Search results for "Virtual office" in Home Design Ideas

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
Mountain Reflections on Lake Burton
Recently renovated both inside and out, this 5 bedroom, 5.5 bath home with sweeping views of Lake Burton is fit for entertaining large crowds. The open floor plan features a spacious great room with a 2-story stacked stone fireplace, abundant natural ligthing, dining for 10+ and a large chef's kitchen with granite countertops, custom cabinets to house every utensil, exposed beams and access to a lakeside porch. Three sets of french doors open to a magnificent curved veranda accented by columns. Western sunsets make this the place to be in the cool evenings watching the sun reflect off the jewel tone water. A private master bedroom on the main floor provides access to the covered porch. The master bath features a double vanity with granite countertops, built-in storage drawers and cabinets, jetted tub and seperate shower. Spacious guest bedrooms feature private baths and lake views. Mature landscaping including an incredible array of pink and purple rhododendron, eyebrow windows, columns and curved porches highlight the newly painted exterior.
The terrace level features a second family room/rec room with a stacked stone fireplace, wet bar, and a wall of triple french doors that open to a lakeside stone terrace. Two additional guest bedrooms with full baths also have access to the terrace patio. A large laundry room and gym/art studio with outside entrance, double sink and ample storage completes the terrace level.
Lake Burton is a unique Life Style. Cherry Lane is a paved street accessed by 4 single family homes. This home features a private, gated driveway off Cherry Lane. There is not a homeowner’s association, there are no fees or dues. Over 800 lake properties are managed and leased by the Georgia Power Company.
Location is a major advantage for this property with close proximity to Clayton, the hospital, Waterfall Country Club, the Appalachian Trail, shopping, quaint restaurants and only about a 45 minute drive to Highlands, N.C. This house is located on deep water and has breathtaking lake and mountain views that will capture your heart!
General Information:
• 5 bedrooms and 5 ½ baths
• All bathrooms have new updated granite counter tops.
• 2 fireplaces ( 1 gas non vent logs and 1 wood burning with gas starter and built in wood storage)
• Both fireplaces have raised hearths.
• House has poured concrete walls with reinforced steel.
• All Floor trusses were engineered for proper application.
• During construction the house and grounds were pre-treated for termites. The house is inspected for termites annually. To date, no termites have been found. The termite bond is with American Pest control out of Toccoa, GA.
• The main entrance has double Mahogany leaded glass door. All other exterior doors and windows are deluxe Anderson thermo pane. All Anderson windows are tilt out for easy inside cleaning. Windows have Planter shutter and/or wood blinds.
• All lake side doors are 8 feet. Doors have triple locks and are adjustable for the best fit.
• All exterior walls have house wrap and heavy insulation- R-17 for walls and R 30 in the attic.
• House has 3 levels. Each level has its own Trane High Efficiency Weathertron heat pump XE 1200. The 2 units for the main and basement levels also have dual fuel, propane gas for extra heat if needed.
• Beam Central Vacuum system for all 3 levels.
• All 3 levels are wired for Stereo speakers as well as the main level outside deck.
• All ceilings are 10 ft. or higher.
• Bar sinks have granite counter tops
*Brand new (2014) roof with HD architectural shingles has transferable lifetime warranty
Entry Foyer:
-Double Mahogany lead glass doors
-2 lead glass side windows
-Marble floor, heavy moldings, tray ceiling
Great Room:
-Vaulted wood ceiling with multi light chandelier
-Doors can be adjusted in many different positions for easy operations
-Anderson Windows and doors
-All doors facing lake side are 8 ft. doors
-Planter shutters in all windows on main floor
Kitchen:
-Vaulted ceiling with beadboard and exposed beams
-Custom Gillespie cabinets with space for every utensil
-Large kitchen island with breakfast bar
-Walk-in pantry
-Granite counter tops with plenty of prep space
-Breakfast nook
-Access to lakeside porch
-Central Vac and crumb catcher
-GE Monogram Fridge
-Kitchenaid built in oven and microwave
-Jen-air 4 burner gas stove with exhaust
-Kitchenaid trash compactor
-Scotsman Ice Machine
-Over and under counter accent lighting
Master Bedroom:
-Heavy Molding, hardwood flooring,
-Plantation shutters on bedroom French doors opening to deck
-4 closets
Master Bath:
-Granite counter tops with double sinks
-Separate shower with glass door and delta shower system
-Jetted Tub
-14 drawer built-in cabinets for clothing
Upstairs level:
-Two bedrooms, each with full baths, tile floors, double vanities, granite countertops, ample closets and linen closets
Terrace Level:
-Spacious family room with stone fireplace and wet bar
-Guest bedroom with full bath
-Office with full bath
-Art studio or exercise room with double sink
-Separate tool room
-Laundry room/utility room with tile floors and cabinets
-Covered stone terrace with access to boathouse
Boat House:
-Two stall for up to 25 ft. boat
-2 electric boat lifts
-Large deck on top of boathouse with ½ covered roof
-Large storage area for boat supplies
-Swim dock

