About McCoy Fort
It was built by William McCoy, around 1769, apparently as his house and then it was referred to as a fort in various documents in the 1770's. After the Indians in the area attacked Fort Donnally, with a terrible massacre, they broke up into smaller forces and one group attacked McCoy's home and failed to overcome the settlers hidden inside. The walls of the log structure still stand, hidden and protected from the weather inside a farmer's barn. Some say there are even arrowheads in the logs, but inspection is not possible because the roof of the barn is falling around it. This is a treasure at the center of Greenbrier County and needs to be preserved and restored for future generations to appreciate what their ancesters accomplished by settling this area.
Some of these colonial forts were just for protection from Indians, but this structure was the home of one of the first settlers in the area. Before preservation and archeology efforts can begin, the barn overlaying the fort must be removed. A near-tornado hit it many years ago and started a tilt that threatens to bring the entire structure tumbling down. To make it worse, the deracho in June/July 2012 gave it a punch that pushed it to an impossible tilt. Badlands Bluegrass Festival is dedicated to raising the money necessary for these efforts to save the fort and to make it a destination for tourists and local schools to study the heritage of the area.
