Dungeness on Cumberland Island, Georgia, is a ruined mansion that is part of a historic district that was the home of several families significant in American history. James Oglethorpe first built on Cumberland Island in 1736, building a hunting lodge that he named Dungeness. Oglethorpe named the place after Dungeness, in England. The next Dungeness was the legacy of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, who had acquired 11,000 acres of island land in exchange for a bad debt. His widow built a four-story tabby mansion in 1803, over a Timucuan shell mound. During the War of 1812 the island was occupied by the British, who used the house as a headquarters.
In 1818 Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee, a dashing cavalry commander during the Revolutionary War and father of Robert E. Lee, stayed at the house until his death on March 25, 1818, cared for by Greene's daughter Louisa, and was laid to rest in nearby cemetery with full military honors provided by an American fleet stationed at St. Marys, Georgia. The house was abandoned during the U.S. Civil War and burned in 1866.
In the 1880s the property was purchased by Thomas M. Carnegie, brother of Andrew Carnegie, who began to build a new mansion on the site. The 59-room Queen Anne style mansion and grounds were completed after Carnegie's death in 1886. His wife Lucy continued to live at Dungeness and built other estates for her children, including Greyfield for Margaret Carnegie, Plum Orchard for George Lauder Carnegie, and Stafford Plantation. By this time, the Carnegies owned 90% of the 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.

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Top St. Marys Adventure Hotels

Fridge, microwave, oven, stovetop

Comfortable Coastal 2 BDRM home - 5 mins to downto

saint marys

United States

Katherine T.

AED 1,100 total

includes taxes & fees

21 Nov - 22 Nov

Outdoor pool

Courtyard by Marriott Amelia Island

Ocean Cay

United States

Cory

AED 485 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Nov - 1 Dec

Outdoor pool

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Amelia Island

Ocean Cay

United States

Amy

AED 510 total

includes taxes & fees

21 Dec - 22 Dec

Lobby

Motel 6 Kingsland, GA - Kings Bay Naval Base

Kingsland

United States

Kenneth

AED 174 total

includes taxes & fees

21 Dec - 22 Dec

Indoor pool, 2 outdoor pools, cabanas (surcharge), pool umbrellas

Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa

Fernandina Beach

United States

Virginia

AED 819 total

includes taxes & fees

30 Nov - 1 Dec

Sundeck

Seaside Amelia Inn

Fernandina Beach

United States

Danyell

AED 515 total

includes taxes & fees

7 Dec - 8 Dec

Free daily buffet breakfast

Surf and Sand Fernandina Beach at Amelia Island, an Ascend Collection Hotel

Fernandina Beach

United States

Amy

AED 418 total

includes taxes & fees

18 Dec - 19 Dec

Exterior

Sea Palms Resort St Simons Island

St. Simons Island

United States

Leigh

AED 590 total

includes taxes & fees

19 Dec - 20 Dec

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Top St. Marys Hotel Reviews

Crowne Plaza Hotel Jacksonville Airport/I-95N by IHG

Crowne Plaza Hotel Jacksonville Airport/I-95N by IHG

10/10 Excellent

"Stayed here before. The staff is friendly, and it is a nice place to stay."

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