Prickett’s Fort State Park Overview & History
Park Overview
Prickett’s Fort State Park, located five miles north of Fairmont in Marion County, features a reconstruction of the original Prickett’s Fort, which served as a place of refuge during colonial times. This historical park commemorates late 18th-century life on the Virginia frontier. This day-use park is open from mid-April through the end of October. Visitors may enter the park free of charge, but some attractions, such as the fort, charge admission. The Junction, located near the boat launch, also offers bike rentals. Prickett’s Fort State Park Foundation manages programming aspects, tours, heritage workshops, and facility experiences.
After Labor Day, the fort and visitor center are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The last Sunday in October is the end of the season for the fort, except for any special events planned. The visitor center is open Monday – Friday and audio tours of the fort are available from early January until mid-April opening, which is posted on the events calendar. The fort and visitors center are not open from Christmas to New Year.
Park History
Perched on a small rise overlooking the confluence of Prickett’s Creek and the Monongahela River, this rustic log fort is a re-creation of the original Prickett’s Fort of 1774, which served as a refuge from Native American war parties on the western frontier of Colonial Virginia. Built in 1976 by the Prickett’s Fort Memorial Foundation, the “new” fort serves as a living history site where interpreters recreate late 18th-century lifestyles through period attire and demonstrations of colonial crafts. Throughout the season, visitors may find blacksmiths, spinners, weavers and other traditional artisans at work and a gun shop featuring the only public demonstrations of 18th-century firearm manufacturing in the state.
When the threat of Native American uprisings occurred, up to 80 families from the surrounding countryside would hurry to the fort. They would stay as long as the threat existed, for days or even weeks. “Forting up” was tolerated by settlers, as life in the cramped quarters could be unpleasant. Such sacrifices were necessary for survival on the dangerous frontier of the late 1700s. Today’s fort, just north of Fairmont, still portrays that life and time.
Just south of the fort stands the Job Prickett House, built in 1859 by the great-grandson of Capt. Jacob Prickett, for whom the fort was named. The difference between the 18th-century historical reconstruction and the original 19th-century house illustrates the development of an increasingly civilized lifestyle and the availability of mass-produced furnishings over 85 years. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and contains antiques originally used by the Prickett family.
