On the outskirts of Savannah, Georgia is Wormsloe, an estate in ruin that was built by Noble Jones (1702-1775), an Englishman who was among the first settlers in Georgia.
Wormsloe is the oldest standing structure in Savannah. Jones built a fortified house, surrounded by a tidal salt marsh and a forest of oak and pine. The fortified house was part of a network of defensive structures the English built to offset the Spanish.
Jones is a fascinating settler. A carpenter by trade, he survived the usual hardships of colonial life and became the colony doctor, constable and protector, responsible for a company of marines defending Georgia’s coast. He was also a surveyor who laid out Augusta and New Ebenezer. His descendants sustained Wormsloe until Georgia acquired the property in 1973, making it a state park.
When visiting, you pull into an old gate that lends a cemetery vibe. Once in, there’s a stunning avenue of live oaks and Spanish moss that Jones’ descendants added. It’s as impressive an avenue of trees as you’ll see in America. My quick photo does not do it justice. At all.
Jones was a loyal supporter of King George III and passed on the estate to his daughter, Mary Jones Bulloch. While I don’t know the details, it’s interesting to note that his son, Noble Wimberly Jones, supported the Patriot cause and was in direct conflict with his father. The son led certain Patriot causes in the Georgia House of Commons and took part in munitions seizures among other things.
So, Jones’ will stipulated that the property pass to his daughter and upon her death, to his son’s heirs. The son, Noble Wimberly Jones, deeded the property to his son, George Jones, who became a US Senator.
There are great walking paths and a museum/visitors center. Honestly, we were only there for an hour and a half or so and much of that was consumed by a volunteer who showed us a garden that he and others tended. I tried, instead, to grab a few photographic keepers. Here’s one of my favorites, but you might have a different view.
Uh, slow down now, would yah? Every day we get bombarded with ideas, images, ideologies and bullshit news. The complexity and sometimes simplicity of God’s creation is pure and can calm or excite, filling the mind.
The complexity and sometimes simplicity of God’s creation is pure and can calm or excite, filling the mind.
Perhaps because I grew up in south Louisiana, I feel at home in Georgia and South Carolina’s marshy landscapes. Surely, I wish I had access to a few trusting models as I’d love to turn a few of these into environmental portraits. Both here and in upper Michigan a few years back, I could clearly see where I’d set heroic figures.
Below is a crop (with more details due to file size) and the full frame (fewer details due to file size) of a nice little landscape that leverages lines and a simple fallen tree.
As noted in part 1 “Savannah,” a day and a half here (including Wormsloe) just scratched the surface. I give two thumbs up to Savannah.
Most of these images are within one square mile. To be fair, from Wormsloe’s gate to these last images is about 1.5 miles. Next stop: Charleston.
One square mile. Easily understood. You walk a mile, turn left, walk a mile and turn left, walk a mile and turn left, and then walk another mile right back to where you began.
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Images taken with a #Fujifilm GFX100S
All images © Scott Edwards, 2024.