St. Simons Island, GA

Friday, Jan. 11th

Today we drove over to St. Simons Island for the first time. It reminded us very much of Hilton Head but it seemed on a smaller scale, although I think that was more an illusion than anything else since they are fairly similar in size.  St. Simons is 12 miles long and 3 miles wide and is the most developed of Georgia’s barrier islands, but it, like Hilton Head, seems to do a good job of retaining it’s charm with miles of bike trails and lots of beautiful live oak. Today we focused on visiting Fort Frederica and Christ Church and going down to the fishing pier. 

Fort Frederica 

Named for Frederick Louis, once the Prince of Wales, Frederica was a military outpost consisting of a fort and town. It’s a national monument, which meant that the visitor’s center was closed due to the government shutdown but we were still able to wander through the grounds. The grounds are beautiful with Live Oak all around and a gorgeous view since it’s on the banks of the Frederica River.

In the early 18th century the land lying between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida was known as the “debatable land.” This land (today’s Georgia) was the center of a centuries-old conflict between Spain and Britain. Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by General James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia from the Spanish in Florida. Colonists from England, Scotland, and Germany came to Georgia to support this endeavor.

General Oglethorpe and his troops were responsible for building Fort Frederica. The same Oglethorpe who was responsible for the beautiful town squares in Savannah. The town of Frederica was laid out in a grid pattern with streets and alleys in a criss cross pattern. The ruins of the fort were by the riverbank ensuring the control of ship travel with a moat and earthen wall surrounding and protecting the town.

Six years after Fort Frederica was built, 3000 Spanish troops landed in 1742. British forces numbering about 630 defeated them ensuring Georgia’s future as a British colony.

But, prior to this defeat, the townspeople (some were indentured servants) lived life as best they could. There were 500 residents providing for the troops needs. There was a doctor, with (not surprisingly) the largest house on the block, who tended the sick. The park service has done a nice job of laying out the spaces of where houses had been placed so you can visualize the size and scope of the town. There was also signage up indicating what food supplies were provided to the troops and the town’s people. Bread was a must for comfort food (some things never change) so a baker sprang up in the community. Everyone gave him their allotment of flour and he provided the bread. 

We spent a fair amount of time walking the grounds and reading the signs. It was a blustery cool day so we ended up eating our picnic lunch in the truck with the heat on to warm up! 

Christ Church 

Within walking distance of Fort Frederica is Christ Church. Not a coincidence. The congregation was originally established by English colonists at Frederica under General Oglethorpe. Worship has been continuous since 1736 even though there was no actual church built at that time.This was one of the eight original parishes set up under the Church of England. After the American Revolution, Frederica’s Church of England (among others in the colonies) formed the Protestant Episcopal Church. The first church was built here in 1820 and sits on 108 acres. The only island church, it was attended by people from the 14 St. Simons plantations. As the center of community life around which religious and social life revolved, its loss during the Civil War was a terrible blow for islanders. 

This new church was built in 1884 by shipbuilders. The design resembles an inverted ship’s hull, denoting the “ship of faith.” It is utterly charming with tall oaks all around and surrounded by ancient (and newer) family cemetery plots. The oldest graves are unmarked and date back to 1796; the oldest marked grave found thus far is from 1803. It’s a small, charming church with narrow stained glass windows, one being a Tiffany unsigned masterpiece. It has seen some famous people attend mass here including Presidents Calvin Coolidge, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.

After that we were saturated with history for the day and took a ride down to the fishing pier, which is located at the southern end of the island and within walking distance of the shops. The fishing pier is long, wide, and offers great views of ships coming in and out of the harbor. Local fishermen are a regular site. There’s a park nearby, visitors center, and the lighthouse is within view. The lighthouse will be explored another day!  Still blustery and cool today!  

Time to head back to our tiny home and warm up!