In 1714, Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood established Fort Germanna in present day Orange County, Virginia. The name Germanna, which was selected by Governor Alexander Spotswood, reflected both the German immigrants who sailed across the Atlantic to Virginia and the British Queen, Anne, who was in power at the time of the first settlement at Germanna.

In present time, Fort Germanna has a visitor center which has information, about the various historical structures that used to exist around the fort, in addition to the archeological work that is currently being done to excavate the remains of those structures.