Kilgore Fort House facts for kids
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Killgore Fort House
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Kilgore Fort House about 1930
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Nickelsville, Virginia |
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| Area | 1.8 acres (0.73 ha) |
| Built | 1785 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001415 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 19, 1972 |
The Kilgore Fort House is a historic building in Scott County, Virginia. It's located at 190 West Jackson Street in Gate City. This unique house was built around 1790 by Reverend Robert Kilgore. It's special because it's the only one of its kind left in southwest Virginia.
Fort houses were built by pioneer families between 1773 and 1795. During this time, settlers sometimes faced attacks from Native Americans. These homes were designed to keep families safe and provide protection.
Contents
A House Built for Safety
The Kilgore Fort House was carefully restored in 1973 and 1974. It has two floors, with two rooms on each floor. A strong timber wall separated the rooms on each level. The way the rooms were set up was very clever. If attackers got into one room, the family could retreat into the next. This allowed them to make a final stand in the northeast room on the second floor if needed.
Strong Design Features
The original house was built without any regular windows. Instead, it had small openings called gun ports. These openings showed that the house was made for defense. The doors were also very strong, made from heavy timbers. They could be held shut from the inside with a thick bar.
The house was built using trimmed white oak logs. Each log was notched at the end to fit perfectly with the logs from the other walls. Any small gaps between the logs were filled with mud. For cooking and warmth, there was a large stone fireplace and chimney on the northeast side of the house.
Life at the Fort House
Even though it was designed like a fort, there are no records saying the Kilgore Fort House was ever attacked. There's a local story that Cherokee people once camped across Copper Creek. However, this is unlikely because the other side of the creek is a steep cliff.
The fort house is located at a natural crossing point on Copper Creek. People still use this spot today to cross the creek. Older residents remember when cars used to drive right through the creek here. At least two bridges have been built at this spot, including the one there now. You can still see old bridge supports in the creek.
What is a Fort House?
The Kilgore Fort House is also sometimes called the Kilgore Fort. But it wasn't a fort in the way you might imagine, with big walls all around it. Instead, it was simply a log home built with strong defenses. That's why it's called a "fort house"—it was a home designed to protect its residents.
