Horton House Historic Site
Warehouse Ruins
Jekyll Island was vey isolated from St.
Simons and Brunswick in the 18th & 19th
centuries. Due to this isolation the du Bignon
family was mostly self-sufficient, as were
previous owners of the island such as William
Horton.
What is now visible in this area - tabby ruins along the marsh and a brick lined well - are only a glimpse of the extensive plantation that operated on this island for over a hundred years. Most
of the buildings have been lost to time and concealed by the ground, but what is known about these missing treasures paints a vivid picture of a flourishing plantation. There were wooden barns and malt houses, stables, an Overseer's home, slave quarters and several
other outbuildings.
During the du Bignon family's time on the island several other families rented land and lived here as well. Jekyll Island was isolated, but it was also a thriving community.
How do you know that ?
The information provided on these panels was gathered by two methods, documentary research and archaeological investigations. This historic site has been of great interest since 1898, when the first attempt at preserving the site was organized by Jekyll Island Club members.
Primary documents, such as personal letters written by Christophe du Bignon or census and tax records, helps archaeologists determine
what is missing. If the records are detailed, they
may even be fortunate enough to know precisely where a missing building was located before a survey or excavation begins.
Unfortunately many of the primary historical documents are not more specific then to describe a wooden barn or a "good house for
his Overseer about thirty by twenty." These references have at least given archaeologists clues about where to search for the missing sites. Recent archaeological work has provided estimated locations of the kitchen and slave quarters of the du Bignon family.
Marker is on Riverview Drive, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
