Cumberland Island in Conservation History

Feral Horse Grazing Behind Dungeness Mansion, 2021.

Since 2018 I have had the privilege of visiting Georgia’s largest barrier island, Cumberland Island. Well known for its’ resident feral horses and magically pristine maritime forests, Cumberland Island serves as a protected National Seashore managed by the National Park Service (NPS). Established in 1972, preserving 36,415 acres of sand dunes, swamps, ponds, marshes and forests and protecting a vast 17.5 miles of beaches, the wonderous opportunity for discovery and exploration is unwavering.

A juxtaposition in itself because of its’ now pristine ecosystems but coinciding long, long history of human imprinting and disruption, Cumberland Island is full of echoing stories. Below it’s richness in biodiversity, Georgia’s southern most barrier island has a thick cultural history. Middens are clues to the lives of the Indians who left them there. Evidence of ceramics reveals that Spanish soldiers and missionaries made prints in the 1500s. In 1735, James Oglethorpe created a treaty with the Creek Nation which ceded many of Georgia’s coastal island to England. Today no signs are left of Fort William (south end) or Fort St. Andrews (now Terrapin Point) which were built to protect British interests. A young Yamacraw suggested the island be named Cumberland after William Augustus, the 13-year-old Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II. Revolutionary War hero General Nathanael Greene purchased land on Cumberland Island in 1783. Catherine Greene, General Greene’s widow, built a four-story tabby home on the south end of the island that she named Dungeness. During the War of 1812, the mansion was used as military headquarters. Unfortunately, this version of Dungeness burned down in 1866. Thomas Carnegie, brother and partner of the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, began building on Dungeness's foundations in 1884. The last time to castle had been used was before the great depression for a Carnegie wedding. After another fire in 1959, the ruins of this mansion is all that remains today. Other Carnegie residences on the island include the Greyfield Inn, Plum Orchard, and Stafford Plantation. Before the Carnegies, the island had been used for agricultural purposes among many other histories, and thanks to them, the island was able to cleanse and restore itself over time. Eventually, descendants of the Carnegie family had asked the NPS for assistance in maintaining protection of the land. Plum Orchard, an 1898 Georgian Revival mansion built for son George and his wife Margaret Thaw, was donated to the National Park Foundation by Carnegie family members in 1971. Their contribution, as well as funds from supporting foundations, helped win Congressional approval for Cumberland Island National Seashore. Since then, discussions about the future of the island have continued; threats of development for phosphate mining in the marches surrounding the island in the 60s and calls to designate the island entirely as national seashore in the 70s. With threats becoming more real in the summer of 1970, the Georgia Conservancy worked tirelessly alongside other sponsors to encourage private and public sectors to support Cumberland Island becoming a National Seashore. Finally, in October of 1972, President Nixon signed the bill that created Cumberland Island National Seashore.

From land ownership, potential commercial development, tourists and visitors, wilderness vs. historic site, to native and non-native species, Cumberland Island continues to be the center of controversial debates between environmental activists, NPS and private owners. In more recent years, Cumberland Island National Seashore has been at the center of Spaceport development discussions with nearby resident opposing plans to build a space facility on the mainland adjacent to the island. In 2022, Camden county representatives attempt to move forward with spaceport building plans despite voters rejecting a referendum. A year later, the court unanimously agreed that the referendum was subsequently valid and enforceable. The investors have since called off the project, and the property is on sale thus again saving the pristineness of Cumberland Island. While there have been many wins for the conservation of this island throughout it’s history, everyday there are more obstacles to overcome.

Facade of Plum Orchard, 2021.

If you want to continue learning about this beautiful pocket of jungle off the coast of Georgia, I highly recommend following Wild Cumberland which consists of many dedicated citizens, researchers, and supporters constantly working to protect this land. Their website can be found here: https://wildcumberland.org/