Tomlinson Fort House
The Tomlinson Fort House is a historic residence located in Baldwin County, Ga. in the city of Milledgeville. It was built for and was maintained as the primary residence of Tomlinson Fort (congressman) (1787- 1859), upon its completion in 1820. It is a significant site reflecting the life and numerous contributions of its first owner. The home was moved to 321 South Liberty Street in 1985 to avoid demolition, when its original location was scheduled for commercial development due to its prime location on a main throughfare.
Milledgeville served as the State Capital of the State of Georgia from 1804 to 1868. The city planners implemented a grid-based layout similar to Savanah, GA and Washington, DC. The Fort House was originally constructed within an area of many historically significant structures in what is now known as the Milledgeville Historic District. Being rich in antebellum history, the city played a pivotal role during the Civil War. The nearby Old Governor's Mansion was claimed as a "prize" in General William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea, on November 23, 1864. The State Capital was moved to its current geographical location of Atlanta after the end of the American Civil War (1861-1865).
Within four years after the construction of the house, Tomlinson Fort married Martha Lou Fannin (1804–1883) of nearby Madison, Georgia. Their wedding was held on October 28, 1824. During their marriage Tomlinson and Martha had thirteen children, nine of whom lived to adulthood.
A marker was erected by the Georgia Historical Society at the original homestead location in 1961 to honor Tomlinson Fort as a Union Party leader, a captain in the War of 1812, and a prominent force in both the political and medical histories of the State. Fort attended one year at Philadelphia Medical School in 1809, before settling in Milledgeville to start his medical practice. While serving as a captain in the Baldwin Volunteers in 1812, he was to sustain a wound that would be his eventual cause of death at the age of 72. Mr. Fort was a member of both the Georgia House of Representatives (a Democrat reelected annually: 1818–1826) and the United States House of Representatives (Jacksonian - Twentieth Congress One Term: 1827-1829) from Georgia's 6th Congressional District.
Returning to his medical practice after being a member of both the State and US House of Representatives, Tomlinson Fort helped found the Medical Academy of Augusta in 1928 (with the institution name changing to the Medical College of Georgia after 1933). In 1829 Fort was elected Trustee of University of Georgia in Athens, a position held for 27 years. In July 1930 Tomlinson Fort founded the newspaper "The Federal Union", which was published weekly until 1861. In 1832 he rose to the position of President of the Central Bank of Georgia (later part of State Bank of Georgia), which he held until his death. Fort was an active participant in the group of founders of the Georgia Lunatic Asylum. Work started in 1837 and the facility was opened in1842 in Milledgeville and was later called the Central State Hospital. He ended his political career as Mayor of Milledgeville (1847–1848). Fort was considered to be a public-spirited resident who was also credited with improving the diverse areas of newspapers, learning academies/schools and financial institutions/banks.
In 1849 the Milledgeville office of the newspaper "The Federal Union" published a widely used medical book titled "A dissertation on the practice of medicine: containing an account of the causes, symptoms, and treatment of diseases, and adapted to the use of physicians and families" authored by Tomlinson Fort. A paperback edition of this medical book was published in 2015 by Scholars Choice, followed by a hardcopy edition in 2016 by Wentworth Press. There are currently multiple first edition copies of the book available for sale on-line published as part of the original group from "The Federal Union" stock. On-demand leather bound, hard cover or soft cover copies of the original 1849 book are currently available for printing from on-demand publishers located in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Three of Tomlinson Fort's sons fought in the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (1861&1862). They were part of the 1st, 9th and 28th Georgia Infantry Regiments. Both Civil War battles resulted in Confederate victories.
Under the guidance of Mrs. Fort, the family home became known as the meeting place for the members of the local chapter of the Ladies Relief Society, which was established during the US Civil War. The Relief Society was part of the Women's Organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which had begun in 1842 in Illinois.
As the economy of Milledgeville has shifted focus in recent years to emphasize tourism due to the high concentration of preserved historically significant structures, the Tomlinson Fort House has become an instrumental component to these efforts. The residence at its current location at 321 South Liberty Street (relocated in 1985) is featured in the most recent edition of the "Historic Walking Tour Guide - Milledgeville, Georgia". The house is listed as stop 15, as part of the 46 homes, buildings and pieces of property highlighted.