Fort Southwest Point Highlights
Tennessee’s State Capitol (For One Day)
Fort Southwest Point is home to some of the more unique stories in US and Tennessee history. Since its construction in 1797, the fort has been one of the few national forts never to have seen official conflict, due to its role as a peacekeeping structure among the Europeans settling westward and the Cherokee & Creek Nations. With its critical location in the westward expansion of the new United States, Tennesseans signed the papers to move the State Capitol westward from Knoxville to Kingston (and promptly disregarded this decision the next day).
Discover Fort Southwest Point State Historic Park
Fort Southwest Point is one of the few remaining forts in the nation that can use the original foundations of the buildings beneath the reconstructed structures. Visitors can walk amongst these structures with a backdrop of Watts Bar Lake, and on clear days, views of the Cumberland Mountains and Frozen Head State Park.
History
The park plays an interesting role in the landscape of United States history with its connections to the westward expansion, not only as the establishment of the federal presence near the Cherokee border for land negotiations, but also as a recruitment point for soldiers in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The fort was originally constructed in 1797 as headquarters to members of the Third and Fourth Regiments of Infantry, the former of which is still active and sometimes known as “The Old Guard,” who had come in to help with ongoing disputes between Euro-American Settlers and the Cherokee Nation. This fort would serve as the southwesternmost point of the Euro-American settlement. Despite these nearby disputes, the fort was not used for actual conflict in the area; instead, it served as a base for treaties and negotiations, providing one of the rare examples of federal and indigenous cooperation of the time. One commander, known for his relationships with the Cherokee, was Col. Return Johnathan Meigs, who was appointed Cherokee Agent by President Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
The fort attracted those interested in westward expansion. One of the first was Meriwether Lewis, who not only sought to recruit soldiers for his upcoming expedition (not many were fit to go), but also to purchase a boat, which turned out to be a mail-order scam. But after that expedition, Euro-Americans looking to travel westward would use the fort as a waystation, loading up on any needed supplies before continuing. The fort was decommissioned in 1811.
In the 1930s, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) acquired the area to build the Watts Bar Dam, which it sold to the city of Kingston in 1958, but it wouldn’t be until the 1970s when the historical and archaeological significance of the area would resurface, and earn a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
From 1974 to 1996, three archaeological explorations occurred at the park: one by the University of Tennessee and two by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, with partners Roane State Community College and the city of Kingston on the latter two. Through these, not only were the original foundations found, but items dating back to 1360 AD were found.
From the Rangers
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The Perfect Day
Visit the Fort and walk around the structures to see the stories you most likely didn’t hear about in school.
Visit the museum to see something new – the park has received numerous donations of artifacts and plans to rotate the museum over time.
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Insider Information
Make a day out of the trip by having a lakeside picnic. The park has ample space to enjoy the outdoors, with a backdrop of the Watts Bar Lake.
If the day is clear – you can see the top of Frozen Head from the park!
Before You Go
Restrooms are only available at the Visitor Center for all areas. Dogs are allowed at the park, but must remain on a leash at all times. There are some shaded areas along the shoreline near the trail, but visitors should be aware that most of the park is not shaded.
Plants
There are a number of native plants and Cherokee medicinal plants in the gardens by the visitor center.
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