Kilkenny Marina is small and the store quite basic but online reviews consistently compliment the friendly folks working here. And the location, at historic Kilkenny Plantation, is unbeatable.
Kilkenny Marina, Bryan County
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Category Archives: –BRYAN COUNTY GA–
Tivoli River, Bryan County
This is the view at the Tivoli River Fishing Pier & Kayak Launch, on Belfast-Keller Road, and it’s the first public “kayak/canoe-only launch” in Coastal Georgia. The Tivoli is an 8.9 mile-long tidal river that flows into the Belfast River, just north of that river’s terminus at the Medway River. The fishing is generally good, too, with redfish, trout, and flounder being abundant much of the year.
Demeries Creek, Fancy Hall
This tidal inlet is sometimes referred to as Demere Creek.
George Washington Carver School, 1939, Keller
An historical marker notes: On these grounds in 1939, Henry Ford built a school to serve the educational needs of the African-American children of lower Bryan County. Professor Herman Cooper was appointed as the Principal when the school opened later that year, originally with grades one through six. Ford named the school in honor of the prominent African-American educator and agriculturist from Tuskegee Institute, Dr. George Washington Carver. In March 1940 Dr. Carver attended the dedication ceremonies here for the new school named in his honor.
A gymnasium located at the back of the property appears to be all that remains of the historic campus.
Bryan Neck Missionary Baptist Church, Keller
An historic marker placed by the Coastal Bryan Heritage Trail notes that Bryan Neck Missionary Baptist was: Organized in 1869, this is the oldest African-American church congregation in lower Bryan County. The first structure for the church, a Prayer House, was built in 1870 on this site near the white Presbyterian Church (Burnt Church). London Harris, a freedman and spiritual leader of the local black community, was one of the organizers and first pastors for this church. The church was renovated and enlarged with support from Henry Ford at the time the nearby Carver school was built in 1939.
Fort McAllister, 1861, Bryan County
Located near the mouth of the Ogeechee River in Bryan County, Fort McAllister was a Confederate earthwork fortification. Named for Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Longworth McAllister (1820-11 June 1864), who owned the plantation at Genesis Point where the fort was sited in 1861, it provided Savannah’s southern defense against the U. S. Navy.
During 1862 and 1863, Fort McAllister successfully repelled seven attacks by Union warships, including the ironclads USS Montauk and USS Passaic. Fort McAllister’s commanding officer, Major John Boog Gallie, was killed in one of the assaults.
Though the fort never fell to the Union Navy, the land assault of 13 December 1864 marked the end of Confederate control and thus the end of Sherman’s March to the Sea.
The General himself observed the taking of Fort McAllister from atop the rice mill of the captured Cheves plantation, across the Ogeechee River. It served for the remainder of the war as a prison camp for Confederates captured along the northern part of the Georgia coast.
After many years of disrepair and natural reclamation, Henry Ford, who owned the property at the time, funded a complete restoration in the late 1930s. Today, it’s one of the best-preserved earthworks of the Confederacy and features a museum and hiking trails.
The earthen construction of Fort McAllister was largely responsible for its ability to successfully repel so many attacks by the Union Navy. Known as the central bombproof, this area in the middle of the fortification housed soldiers, provided medical care, and prepped and maintained the many canons and munitions necessary to the defense of the site.
In 1863 the CSS Rattlesnake (formerly known as the CSS Nashville) took refuge in the Ogeechee River. After being grounded in mud during low tide, the Rattlesnake took heavy fire from Union naval vessels and was completely destroyed. Sections of the wreck were salvaged in 1960, including the engine component seen above.
National Register of Historic Places
Bryan Neck Presbyterian Church, 1885, Keller
This congregation was first organized circa 1830 by prominent Bryan Neck rice planters including Thomas Savage Clay, Richard James Arnold, and George Washington McCallister. The first church building was constructed three miles from this location in 1839. Its adjoining burial ground is now known as Burnt Church Cemetery.
The present church, built in 1885, is the oldest public building in Bryan County. It’s a rare small example of cruciform architecture.
National Register of Historic Places
Shuman’s Grocery Pepsi Sign, Daniel
Located near the old Daniel Siding, an early railroad-designated place, this sign is a subtle reminder that US Highway 17 (The Coastal Highway) was a busy artery before the advent of Interstate 95.
Update: As of 2017, this sign has been removed.