Place

George Rogers Clark Home Site

Site of Clark Homestead — January 2025 Photo of Clark Homestead Site

Boat Ramp, Cellular Signal, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Parking - Auto, Parking - Boat Trailer, Parking - Bus/RV, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion

Lewis and Clark NHT Visitor Centers and Museums

This map shows a range of features associated with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The trail spans a large portion of the North American continent, from the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. The trail is comprised of the historic route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, an auto tour route, high potential historic sites (shown in black), visitor centers (shown in orange), and pivotal places (shown in green). These features can be selected on the map to reveal additional information. Also shown is a base map displaying state boundaries, cities, rivers, and highways. The map conveys how a significant area of the North American continent was traversed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and indicates the many places where visitors can learn about their journey and experience the landscape through which they traveled.

The George Rogers Clark Home Site is a 7-acre tract of land that makes up part of the Falls of the Ohio State Park. George Rogers Clark, a revolutionary war general, the town’s founder, and William Clark’s older brother, built his home here in 1803 as a place to spend his retirement years. He stayed here until 1809, at which time he suffered a serious burn that resulted in the amputation of his leg. As a result of the injury, he was forced to move in with his sister at her farm outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

Although his younger brother, William, would go down in history as part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, George was a noted hero of the American Revolution in his own right. He was a skilled surveyor and used those skills to take the fort at Kaskaskia, Illinois, as well as Prairie du Roche and Cahokia. He also convinced several Indian tribes to stop allying with the British.

Clark’s home served as an important stopping point for those traveling along the Ohio River. On October 15, 1803, Meriwether Lewis stopped here to meet with William Clark. Together, the two recruited nine men, thus forming the Corps of Discovery that departed from this location on October 26, 1803.

*Please Note* The cabin burned down in 2021, however the site remains open to the public. For more information, call the Falls of the Ohio Visitor Center at (812) 280-9970.

Directly behind it is a replica of the McGee Cabin. This structure isn’t in its original location, as the McGees lived in Guinea Bottoms, one of the first freed African-American communities in the Northwest Territory. It was erected here to tell the story of Venus and Ben McGee, who were George Clark’s indentured servants.

Visitors can tour the home site daily from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The cabin itself is open seasonally on weekends. For more information, call the Falls of the Ohio Visitor Center at (812) 280-9970 or visit the website at https://www.fallsoftheohio.org/portfolio/outdoor-activities/george-rogers-clark-home-site/.