10248 E. Mountain Springs Rd. - Scottsdale, AZ
$3,995,000
For the discriminating family, a beautifully custom designed Spanish Colonial home on the 10th fairway in the highly desirable community of Silverleaf. This magnificent 4 bedroom w/den & office, boasts spectacular finishes and a charming courtyard surrounding the guest casita/extra office/exercise room. The home is completed with a beautiful outdoor living and entertainment space that includes, a heated pool and spa, BBQ and misting system all with fabulous views down the 9th fairway into the McDowell Mountains. Make sure you take a virtual tour of this stunning property at www.tourfactory.com/idxr940493. Image taken by High Res Media.

Photograph by Recent Spaces with David Connolly
Transitional home office photo in London
Transitional home office photo in London
Find the right local pro for your project

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual tours
Mediterranean Summerour villa on the lagoon in Ocean Forest. Ancient Oak trees were preserved to make you feel this home has always been part of the landscape. The main floor master retreat includes an office or den, large bath, spacious closet and supreme view. Open kitchen family room is beautifully appointed-the best appliances,and expansive window walls to bring the view inside. The living room/dining room has a fireplace, pecky cypress beamed ceiling and opens to a screen porch on the view. Two more bedrooms with baths, an entertainment room and a nice size veranda are upstairs. The guest house above the 3 car garage offers 2 additional bedrooms and baths, a den, great views and such privacy. Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle magacize called this home The Prettiest Cottage In Georgia.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
Own your own Lodge! This 1 year old home has layers of mountain views including Brasstown Bald & overlooks a 10 acre common area with pond. 5,182 sq ft., 3 level home has private elevator, outdoor fireplace, levels of spacious decks, screened rooms, brick paver driveay, sprinkler system, alarm system, central vac system, steam showers, 2 tankless on-demand hot water heaters, geo-thermal HVAC, private office, theater room & solid wood doors. Kitchen has butlers pantry, double ovens, warming drawer, SubZero and ice machine. Every bedroom is a suite. Wood floors, walls and ceilings in majority of house. Subdivision of 7 lots and high-end homes share common area, paved road, pond nad barn all surrounded by wood fencing. 4 bedroom septic on file.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual tours
Mediterranean Summerour villa on the lagoon in Ocean Forest. Ancient Oak trees were preserved to make you feel this home has always been part of the landscape. The main floor master retreat includes an office or den, large bath, spacious closet and supreme view. Open kitchen family room is beautifully appointed-the best appliances,and expansive window walls to bring the view inside. The living room/dining room has a fireplace, pecky cypress beamed ceiling and opens to a screen porch on the view. Two more bedrooms with baths, an entertainment room and a nice size veranda are upstairs. The guest house above the 3 car garage offers 2 additional bedrooms and baths, a den, great views and such privacy. Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle magacize called this home The Prettiest Cottage In Georgia.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
Own your own Lodge! This 1 year old home has layers of mountain views including Brasstown Bald & overlooks a 10 acre common area with pond. 5,182 sq ft., 3 level home has private elevator, outdoor fireplace, levels of spacious decks, screened rooms, brick paver driveay, sprinkler system, alarm system, central vac system, steam showers, 2 tankless on-demand hot water heaters, geo-thermal HVAC, private office, theater room & solid wood doors. Kitchen has butlers pantry, double ovens, warming drawer, SubZero and ice machine. Every bedroom is a suite. Wood floors, walls and ceilings in majority of house. Subdivision of 7 lots and high-end homes share common area, paved road, pond nad barn all surrounded by wood fencing. 4 bedroom septic on file.

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Wannemacher Interiors
Customized Award-Winning Interior Design Solutions in Franklin Cnty OH

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
Nestled in the North Georgia mountains overlooking the shores of Lake Burton, Waterfall offers some of the most breathtaking scenery to be found anywhere. Our exclusive private club was designed to be a refreshing retreat from the real world of responsibilities and deadlines. The heart of Waterfall is our spectacular golf course featuring Bentgrass greens, fairways, and tees –it is one of only two courses in the Georgia with that distinction. The centerpiece of the course is a waterfall on the second hole that will take your breath away.
An amazing golf course is just where the fun begins. The Waterfall Club also has a 52,000 square foot Athletic Center complete with a sauna, spa, junior Olympic swimming pool, indoor sports complex and much more. With the Appalachian Trail and Lake Burton just outside of our gates, you will never be short of adventure at Waterfall.
From the picture postcard setting for outdoor recreation, to a refined array of indoor amenities, to a staff ready to respond to your every need, The Waterfall Club will exceed your expectations. Whether you are drawn to the splendor of the surrounding Chattahoochee and Nantahala National forests, the emerald green lake and golf course, the energy of the Athletic Center, or the culinary treats of The Lodge, Waterfall is a true get away from it all.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours.
Inspiration for an eclectic home office remodel in Atlanta
Inspiration for an eclectic home office remodel in Atlanta

This project in Wayne, NJ, certainly is a custom one-of-a-kind space...
Virtual design consultation: Call or Text 973.729.2125 #Nj #Ny #Ct
The homeowners wanted an enclosed space that incorporated their antique stained glass. We purposely positioned the stained glass to ensure that when the sun sets that it shines through the glass, giving a beautiful glow to the enclosed room.
The gorgeous tigerwood ceiling gives the screened room (12' wide retractable Phantom screen door) an elegant feel, complimenting the stained glass feature. The room features wolf decking, see-through fireplace, circular lounge and black standing seam metal roof. All elements work beautifully together, giving this space that visual “wow”.
A little bit about us…
Deck Remodeler’s Founder and President, Sean McAleer, grew up in his father’s architectural woodworking shop and mastered his craft as a third-generation carpenter and cabinet maker organically. While others adopted the craft, Sean was born in to it. Building a business using the skills he learned and perfected over the years…it’s in his DNA. With 30+ years of experience, he adapted and developed a palette of materials and methods for outdoor living that few can match, though many have tried to copy. Bringing his love of designing and building beautiful things inside the home to the outside spaces with all the challenges that presents has been his passion for decades.
While Sean is certainly the visionary of Deck Remodelers, his talented and dedicated team ensures every project, big or small, is designed and built seamlessly. Our team includes in-house certified designers, architects, project management team, operations director, and of course, our highly skilled craftsmen in the field that bring it all to life.
What also sets Deck Remodeler’s apart is the experience of working with a full team of passionate professionals. All communication between customers, office staff and workers in the field is done through the real time system, allowing us to stream-line our projects. Customers are kept up to date through our system, and never have to wonder the status of their project – stream-lined communication is a huge priority for us.
With 60+ National Design Awards, there’s a reason Deck Remodelers is the MOST awarded deck builder in North America. Regardless of the deck and features, when Deck Remodelers builds your outdoor dream space, it is far from ordinary. Large or small, full features or basic, the design, quality and craftmanship is second to none. You not only get beautiful results, but a company that stands behind its work. We believe it is critical to use quality materials and employ highly trained and certified crew members that assure that quality in every aspect is second to none for our discerning clients.
Serving NJ, NY, & CT we’ve got you covered! If you are looking for a modern, traditional, or transitional custom builder to design& build you your perfect backyard space , call the experts at Deck Remodelers for your free virtual consultation! 973.729.2125

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
This is Frederica living at its finest! Too many custom features to list, but just a few include 15 foot beamed ceilings, wide plank hickory floors, Miele, Wolf and Sub Zero appliances, Bentwood custom kitchen cabinets, wine room, master wing with sitting room and office, fabulous built-ins throughout, Duravit Phillip Stark Collection cabinets and faucets in master and powder room, large two car garage with workshop and pool, all on one level and perfectly positioned on an almost four acre lot. The pictures dont do this home justice, so come see for yourself just how nice this home really is.

