Who owns homes on Cumberland Island?

Only a handful of habitable dwellings dot the landscape. Most are owned by descendants of steel tycoon Thomas Carnegie (though a few on the north end belong to heirs of Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler). Just one welcomes overnight guests: Greyfield.

Who built the mansion on Cumberland Island?

Dungeness is the name originally given to a mansion that was built by Phineas Miller and his wife Catherine, the widow of American Revolution hero General Nathanael Greene. Greene came to the island in 1783 after acquiring 11,000 acres in exchange for money owed to him.

Are there private residences on Cumberland Island?

Cumberland Island has no beachfront houses or developments, so you often have the entire seashore to yourself. A few property owners are jockeying for permission to build on about 1,000 acres of private land still remaining on Cumberland Island National Seashore, including an 88-acre parcel right next to Sea Camp.

Are there bathrooms on Cumberland Island?

Are there bathrooms on the island? Yes, bathrooms are marked on the map which can be picked up during check-in or at Sea Camp Ranger Station.

Who is buried on Cumberland Island?

This tombstone, located on Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia, marks the spot where Henry Lee was originally buried in 1818. An officer in the Continental and U.S. armies, Lee earned the nickname “Light-Horse Harry” Lee for his military and equestrian prowess.

What family owns Cumberland Island?

The Carnegie family
The Carnegie family owned 90% of the island. Lucy Carnegie had additional estates built on the island for her children. These include: Greyfield, built in 1900, now a private inn owned by the Carnegie family.

How much of Cumberland Island is privately owned?

But about 1,000 of the island’s 36,000-plus acres remains privately owned—and a plan to subdivide one of those last private parcels has dismayed many who treasure the island, both nearby residents and visitors from far away.

What happened to the Carnegie House on Cumberland Island?

The Carnegies moved out of Dungeness in 1925. In 1959 the Dungeness mansion was destroyed by fire, alleged to be arson. The ruins are today preserved by the National Park Service as part of Cumberland Island National Seashore. They were acquired by the Park Service in 1972.

Who burned down Dungeness?

In 1881, however, Thomas Carnegie purchased the property, tore down the Greene-Miller Dungeness ruins and built his own house in its place. The Carnegie Dungeness had 37,000 square feet and is estimated to have cost $200,000 to build. Abandoned in 1924, it burned in 1959, rumored to have been set on fire by poachers.