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Once you drive through the iron gates, a 1-1/2 mile avenue, sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss, leads you to the fortified tabby ruins of Wormsloe, the 18th century colonial estate of Noble Jones.
History
The tabby ruins are the oldest standing structures in Savannah. The site consists of 822 acres and includes the tabby ruins, a museum, and a demonstration area interpreting colonial daily life.
In 1736, Jones obtained a grant for 500 acres on the Isle of Hope. The main house was constructed between 1739 and 1745 overlooking the Skidaway River.
The fortified house was part of a network of defensive structures established by James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia, to protect Savannah from a potential Spanish invasion. Jones subsequently developed Wormsloe into a small plantation, and his descendants built a large mansion at the site that they used as a country residence.
Wormsloe was opened to the public as a state historic site in 1979. The descendants of Noble Jones still control Wormsloe House and its surrounding acreage.
What You Will See
Today, visitors can enjoy costumed interpreters, tour a museum and view a short film about the site and the founding of Georgia. An interpretive nature trail leads past the tabby ruins to a living-history area where demonstrators in period dress exhibit the tools and skills of colonial Georgia.
Wormsloe is located at 7601 Skidaway Road on the Isle of Hope (map). For more information, call (912) 353-3023.
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