Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Free Weekend at National Parks on the Coast

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Visit one of our national parks on Saturday July 17th or Sunday July 18th without paying admission. The National Park Service offers a couple of free weekends every year, and one of those weekends is coming up in July.

It’s the perfect opportunity to take family and friends out to a state park for a visit. This weekend you can for example visit Fort Moultrie, the Castillo de San Marco or Fort Pulaski.

Below is a complete list of participating National Parks in our area:

SOUTH CAROLINA
Fort Moultrie National Monument – Charleston, South Carolina
The National Park Service’s fee-free weekends apply to Fort Moultrie, a unit of Fort Sumter National Monument. Fort Moultrie is a unit of Fort Sumter National Monument. The site is located on Sullivan’s Island and is accessible by car. Fort Sumter is always free – but there is a fee for the ferry boat ride to the fort.
For more information about Fort Sumter visit http://www.nps.gov/fosu

Fort Frederica georgia
Fort Frederica National Monument. Photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development

GEORGIA
Fort Frederica National Monument – St Simon’s Island, Georgia
Spanish and British forces clashed on St. Simons Island in 1792. Fort Frederica’s troops defeated the Spanish troops. Georgia remained a British colony.
For more information about Fort Frederica visit http://www.nps.gov/fofr

Fort Pulaski Savannah Georgia
Fort Pulaski National Monument. Georgia Department of Economic Development

Fort Pulaski National Monument – Savannah, Georgia
The Battle of Fort Pulaski in April 1862 featured the first significant use of rifled cannons in combat. The fort surrendered, which was a turning point, signaling the end of masonry fortifications.
For more information about Fort Pulaski http://www.nps.gov/fopu

Cumberland Island National Seashore – St Marys, Georgia
Cumberland Island is Georgia’s largest and southernmost barrier island.
For more information about Cumberland Island http://www.nps.gov/cuis

FLORIDA
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument – St Augustine, Florida
The Castillo was constructed to defend Spain’s claims in the New World. It was never defeated in battle. The Castillo witness to over 330 years of history and culture and is an impressive place to visit.
For more information about Castillo de San Marcos http://www.nps.gov/casa

Fort Pulaski
Fort Pulaski National Monument. Georgia Department of Economic Development

Living History Event at Horton House – Jekyll Island, GA

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On Saturday July 11th, colonial history comes alive at the Horton House on Jekyll Island. At this historic site you’ll be able to hear re-enactors tell the story of the 1742 Spanish attack on Horton House following the Battle of Bloody Marsh.

You can also sample Major William Horton’s ginger ‘ale’ or root ‘beer’ in honor of Georgia’s first brewery, which was located at this spot.

Horton House Jekyll Island, GeorgiaThere will be drills and demonstration, and colonial games on the lawn.
The Living History Event at Horton House is co-sponsored by Fort Frederica National Monument and the Jekyll Island Museum.

Horton House Jekyll Island GeorgiaPresentation by colonial re-enactors will take place on Saturday, July 11, 2009, 2:00 pm on the grounds of the Horton House Historic Site. Admission is free.

For more information, call or visit the Jekyll Island Museum, 912-635-4036.

Horton House Living History Event at Jekyll Island, Georgia

New Historical Marker on St Simons Island, Georgia

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GHS Erects A New Historical Marker for Hamilton Plantation

St. Simons Island, GA, April 8, 2009– The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) along with the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, Friends of Coastal Georgia History, and Sea Island Company will unveil a new historical marker about Hamilton Plantation. The dedication will be held at the corner of Hamilton Road and Arthur J. Moore Drive on St. Simons Island on April 28, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.

Hamilton Plantation was one of four major plantations on St. Simons Island. Hamilton Plantation was located at Gascoigne Bluff on the Frederica River, where deep water and the surrounding bluff had provided a natural landing site for ships since the colonial period. With such an accessible landing site, Hamilton Plantation played a key role in the export of the islands staple crop, long-stable cotton, and was itself one of the earliest sites for production of cotton on the island. In the years after the end of the plantation era Hamilton became the site of the Dart and Dodge-Meigs sawmills. Today all that remains of the original plantation buildings are two tabby cabins that once housed some of the plantation’s 125 slaves. Much of the remaining property has become residential neighborhoods and public park lands.

Live Oaks

The marker text reads as follows:
Hamilton Plantation
In 1800 James Hamilton, with his partner John Couper, purchased land at Gascoigne Bluff. Under Hamilton’s stewardship, Hamilton Plantation became one of the major St. Simons producers of long-staple cotton. After Hamilton moved to Philadelphia, management oversight was carried out by his namesake, James Hamilton Couper, who eventually owned Hamilton. From colonial days, Gascoigne Bluff had served as a deep-water landing. In the plantation era, imported goods and cotton exports for the entire island were transported through Hamilton Plantation’s wharf. Two tabby cabins that housed some of the plantation’s slaves have been preserved at the Bluff.
Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, Coastal Georgia Historical Society, Friends of Coastal Georgia History, and Sea Island Company
Historical markers, which recognize people, places and events, tell the story of Georgia’s past in a format that is accessible to residents and visitors alike and are an effective tool for economic development, encouraging local tourism and general state-wide interest. GHS has administered Georgia’s historical marker program since 1998, erecting over 150 markers statewide.

CHS logo

The Georgia Historical Society, headquartered in Savannah, is a preeminent educational and research institution and the first and only statewide historical society in Georgia. It is the oldest cultural organization in the state and one of the oldest historical societies in the nation. For nearly 175 years, GHS has collected, preserved, and shared Georgia and American history through a variety of educational outreach programs, publications, and research services.