George Rogers Clark Home Site

Clark built his cabin here in 1803

Courtesy of Ryan Kephart

Quick Facts

Location:

Clarksville, IN

MANAGED BY:

Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources

Amenities

9 listed

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

Visitor Centers (shown in orange), High Potential Historic Sites (shown in black), and Pivotal Places (shown in green) along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

*Please Note* The cabin burnt down in 2021. A planning effort is underway to determine the future of the site. For more information, call the Falls of the Ohio Visitor Center at [phone]. 

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. 

Today, a replica of George’s cabin sits on the site of the original, which was destroyed in 1854. Situated atop the lower end of a 24-foot limestone drop, the home commands beautiful scenic views of the river and the falls.  

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 [phone] or visit the website at https://www.fallsoftheohio.org/portfolio/outdoor-activities/george-rogers-clark-home-site/.