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History · Darien

A history of Darien,
since 1736

Postcards, papers and photographs of Darien from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.

1736established
17old images & papers
4historic places
0recent photos
From Darien’s archive · credits on each photo

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

The British built Fort King George in 1721, near what would become Darien. At the time it was the southernmost outpost of the British Empire in North America. The fort was abandoned in 1727 following attacks from the Spanish. Its remains constitute the oldest fort on the Georgia coast.

Colonial periodCivil War and afterSquares

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

built from the dates on the items below
1736Established
1890sUS 1893 Georgia Darien Bank to Savannah Used St…Commons
1900s5 items · The Georgia NegroCommons
1930s11 items · Historic American Buildings Survey L.…Commons
1940–1999Nothing yet. Family albums go here.
Help out

Finish Darien’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewUS 1893 Georgia Darien Bank to Sa…, 1890s: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people from Darien

See all 5 →
Charles S. ThomasCharles S. ThomasPolitics & LawMMMcQueen McIntoshPolitics & LawCFCharles Rinaldo FloydMilitaryNathaniel Alpheus PrattNathaniel Alpheus PrattScience & MedicineDWDaniel Joseph WingeNotable
By decade

Darien, decade by decade

1890s1 item
US 1893 Georgia Darien Bank to Savannah Used Stationery Cover frontCommonsUS 1893 Georgia Darien Bank to Savannah Used Stationery Cov…1890s
1900s5 items
The Georgia NegroCommonsThe Georgia Negro1900[The Georgia Negro] Darien, McIntosh Co., Ga. Distribution of 1000 Negro inhabitantsLOC[The Georgia Negro] Darien, McIntosh Co., Ga. Distribution …1900[A series of statistical charts illustrating the condition of the descendants of former African slaves now in residence…LOC[A series of statistical charts illustrating the condition …1900[A series of statistical charts illustrating the condition of the descendants of former African slaves now in residence…LOC[A series of statistical charts illustrating the condition …1900A series of statistical charts illustrating the condition of the descendants of former African slaves now in residence …LOCA series of statistical charts illustrating the condition o…1900
1930s11 items
Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 DETAIL OF COLUMN BASE - Ashantilly Plantati…CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 DETAIL OF COLUMN CAP - Ashantilly Plantatio…CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 EXTERIOR WOODWORK CONNECTING RIGHT WING - A…CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 FRONT ELEVATION OF CENTRAL BLOCK - Ashantil…CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 GENERAL VIEW OF FRONT - Ashantilly Plantati…CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 GENERAL VIEW OF HOUSE - CabinCommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 GENERAL VIEW SHOWING CENTER AND NORTH EAST …CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 GENERAL VIEW SHOWING FRONT AND NORTH EAST S…CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 GENERAL VIEW SHOWING GRAPE ARBORS - Cabin, …CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 GENERAL VIEW SHOWING NORTH END AND FRONT - …CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936Historic American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photographer Dec. 30, 1936 INTERIOR VIEW LOOKING NORTHEAST THROUGH DOO…CommonsHistoric American Buildings Survey L. D. Andrew, Photograph…1936
1940s–
1990s
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
National Register of Historic Places

4 historic places in Darien

Darien has 4 listings on the National Register, and they protect 186 historic buildings, because West Darien Historic District alone counts 143.

#83
In Georgiaby listings · the typical town has 1
4places listed1 building · 2 districts · 1 other
0National Historic LandmarksNone here yet
186historic buildings protectedcounting each building in a district
1971first listedFort King George · newest: Ashantilly, 2015

Where they are

Tap a dot for a photo and link. Districts show at their center.
Fort King GeorgeVernon Square-Columbus Square Historic DistrictWest Darien Historic DistrictAshantilly
BuildingsDistrictsSites

When they were listed

The Register began in 1966. Darien’s busiest decade was the 1970s.
Fort King GeorgeListed 1971Fort King GeorgeBuilt 1721IndustryPrehistoricHistoric - Non-AboriginalVernon Square-Columbus Square Historic DistrictListed 1985Vernon Square-Columbus Square Historic DistrictDistrictTown planningArchitectureSocial historyWest Darien Historic DistrictListed 2001West Darien Historic DistrictDistrictPrehistoricHistoric - Non-AboriginalArchitectureAshantillyListed 2015AshantillyBuilt 1937ArtCommunications
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · styles from the National Archives catalog · photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place

Then & now

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as US 1893 Georgia Darien Bank to Savannah Used Stationery Cover front (1890s) and it appears here side by side.

🔁 Retake this view · +15

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Brunswick📜 Riceboro📜 Midway📜 Ludowici

From Wikimedia Commons (13), the Library of Congress (4) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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