Cumberland Island
Just off Georgia’s coast, this historic isle offers elegant lodging and an escape from modern civilization
By Debi Lander - February 1, 2010
Indians, soldiers and ghosts of Camelot have docked on her marshy shores. Early 20th century millionaires built castles and commanding women protected their estates. The history of Cumberland Island reads like steamy, romantic fiction.
Now its mansions stand in ruin, with wild horses as their guests. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to see or do here–far from it.
The pristine preserve known as Cumberland belongs to Georgia’s Golden Isles, a string of small barrier islands. Cumberland, the group’s largest, rests between Savannah, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla., flaunting diversity among three ecosystems: saltwater marsh, maritime forest and beach. The island, now a National Seashore, limits daily visitors to 300.
The elegant Greyfield Inn offers the only lodging other than primitive camping on an isle only slightly larger than Manhattan. Overnighters experience 19th century ambiance in a wilderness setting–just seven miles from the mainland, but remote from its hustle and bustle. No wonder John Kennedy, Jr., chose Cumberland Island as the idyllic spot for his wedding to Carolyn Bessette in 1996.
Visitors to the Southeast are attracted to Colonial Coast vacation resorts, including Jekyll, Amelia, Sea and St. Simon’s Islands to golf, swim, boat and laze. But Cumberland stands apart because its natural splendor remains untouched by modern development. There are no convenience stores, beach homes, high rises or condominiums.
Cumberland's first residents were the Timucuan Indian tribe. Then came the Spaniards, followed by Britain’s James Oglethorpe (Savannah’s founder), who renamed the area Cumberland.
After the American Revolution, plantations prospered and Caty Greene, widow of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, remarried and constructed a four-story, 16-fireplace mansion here. Her home, Dungeness, and 12 acres of gardens became renowned as a luxurious retreat among colonial patricians.
The Civil War brought plantation lifestyles to a halt. Dungeness deteriorated and was destroyed by fire. In the 1880s, however, Thomas Carnegie, brother and business partner of steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, purchased the property and constructed a far grander mansion. Carnegie died soon after its completion, but his wife Lucy and their nine children remained in the 59-room Scottish castle with turrets, an indoor pool, squash court, beauty salon, golf course and 40 out buildings.
Guests–including the Astors, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers–stayed at her retreat for a month at a time, their whims met by Lucy’s staff of 200 servants. The Carnegies threw lavish soirées, picnicked on the lawn and entertained with shooting, fishing and beachcombing parties.
When Lucy died in 1916, her trust paid for upkeep until after WWII, when higher property taxes forced the family to close Dungeness. Thirty years later, a fire burned the mansion and now viewing the ruins is a highlight of any trip to Cumberland.
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