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Okay, here's the story.....As many of you know, we so take good care of our guests here at Holbrook Pond Campground...and enjoy planning outings for them...Well, last week we took a few folks to Sapelo Island and had Christmas lunch at the Spalding/Reynolds Mansion there....The Island in the 1800s was a large rice plantation owned by a wealthy planter by the name of Spalding....He built his home out of Tabby (lime and oysters shells)....Things went well for Mr. Spalding until the end of the Civil War (oops, I'm in Georgia....I mean "The War Between The States") when he died and the Union troops distroyed the plantation.....Then it was sold to a wealthy banker from Chicago...(can't remember his name)....whom started to re-build the house and the plantation....then it was sold to Reynolds (of the tobacco Reynolds) in the early 1900s.......He totally re-built the mansion....had lots of parties, important folks for guests, and lived there on and off with all his wives ( I think there were 4).....It is now (the whole island except for some land privately owned. more on this later. ) owned by the state of Georgia and the U. of Georgia and they do alot of research there of birds, marsh lands, etc.....The privately owned land is owned by the decendants of the slaves that were on the Rice Plantation....some who have never been to the mainland.....

So, here we go on the day long tour of Sapelo Island and the Mansion....

The only way to get to the island is by ferry....

Everyone making sure that the cameras are all in working order....

A sign telling us the points of interest on the island

We take time to visit the post office there....

Then a visit to the Community of "Hog Hammock" which is the hamlet of the decendants. The sign explains the community's plan for an information and re-inactment village they are planning....

The information center as it is now...

Then off to the mansion....

The front of the mansion...and yes, that is a "fancy" swimming pool ...

Ernie and some of our Campers talking with one of the tour guides in the livingroom of the mansion.

This is the present-day party room...but you will notice the shape of the floor....under that is a 1920s style indoor swimming pool..

The fireplace in the livingroom

Fireplace in the "Circus room" which was the nursery/play room for the Reynolds children..

The fireplace in the game room, in the basement of the mansion....tables there for card games, a pool table valued at $150,000, bowling ally, and a bar in the shape of a ship....

The back of the mansion...

Some of the live oak trees with Spanish Moss which are all over the grounds...

Then we went to the Sapelo light house...



After returning to the mainland, some friends of ours, who also camp here on and off, invited us all to their house just down the road from the ferry; for shrimp, great snacks, and some adult beverages before we all headed back to the campground.

Yes, they park their 5th wheel in the yard and had a great big campfire going....

I took over 90 photos, but only posted the "highlights" of the trip....It seems this is a little long, but so wanted to share a new find here....
Hope you all enjoy it.

wow Lori what a find"
enjoyed the pictures
thanks for sharing that part of the world
sheila

Great pics Lori, thanks for sharing with us, but i have to ask, on the sign of Points of Interest, #7 Chocolate, what is that?

Good question!! Will have to look at the tour info I wasn't paying attention when the gal was going thru the list....

What a cool looking place! The swimming pool under the floor reminded me of the scene from "It's A Wonderful Life" when the floor opened up while people were dancing and . . .splash!

Great tour, and not at all too long, Lori - wouldn't have wanted to miss any of it. I, too, saw "chocolate" on the sign - was waiting to see that one. You just might have to go back to answer that question

Nice tour Lori, thanks! Where is that located in relation to Savannah?

Location of Sapelo Island is approx. 50 miles south of Savannah, being the island is off shore of the mainland town of Darien, GA...just a little north of Brunswick, GA.....

Lori thanks for taking the time to photograph, sort and post the pictures with narrative, too! It it never too long or too many pictures.....it is all a chance for us to SEE and learn. I enjoy walking around the old beautiful buildings and imagining what the people and the life may have been like "back in the day..." Some aspects of life change so...and others don't. I would think that the private lands that have stayed in the hands of the original servant families would have an interesting history also. Thanks again for thinking of us and sharing.

What a beautiful home, and a great trip for us. I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the great job you did.

The fireplace in the game room is beautiful - love the tile. There sure are a lot of interesting places to see. Thanks for sharing.

What an interesting tour, Lori! I've never heard of that place. Got to add it to my list for when I take a coastal route north. Thanks for taking us along.

Lori, thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed it!

Enjoyed the tour Lori - thank you. Everyone had their jackets on - was it cold?

This mansion is kind of like Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA