Cumberland Island Independent Hotels: Cumberland Island Hotel Guide

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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Our top choices for Cumberland Island Independent

Dining

Amelia Hotel at the Beach

Fernandina Beach

United States

Claudine

Rp2.801.550 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Feb - 24 Feb

Restaurant

Ocean Coast Hotel at the Beach

Fernandina Beach

United States

Ron

On the beach, sun-loungers, beach umbrellas, fishing

Seaside Amelia Inn

Fernandina Beach

United States

Daniel

Rp2.977.692 total

includes taxes & fees

25 Feb - 26 Feb

Balcony

Ocean Inn and Suites

St. Simons Island

United States

Paul

Rp1.920.207 total

includes taxes & fees

24 Feb - 25 Feb

View from property

Saint Simons Inn by the Lighthouse

St. Simons Island

United States

Julie

Rp2.298.457 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Feb - 24 Feb

Outdoor pool, open 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, pool loungers

Magnolia Inn Kingsland

Kingsland

United States

JOSEPH

Rp771.275 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Feb - 24 Feb

Courtyard

Florida House Inn

Fernandina Beach Historic District

United States

Daniel

Rp2.638.581 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Feb - 24 Feb

View from property

Queens Court

Downtown St. Simons Island

United States

Joseph

Rp1.730.513 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Feb - 24 Feb

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Top Cumberland Island Hotel Reviews

Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Jekyll Island

Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Jekyll Island

10/10 Excellent

"Great stay. Nice Place."

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