The entry tower is all that remains of the barracks, which were built to house 100 men. The building took the form of a square with rooms surrounding an open parade.
The walls were made of tabby one foot thick. During the campaign of 1742, the barracks served as both hospital and quarters for Spanish prisoners of war.
National Register of Historic Places + Fort Frederica National Monument
No one buried here is known today. The few remaining crypts are in critical condition.
National Register of Historic Places + Fort Frederica National Monument
The images below illustrate archaeological excavations made at the site of the town of Frederica, on St. Simons Island. Frederica was planned by Georgia’s founder, General James Oglethorpe, who preferred it to Savannah. It was named to honor Frederick, Prince of Wales, the son of King George II. Integral as a military outpost against the Spanish in its early days, the town fell into decline after the Battle of Bloody Marsh and was largely abandoned by 1755. Frederica survived a fire in 1758, but soon thereafter, was all but forgotten. All homes below are thought to have been built between 1736-1741 and represent the most important evidence of Georgia’s early European settlement. Scholarship is ongoing.
This is thought to be the homesite of Francis Moore, who served as General Oglethorpe’s secretary, town recorder, and keepers of the King’s stores. He and Oglethorpe were often at odds and when Moore returned to England in 1743 he published an account of the founding of Frederica, A Voyage to Georgia.
This is believed to have been the site of the home of shoemaker John Levally, Jr., who came to Frederica from Charing Cross, England. Lieutenant Primrose Maxwell of Oglethorpe’s Regiment was a later resident. Lieutenant Maxwell took part in the 1740 expedition against the Spanish at St. Augustine and was one of the pallbearers at the funeral of Chief Tomochichi in Savannah.
John Calwell and his family lived at this site and made the finest soaps and candles in the town of Frederica, which were exported to New York and Philadelphia. Calwell was also “Conservator of the Peace” for the town.
Daniel Cannon is thought to have lived at this location. Cannon was perhaps the finest builder in Frederica and notably made the oars for Oglethorpe’s 1740 expedition against the Spanish at St. Augustine.
Archaeologists believe this home was destroyed during the Great Town Fire of 1758. Captain James McKay, who acted as Oglethorpe’s commanding officer during the General’s 1743 attack on St. Augustine, likely lived here, after baker Will Allen and carpenter Thomas Sumner.
This was the homesite of one of Frederica’s first settlers, Samuel Perkins. Perkins was a coachmaker and while renowned for his skill, was in constant conflict with General Oglethorpe and was “persecuted out of the colony” in May 1741. He settled in Charleston, South Carolina.
On this site were located two houses which shared a common wall, much in the style of English rowhouses of the day. Samuel Davison lived in the house in the foreground and operated a tavern, made gunstocks, and served as town constable. Charles Wesley called Davison “my good Samaritan”.
Dr. Thomas Hawkins lived in the other section and served as Regimental Surgeon, as well as town doctor, apothecary, and magistrate. He and his wife Beatre were constantly quarreling with the Davisons, who left Frederica in 1741. Beatre even threatened to kill Reverend John Wesley with a pair of scissors and a pistol in this house.
National Register of Historic Places + Fort Frederica National Monument
Epworth By The Sea is a retreat and learning center operated by the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and is named in honor of the English home of John and Charles Wesley who guided the formation of the Methodist Church. With a first-class library, museum, and recreational and lodging facilities, Epworth has hosted visitors from all over the world since it opened in 1950.
Architect G. W. Laine designed this magnificent Carpenter Gothic structure for Norman Dodge. It was repaired after the hurricane of 1897*. It was first known as Union Church and later home to St. James Episcopal. It was moved to its present location in 1911, after having fallen out of use. Reconsecrated by the Methodists in 1949, it was given the name Lovely Lane in honor of the 1774 church which was the site of the founding conference of Methodism in Baltimore in 1784. It’s used for baptisms, weddings, worship and meditation today, by locals and visitors who come to Epworth By The Sea from all over the world.
*- I believe this may actually have been the Hurricane of 1898, which made major impact in the area.
The two slave dwellings seen here and below were part of the historic Gascoigne Bluff plantation of Scottish immigrant James Hamilton. Hamilton’s vast acreage of long staple Sea Island cotton was labor intensive and therefore he was a large slaveholder.
The Cassina Garden Club of St. Simons began meeting here in 1932 and took deed to the property in 1950. They maintain the structures and the grounds beautifully.
Seen below is the larger old style tabby used in the slave cabins.
National Register of Historic Places
The beach takes on a stark yet beautiful appearance in winter. It’s a great time to just wander around and take in the natural history, which at this location is nearly impossible in the summer.