of the Watauga River. The site's primary attraction is a reconstruction of Fort Watauga, originally located a short distance downstream, which acted as an impromptu fortification against attacks by the neighboring Cherokee during the Revolutionary War. The Watauga Settlement, as the widely scattered collection of homesteads in the area was called, was one of the first permanent white settlements west of the Appalachians. The settlers began leasing the land from the Cherokees in 1772 and lived in relative peace with them until the outbreak of the Revolution. As allies of the British, the Cherokees were rightly perceived as an immediate threat to the settlement after the outbreak of hostilities in 1775. The homestead of one Mathew Talbot and his well-known gristmill was chosen as the site for a protective fortification.

Not a pre-designed fortification, Fort Watauga was constructed simply by building a palisade wall between the existing structures on Talbot's property. It wasn't long before the settlers fears were proven true as the fort was attacked by a force of some 300 Cherokee on July 21, 1776. One hundred and fifty settlers took refuge inside the fort and managed to fight off the initial three hour attack. After the unsuccessful assault the Cherokee settled into a sort of siege which lasted for about two weeks. Though crowded and uncomfortable, the Watauga settlers endured the siege and eventually the Cherokee gave up and went home. There is no record of how long the fort remained operational, the last mention of it in early records occurred in 1777.

Later in the war, in September if 1780, the Sycamore Shoals site once again was the scene of military drama. Threatened by the possibility of the British Army invading their lands, over 1,000 men of the surrounding region gathered here at Sycamore Shoals to take the fight to the British before they had a chance. These soon-to-be nicknamed Overmountain Men marched over 200 miles, across the spine of the Appalachians to meet and destroy a portion of the British Army at the pivotal Battle of Kings Mountain.

Today the Historic Site contains the original fields upon which these Overmountain Men mustered before their historic march, as well as a replica of Fort Watauga which displays in a very tangible way the hardships of frontier life at this time in history. The visitor center houses numerous artifacts, a fabulous recently renovated exhibit hall, and a short interpretive film. A few trails criss-cross the property, allowing access down to and along the Watauga River. It's not the most elaborate historic site I've ever visited but what it does contain is top notch. Come with me for a quick glimpse into one of the lesser-known theaters of the Revolutionary War...

Entering the historic site I was certainly not overwhelmed by a sense of frontier or history turning out of the rushing traffic of neighboring US-321...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Visitor Center
The statue in front of the visitor center commemorating the deeds of the Overmountain Men...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Visitor Center
The museum inside the visitor center has recently been renovated and I must admit I was very impressed...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Visitor Center
A portion of the fort palisade has been reconstructed inside the museum to depict the struggle which took place there during the siege of 1776. Here a frontier woman pours water over the wall to prevent an attacking Cherokee from setting it aflame...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Visitor Center
Another mannequin set up along the wall inside the museum portrays one of the advantages of such a rough cut palisade as what made Fort Watauga...it provided almost unlimited options for firing angles from within the fort...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
A short, paved walk leads out back from the visitor center to Fort Watauga. The grounds which the 1,000-strong Overmountain Men gathered on in 1780 are to the left of the fort...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Fort Watauga
The reconstructed Fort Watauga was built based on archaeological evidence that was gathered at the original site of the fort, about a mile downstream...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Talbot Cabin
Along the south wall is the Talbot family cabin. Mathew Talbot, his wife, and 7 children all lived in this tiny structure. You can tell right away that this is a different kind of 'fort' as there usually aren't cabins with front doors built into their wall design. The walls were simply erected between the existing structures to form an enclosed defense...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Talbot Cabin
Along the south wall is the Talbot family cabin. Mathew Talbot, his wife, and 7 children all lived in this tiny structure. You can tell right away that this is a different kind of 'fort' as there usually aren't cabins with front doors built into their wall design. The walls were simply erected between the existing structures to form an enclosed defense...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
East Gate
There were two gates to the fort, on the north and east...this is the main entrance from the path...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Barn
The structure in the southeast corner of the fort was the Talbot's barn. For reasons inexplicable to me, the park has seen fit to represent it as an 18th Century tavern for 'programming purposes'...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Barn
The structure in the southeast corner of the fort was the Talbot's barn. For reasons inexplicable to me, the park has seen fit to represent it as a 18th Century tavern for 'programming purposes'...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Barn
The inside of Fort Watauga's barn/tavern (it was really just a barn)...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
A rudimentary ladder sets against the palisade allowing somebody who has faith in its build quality a glimpse over the wall...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Talbot Cabin
Mathew Talbot, his wife, and 7 children all lived in this tiny structure. Talbot moved to the area around 1775...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Wood Shed & Storage (?)
The brochure didn't say anything about these structures but I think they're pretty self-explanatory...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Fort Watauga Panorama
The entire interior of the fort as seen from the west wall. The barn and Talbot home are to the right with the north wall cabins to the left...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
North Wall Cabins
There are two cabins located at opposite corners along the north wall. The reconstruction of the fort design is complete conjecture so these cabins don't really represent any specific historic structure. During a time of danger, however, the fort would need to house numerous families so other small dwellings were likely included in the fort design...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
North Wall Cabins
There are two cabins located at opposite corners along the north wall. The reconstruction of the fort design is complete conjecture so these cabins don't really represent any specific historic structure. During a time of danger, however, the fort would need to house numerous families so other small dwellings were likely included in the fort design...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
North Wall Cabins
There are two cabins located at opposite corners along the north wall. This one is located in the northwest corner. During times of danger the fort would need to house numerous families so other small dwellings were likely included in the fort design...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
Barn & Talbot House
Looking across the interior of the fort from the north wall towards the barn and Talbot Home...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell
North Wall Panorama
One last look across the interior of the fort from the parapet on the north wall...
State Historic Site Elizabethton Johnson City Overmountain Men Overmountain Victory Trail fort Cherokee Fort Caswell

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Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area, TN (1-31-14)

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