08/26/2026
🏛️ Fort Daniel: Why Preservation Matters
Every preservation success begins with recognizing what could be lost.
When archaeological investigations began at Fort Daniel in 2007, the property faced the possibility of future development. Research by archaeologists and volunteers confirmed the location of the fort and revealed surviving archaeological features associated with an important chapter in both Gwinnett County's history and Georgia's frontier history.
Community advocacy and preservation efforts followed. Fort Daniel was named one of the Georgia Trust's Places in Peril in 2009, and in 2012, Gwinnett County purchased the property for preservation. Today, Fort Daniel is protected as an archaeological research preserve where the public can experience local history firsthand.
Although Fort Daniel was not preserved through Section 106, its story demonstrates why the principles behind the process matter: identify significant historic resources, understand what is at risk, involve the community, and consider preservation before those resources are lost.
Fort Daniel survived because people recognized its significance and acted. Other historic and archaeological sites deserve that same opportunity.
Once an archaeological site is destroyed, we cannot get it back.
