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 continously in the family and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Erected by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, Historic Columbus Foundation, and Dr. and Mrs. Mark R. Fortson 2008
Plaque courtesy Lat34North.com.
Original page, with additional info, here.
Photo credit: Byron Hooks of Lat34North.com.