Gwinnett County buys Fort Daniel site

Gwinnett County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to by a 4.32-acre site that once contained Fort Daniel.

Commissioners agreed to pay the appraised value of $241,000; the property, sold by Ann P. Grant, includes a 1,500-square foot house. The county will use funds from the 2009 SPLOST sales tax program to fund the purchase, according to a news release.

Local militia built Fort Daniel a few years before the incorporation of Gwinnett County in 1818. Major General Allen Daniel was Commander of the 4th Division of Georgia’s militia at the time. The fort replaced or refurbished a 1790s frontier fort on the same site. Local archaeologists and historians located the remains of the fort in 2009 and registered the site on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Places in Peril.

“This is an outstanding and long overdue opportunity to preserve and protect our history and heritage for future generations,” District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau said said in a statement.

The Fort Daniel site is located at 2505 Braselton Highway in northeastern Gwinnett County.

“We look forward to working with community groups such as the Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society and Friends of Fort Daniel to provide educational opportunities for Gwinnett County youth and families,” Board Chairman Charlotte Nash said in a statement.