Point Peter Exhibit
St. Marys, Georgia
Components: Interpretive panels; Video; Sound recordings; Artifact cases; Replica uniforms; Children's ship replica
The story of the last invasion and last battle of the War of 1812 is told in a multimedia exhibit entitled Forgotten Invasion. Located at the National Park Service’s Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum in St. Marys, Georgia, the exhibit uses history and archaeology to reveal the story of the Battery at Point Peter.
Twelve interpretive panels, a video, sound recordings, artifacts, and replica uniforms illustrate the period up to and including the War of 1812 at this coastal Georgia fortification. It brings to life the stories of the soldiers who lived there including the newly instituted Regiment of Riflemen, America’s first special forces unit. Panels about the archaeology describe how science is used to supplement our knowledge about and understanding of written history, often revealing forgotten or lost information.
A highlight of the exhibit is the children’s section which features a replica of a ship’s interior complete with a telescope for viewing the enemy on the high seas. Children’s size replica uniforms are available for dressing up. An interpretive panel in this section shows a cutaway of a British ship of the line and an American gunboat. Each has fully illustrated compartments showing the various ship board activities of the time.
This exhibit was developed in conjunction with the Point Peter Education Program