OLD STONE FORT: MYSTERY, INDUSTRY, AND LEISURE IN A LOVELY GREEN SPACE

Abstract

Residing inside the boundaries of Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park, the now empty foundations sit astride a section of low, wall-like mounds that run along the Barren Fork of the Duck River as a testament to the industry that once dominated the nearby town. However, its presence among the mounds creates a perplexing boundary between deep prehistory and the site’s more recent past. The presence of Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park amidst the ruins of this industrial site highlights the ways that the property’s use changed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Currently, site interpretation does not demonstrate the ties between the mounds and the bones of industry. Nevertheless, the story that lies beneath the leaf litter and stone foundations is truly compelling, and connections between the establishment of the state park and the mills are strong.