history of cumberland island georgia featured

History of Cumberland Island, Georgia

Find out the History of Cumberland Island. One of the best treasures in Georgia to be explored.

history of cumberland island georgia

Spanish Moss. Photo courtesy of Pam Bell Photography

Cumberland Island, Georgia, founded about 1513 is one of the “sea islands” of the southeastern United States, located in the Atlantic Ocean. This island is 17.5 miles long and covers about 36,415 total acres. The only way to reach the island is by ferry, there are no bridges or tunnels leading to the island.

There are three major ecosystem regions which can be found on this island. There are marshes, dense maritime forests, and of course beaches. This last ecosystem is Cumberland Islands most famous one and it stretches over 17 miles. Each of these ecosystems is home to a wide variety of species of animals. You can find white-tailed deer, squirrels, raccoons, nine-banded armadillos, wild boars and even American Alligators, and wild horses, just to name a few.

Part of the rich history of Cumberland Island stems from the original Native American settlements. Also, the entire way through the Colonial settlements, the plantation era, and even the elite estate era. All of the rich history of the Island can be learned through the many different museums, and historical buildings and tours that can be found on the Island. This is a fantastic place to take the family for a beautiful and educational get away to explore hands-on about the true history of Cumberland Island.

history of cumberland island georgia

The Dungeness. Photo courtesy of Jensen Bell Photography.

One of the most popular places to see on the Island (besides the beautiful beaches of course) is the “Ruins of Cumberland Island.” At the southernmost end of the island you can find Dungeness, this structure was once owned by the rich Carnegie family, but sadly now the house is in ruins. This house once was called home to the Carnegie family who had nine children and two hundred servants. The only thing left is the wonderful historical stories and some remains to give visitors an idea of what it once was.

The one thing you might not know about this once stunning estate was that after Cumberland fell to Union Forces during the Civil War (about 1862). The Dungeness mansion was set fire, although the mansion survived this a few years later in 1959 one of the overseers of the mansion caught a deer poaches on the island and shot him. It is said the poacher later came back and sunk the Dungeness Yacht and set fire to the mansion, although no one was charged it’s one of those interesting pieces of information on the history of Cumberland Island.

So, you can see how rich the history of this secluded and beautiful island is. This island is a perfect spot to get away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, come on over to the Island and leave the busy life behind, come and enjoy your vacation and see how wonderful life can be when you live on “island time.”

Explore the rich history of Cumberland Island

Florida Adventure Sports provides aerial flights over the natural landscapes of Cumberland Island. Some of the places on this island that have been untouched by human hands for over 350 years. While you might not ever see these spectacular places otherwise when you fly with our 60 minute package. Once in the air with our qualified instructor, you can bask in the absolute untouched beauty that these quiet and serene places offer.

Book Your Flight!