This roadside marker is located not far from the traffic circle where Kings Way meets Frederica…read moreRoad. There is no good spot for a car to stop with a soft shoulder, but the pedestrian path nearby is close enough. The marker was erected by the Georgia Historical Society in 2007 and is still in excellent condition. You'll need to stop to read the small print, "In 1804 William Page purchased land on St. Simons Sound and named it Retreat. With later purchases, Retreat became one of the preeminent plantations on St. Simons Island for the production of long-staple cotton. In 1827 the Pages' only child, Anna Matilda, who had married Thomas Butler King of Massachusetts, inherited Retreat. She was active in the management of the plantation and its slave population. Mr. King became a Georgia state senator and U. S. Congressman, where he led efforts to strengthen the U.S. Navy. Retreat land stretched from the Frederica River to the Lighthouse. Part of Retreat, including the Avenue of Oaks, is now home to Sea Island Golf Club, and other portions are residential and commercial areas and public parks." Retreat Plantation was one of the most prosperous plantations and was located on the southern tip of St. Simons Island. Anna Page King, who inherited the land in 1826, planted the famous Avenue of the Oaks. It is said that Anna grew such an abundance of flowers at Retreat Plantation that sailors nearing St. Simons Island could smell the flowers' fragrance before they saw the Island shores. Once the entrance to Retreat Plantation, the Avenue of the Oaks is now the entrance to the Sea Island Golf Club. There is a drive around the double row of live oak trees which create the Avenue of the Oaks, most dating to around 1830. [Review 15743 overall - 425 in Georgia - 1247 of 2021.]

I never knew any of the history that we stumbled upon here!…read more First of all, the building is nicely done with great museum like displays and a cute gift shop. There was also an extremely knowledgeable person inside who gave us a ton of info about the history and the fort. We then ventured outside (bug spray may be a good idea here!) and looked at the various spots with info and the history of the butcher, baker, candlestick maker as well as the other jobs around the fort. The actual building ruins are interesting and picturesque by the water. You could easily spend a while here meandering and learning. 100% worth a visit if you are nearby!

This afternoon, my mom and I went to go tour the Fort Federica national Monument on Saint Simons…read moreIsland. It is a free fort so you don't pay a parking fee or an entrance fee. They have a museum inside along with a small gift shop as well as the fort grounds that you can walk around and read the Historical information. To get on Saint Simons Island you don't have to pay an island fee. The lady at the desk, her name is Barbara. She was very nice and assisted me with purchasing my passport guide. A passport to the national parks has little areas where you can take the stamps from the different national parks and stamp in your booklet. The passport books includes national parks all over the country. In the gift shop, they have a regular passport, an expert passport and a junior guide for a junior Rangers. 10/10

Steeped in centuries of history, the Lover's Oak in Brunswick, Georgia stands as a testament to…read moretimeless affection and enduring strength. Legend speaks of this magnificent 900-year-old Southern live oak as a rendezvous spot for Native American lovers, whispering their vows beneath its sprawling branches. Located in the heart of the Brunswick Old Town Historic District, this living monument has witnessed countless stories of love and devotion. This tree is easy to find in the Historic District in downtown Brunswick. You'll see signs with directions to the tree throughout the area.

Lovers Oak is a very old Live Oak tree (dated to the 12th C), in the Historic District of…read moreBrunswick. It's in a residential neighborhood, at the corner of Albany and Prince Streets. There is kind of a median strip in the middle of the street, where the tree lives. It has a plaque and a small sign. The lore is that Native American lovers "met under the tree." Hmmm... and then what? Ate pizza? Anyway, it's a beautiful old majestic tree, with a trunk diameter of 13 feet!!!! Worth a look-see, and a photo. It's a lot more public now than it once was, but you could probably eat some pizza under it with your sweetheart.

Wonderful historic site that was a former rice plantation. The same family lived in the home for…read moremultiple generations and the last heir left the estate to the state of Georgia. Beautiful antiques, cool grounds, and amazing landscape. All left in It's original state. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts. Definitely worth visiting!

The history of this region is worth thinking about, but tough to see. Most of these sorts of…read moreplantations are long abandoned; the story of how this one fell into the hands of the state government is told, along with other context, on a half-hour tour of their small mansion. The tour starts on the hour, and having arrived shortly in advance, they told me to drive down a service road that said not to drive down on it so I could park at the house and make it on time. The tour content focuses on the family line that owned the house; there is some discussion of the people they owned early in its history, but a more detailed take on the forced labor system involved in rice farming is given in the museum back where one starts. It is a distinctive and difficult topic, but the films they play offer a relatively level-headed take. The area is very swampy now; I got outside of the house and thought to wander around and take pictures, but was immediately beset by flies. Fortunately, I had the luxury of my car. Seeing these places in person makes one wonder how anyone ever lived and labored here without modern conveniences. There's plenty of food for thought.

Tony and I traveled up the coast from Jacksonville FL to Darien GA. We located this home on Route…read more17, Butler Island Plantation. This is not the original Plantation house, this is referred to as the Huston House (second owners) Plantation was a Huge Rice Plantation owned by Major Pierce Butler, one of the founding fathers of USA. When he died property was handed down to his unwed daughter Frances Butler, over 436 Slaves sold in 1859 and this was considered the largest slave sale in American History. During Civil War, the plantation was abandoned. After Civil war attempts made to revive and reconstruct the plantation but it never happened. Sold in 1926 to Tillinghast Huston and turned into a Lettuce & Dairy Farm. Now it's owned and ran by State of Georgia Natural Resources. Free for use, you can walk around, picnic, and enjoy the area, even fish here!!

It was a beautiful house, however it has burned completely to the ground by a person trespassing…read more There was no protection to keep people off the property. This was a great piece of history lost.

Due to U-boats during 1942, much cargo and many ships were lost. The tremendous number of losses…read morenecessitated the need for more ships that were stronger, larger, and can hold vast amounts of cargo. During 1942 the U.S. Maritime Commission chose 16 sites around the nation to build what would be termed "Liberty Ships." Brunswick was one of the towns chosen. During World War II, the J.A. Jones Construction Company operated a plant approximately 1 mile south of this point on Brunswick's waterfront. Between 1942 and 1944, a skilled labor force of over 16,000 men and women worked in service to the Allied war effort, producing 99 steel vessels for the U.S. Merchant Marines. These vessels served as both cargo and troop carriers, and their reputation for keeping vital supply lines open earned them the name of "Liberty Ships." Each month, dedicated shipyard workers produced four of these 447-foot, 3500-ton steel vessels. During December 1944, with the "Battle of the Bulge" raging in Europe, the Navy requested six ships. In response, these determined patriots build an astounding seven "Liberty Ships." The J.A. Jones Construction Company and the people they employed in Brunswick's shipyards came to symbolize the patriotic duty and tireless efforts of America's wartime home front. Upon war's end in 1945, the J.A. Jones Construction Company closed the shipyards, on their way out, they donated a model of one of the Liberty Ships that was used in training the employees. For many years this model sat at the foot of the St. Simons Island Causeway, eventually though, the model fell to ruins and had to be scrapped. Around 1987 the local Navy League started raising funds to build a new model. On 23 August 1991 a brand new 23 foot vessel was completed, making it the "100th Liberty Ship" build by Brunswick. And, like all vessels before it, this ship was christened with a bottle of champagne and the name "City of Brunswick". [Review 16824 overall - 497 in Georgia - 337 of 2022.]

On top of a concrete plinth, there is a covered steel pot. On the concrete is carved, "In this pot,…read morethe first Brunswick Stew was made on Saint Simon Isle, June 2, 1898." A great debate rages over where the first Brunswick Stew was cooked. Was it here in Brunswick Georgia or was it in Brunswick County Virginia as depicted on https://www.yelp.com/biz/brunswick-county-historical-marker-freeman?hrid=cYawMoEAPFnn9WF3SNDPsg. I'm not going to take sides but I will point out that the pot here says 1898 and the sign there was 1828. So there's that. Brunswick Stew, whether Georgian or Virginian, is a tomato-based dish that was originally made with squirrel or rabbit or opossum as the base protein. In more modern times, it is usually pork or chicken or beef. I won't call it a chili because it's not that. It's a stew with beans and other vegetables and we will say no more. The pot is located next to the Farmers Market structure adjacent to Mary Ross Waterfront Park. I don't know if there are restaurants nearby that sell stew. I had Chinese for dinner. [Review 16827 overall - round number 500 in Georgia - 340 of 2022.]

This is a definite 'must-visit' historic district when visiting Jekyll Island, Georgia. The…read moreatmosphere is amazing and it has an awesome collection of historic cottages as well as uniquely curated shops in addition to a few cool restaurants and eateries. We took the Landmark Trolley Tour to begin our visit and this gave us a great foundation of where to go and what to do. After the Trolley tour, we walked back beginning with Wake up coffee and ending with Faith Chapel. Such an amazing atmosphere and historical significance from the Georgia Gilded Age. A self-guided tour is free and the Landmark Trolley Tour is $20 per person.

Walking or biking around the historic district is just perfection, no other way to describe it…read more While it's a good distance to walk, it's manageable. I'd suggest buying a ticket to the Mosaic Museum and trolley tour (buy the trolley ticket and you get in the museum and chapel free) and tour the district first. After the tour you can stroll at your leisure along the homes and decide which ones you want to visit with some knowledge in your pocket. The trolley tour also gains admission into the Rockefeller home, Indian Mound that is just amazing.