For a fun family event, raise a jovial mug of (ginger) ale or (root) beer near the site of Georgia’s first brewery, and watch 18th-century British military re-enactors perform musket drills. The soldiers are rallying their defenses against further attacks on Jekyll Island’s strategic shores.
On Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 2:00 pm, visit Horton House, one of the oldest standing tabby structures in Georgia, where colonial re-enactors will demonstrate 18th-century activities and present the story of the 1742 Spanish raid on Jekyll Island following the Battle of Bloody Marsh.
Fort Frederica National Monument and the Jekyll Island Museum will team up to present this joint program on Georgia’s early colonial history.
Learn about Major William Horton, his family, his servants, and his property on Jekyll Island, as well as their significant role in producing goods to supply the needs of the fledgling British colony. Investigate early British military life, the events of the Battle of Bloody Marsh and the raid on Jekyll Island, and why Horton was a target for the Spanish.
Musket demonstrations, children’s activities, food and drink, and interactions with the interpreters provide a fun and memorable way to learn about the early colonial life of the island, said John Hunter, the director of the Jekyll Island Museum.
“Children will have a chance to make a colonial toy, play some games, and talk to costumed interpreters,” Hunter said. “Participating in activities and visiting with people who seem to step out of the past really brings history alive for them.”
“With Fort Frederica’s help, the Jekyll Island Museum is proud to offer this outstanding living history opportunity,” Hunter said.
During the living history event, general parking will be available both before and after the split-rail fencing that lines Riverview Drive leading up to Horton House. The site is also a pleasant bike ride away from both the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District and the Clam Creek Picnic Area.
Co-sponsored by Fort Frederica National Monument and the Jekyll Island Museum. For more information, call 912-635-4036.
Photos by Andrea Marroquin
Click here to read our previous post about the event at Horton House on Jekyll Island.