Re-creators mark 15th anniversary

Fifteen years after a historic Petersburg boat was launched on Augusta waterways, a group met Saturday to mark the anniversary and reflect on the support, dreams and fun that made it happen.

Former designers, builders and crew members of the boat -- Fort Augusta -- gathered for a discussion and presentation of the project at the Augusta Museum of History.

One was George Barrett, who said that as a young man he had a dream to build a replica of the Petersburg boats he had heard stories about as a child.

In 1993, with the help of donations from the community and support from the Augusta Canal Authority, Mr. Barrett's dream became a reality. He said his experience was a chance to relive history.

"One of the fun things about it is imagining what it must have been like for the real boaters who encountered it," Mr. Barrett said. "This was a way of bringing history forward through time."

The boat took two years to plan and three months to build.

The boats took their name from the former town of Petersburg, 60 miles upriver from Augusta, and transported goods such as cotton and tobacco.

Mark Newell, an archaeology professor involved with re-creating historic vessels, said his experience was unique because the community got behind it.

"Augusta really embraced the project," Dr. Newell said. "There was a tremendous amount of support. It was a really wonderful thing for this town to do."

An exhibit featuring Fort Augusta is on display at the history museum, 560 Reynolds St.

Reach Jonathan Overstreet at (706) 823-3708 or jonathan.overstreet@augustachronicle.com.