Georgia Magazine - October 2020 - 24

Cumberland Island National
Seashore Visitor Center,
101 Wheeler St., St. Marys.
(912) 882-4336. nps.gov/cuis.

Not without controversy

Cumberland Island is one of the
few places in the world where
wild horses can be seen roaming
on an undeveloped beach.

Some environmentalists express apprehension about the needs of
the island's equine inhabitants, particularly regarding the impact of their
grazing on native flora. The herd can forage 200 to 400 tons of vegetation
annually.
"The feral horses on Cumberland Island are considered non-natives,
which are classified as any species that lives outside its natural range,"
Hamilton-Anderson says. "Non-natives can threaten the ecosystem by
destroying things that native inhabitants need to survive.
"The park service is concerned about the effects of grazing on the
marsh grasses for several reasons. The reduction of vegetation causes
erosion and weakens the dunes and shoreline. Plus, native species are
now competing with the horses for food sources. Part of our mission is
helping educate the public about the balance between the feral horses
and the issues surrounding them."

Visiting the island
The Cumberland Island National Seashore Visitor Center at
St. Marys is the access point for visitors to the island. The Cumberland
Queen ferry is the only means of transportation other than private boat
or charter services. The ferry leaves from St. Marys and docks near the
Ranger Station, also known as Sea Camp, on the south end of the island.
Cumberland has more than 50 miles of trails and roads, but vehicles
are not allowed other than bicycles and vehicles that are used for park
operations or that belong to Cumberland residents. Several tours are
offered, including self-guided walks featuring wayside interpretive
exhibits. A daylong tour by van requires reservations and includes the
north end of the island, where visitors can see the Settlement village built
by descendants of former slaves and the First African Baptist Church,
which served as the heart of this community.
Visitors can camp on the island in the five designated campgrounds,
most of which are accessible by backpacking. They also can stay at the
privately owned Greyfield Inn, built by the Carnegie family in 1890 and
still operated by Carnegie descendants.
"As a national seashore, Cumberland Island is basically undeveloped, so visitors should be aware that other than restrooms and water
fountains, there are few amenities. They are coming to a natural and
historic preserve," Hamilton-Anderson says. "The island, its horses and
its history are truly a treasure."
Pamela A. Keene is a freelance writer living in Flowery Branch.

24

Georgia Magazine

October 2020

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When you go

The story of Dungeness
The history of the Dungeness Mansion goes
back to the early days of Georgia. It's thought that
James Oglethorpe built the first Dungeness as a
hunting lodge on the 1,100-acre property in the
early 1700s. About 80 years later, Catherine Greene,
the widow of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael
Greene, built a four-story home, also named
Dungeness, on the same land. She lived there until
her death in 1814.
The home was abandoned during the Civil War
and burned in 1866. By the 1880s, as wealthy families moved south to build winter homes, Thomas
and Lucy Carnegie purchased the property and
built an expansive Queen Anne-style home, which
they named Dungeness. The 59-room mansion included an indoor swimming pool and outbuildings
for more than 200 servants. Various family members
inhabited Dungeness until the Great Depression
made its upkeep cost-prohibitive.
The Carnegies eventually moved out of the
mansion, leaving it vacant for many years. It burned
in 1959, leaving only brick and stone walls, chimneys and stairs to remind visitors of the wealth that
once flourished on the island.
http://www.nps.gov/cuis
Georgia Magazine - October 2020

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