Top Historic Sites in Savannah | Wormsloe Plantation

7601 Skidaway Rd, Savannah, GA 31406, United States

Wormsloe Historic Site, informally known as Wormsloe Plantation, is a state historic site near Savannah, Georgia, in the south-eastern United States. The site consists of 822 acres (3,33 km2) to protect part of what was once the Wormsloe Plantation, a large estate established by one of Georgia’s colonial founders, Noble Jones (c. 1700-1775). The site includes a picturesque 1.5-mile (2.4-km) oak avenue, the ruins of Jones ‘ fortified tabby house, a museum, and a demonstration area for colonial daily life.

In 1736, Noble Jones received a grant for 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land on the Isle of Hope that would form the core of Wormsloe. He built a fortified house on the south-eastern tip of the island overlooking the Skidaway Narrows, a strategic section of the Skidaway River located along the Intracoastal Waterway, approximately halfway between downtown Savannah and the Atlantic Ocean. 

The fortified house was part of a network of defensive structures set up by James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, and the early Georgian settlers 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 they used as their country residence. The State of Georgia acquired a large part of the Wormsloe plantation in 1973 and opened it to the public as a state historic site in 1979.

A breathtaking avenue, sheltered by live oaks and Spanish moss, leads to the ruins of Wormsloe, the colonial estate of Noble Jones (1702–1775). Jones was a humble carpenter who arrived in Georgia in 1733 with James Oglethorpe and the first group of English settlers. Wormsloe’s tabby ruin is Savannah’s oldest standing structure.

Surviving hunger, plague, and war in Georgia’s rugged environment, Jones went on to serve the colony as a doctor, constable, Indian agent, Royal Councilor, and surveyor, laying out the towns of Augusta and New Ebenezer. He also commanded a company of marines charged with defending the coast of Georgia from Spain. Jones died at the beginning of the American Revolution, but his descendants maintained Wormsloe until the state of Georgia acquired most of the plantation in 1973.

Today, visitors can interact with costumed interpreters during programs and events and watch a museum of artifacts uncovered in Wormsloe, as well as a short film about the site and the founding of Georgia. The interpretive nature trail leads past the tabby ruins along the marsh to the Colonial Life Area where, during programs and special events, protesters in period dress exhibit the tools and skills of Colonial Georgia. 

The site hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the “Colonial Fair and Muster” in February, which highlights aspects of the life of the 18th century, such as music, dance, crafts and military drills, and the “Tools and Skills that Build a Colony” event on the Labor Day weekend.