We Have A Fort: Archaeological Discovery in Iredell County presents the archaeological history of Fort Dobbs that led to its reconstruction. After Fort Dobbs was abandoned following the end of the French and Indian War, the structure disappeared from the pastoral landscape. Interest in its remembrance and site preservation emerged in the twentieth century when the Daughters of the American Revolution acquired the land where the fort once stood, but its exact location and style were a mystery. Using primary sources from the time the fort was built, contemporary fort designs, and archaeological research, archaeologists and the Iredell community undertook a decades long journey to uncover one of the most significant and well-known historic sites in Iredell County. This exhibit features a 1/16th replica of Fort Dobbs based on archaeological research, artifact images, sketches from excavations, archaeology reports, newspaper articles, and more to demonstrate the significance of archaeology in understanding our history, and provides hands on activities for kids to learn about archaeological practices and build their own model fort.

---