This project in Wayne, NJ, certainly is a custom one-of-a-kind space...
Virtual design consultation: Call or Text 973.729.2125 #Nj #Ny #Ct
The homeowners wanted an enclosed space that incorporated their antique stained glass. We purposely positioned the stained glass to ensure that when the sun sets that it shines through the glass, giving a beautiful glow to the enclosed room.
The gorgeous tigerwood ceiling gives the screened room (12' wide retractable Phantom screen door) an elegant feel, complimenting the stained glass feature. The room features wolf decking, see-through fireplace, circular lounge and black standing seam metal roof. All elements work beautifully together, giving this space that visual “wow”.
A little bit about us…
Deck Remodeler’s Founder and President, Sean McAleer, grew up in his father’s architectural woodworking shop and mastered his craft as a third-generation carpenter and cabinet maker organically. While others adopted the craft, Sean was born in to it. Building a business using the skills he learned and perfected over the years…it’s in his DNA. With 30+ years of experience, he adapted and developed a palette of materials and methods for outdoor living that few can match, though many have tried to copy. Bringing his love of designing and building beautiful things inside the home to the outside spaces with all the challenges that presents has been his passion for decades.
While Sean is certainly the visionary of Deck Remodelers, his talented and dedicated team ensures every project, big or small, is designed and built seamlessly. Our team includes in-house certified designers, architects, project management team, operations director, and of course, our highly skilled craftsmen in the field that bring it all to life.
What also sets Deck Remodeler’s apart is the experience of working with a full team of passionate professionals. All communication between customers, office staff and workers in the field is done through the real time system, allowing us to stream-line our projects. Customers are kept up to date through our system, and never have to wonder the status of their project – stream-lined communication is a huge priority for us.
With 60+ National Design Awards, there’s a reason Deck Remodelers is the MOST awarded deck builder in North America. Regardless of the deck and features, when Deck Remodelers builds your outdoor dream space, it is far from ordinary. Large or small, full features or basic, the design, quality and craftmanship is second to none. You not only get beautiful results, but a company that stands behind its work. We believe it is critical to use quality materials and employ highly trained and certified crew members that assure that quality in every aspect is second to none for our discerning clients.
Serving NJ, NY, & CT we’ve got you covered! If you are looking for a modern, traditional, or transitional custom builder to design& build you your perfect backyard space , call the experts at Deck Remodelers for your free virtual consultation! 973.729.2125

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
This is Frederica living at its finest! Too many custom features to list, but just a few include 15 foot beamed ceilings, wide plank hickory floors, Miele, Wolf and Sub Zero appliances, Bentwood custom kitchen cabinets, wine room, master wing with sitting room and office, fabulous built-ins throughout, Duravit Phillip Stark Collection cabinets and faucets in master and powder room, large two car garage with workshop and pool, all on one level and perfectly positioned on an almost four acre lot. The pictures dont do this home justice, so come see for yourself just how nice this home really is.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
Welcome to Bears Best Estates - Edinburgh in Suwanee, Georgia
Bears Best Estates - Edinburgh is a gated, masterfully designed Golf community set along the wooded hills and secluded Chattahoochee River shoreline of Suwanee, Georgia. The neighborhood is minutes from North Atlanta's prestigious Sugarloaf area and also convenient to major freeways, shopping, dining and entertainment.
Edinburgh includes a wide mix of uniquely designed brick and stone Luxury homes with many lying along Bears Best, the uniquely popular, 18 - hole, Jack Nicklaus designed course. The complex includes an impressive; Craftsman inspired Clubhouse that features a lounge and dining facilities overlooking the beautiful grounds. Edinburgh offers an incredible selection of resort-style amenities beginning with the Community Clubhouse and Pool Pavilion. Residents of Edinburgh enjoy a Junior Olympic Swimming Pool, Kids Pool, Water Park and a large Waterslide. The community also includes a beautiful Tennis Center complete with its own Tennis Pavilion with grand stand seating.
Bears Best Estates - Edinburgh Amenities:
24 Hour Gated Community
18 - Hole Jack Nicklaus designed Golf Course
10,000 sq ft Residents Golf Clubhouse
Dining Facilities
Community Clubhouse and Pool Pavilion
Junior Olympic sized Swimming Pool
Kids Pool and Splash Park
Kids Waterslide
6 Tennis Courts
Tennis Pavilion with Grand Stand Seating
Basketball Courts
Kids Playground area
** HOA Fees - $1,680/annual - Initiation Fee $1,000

This project in Wayne, NJ, certainly is a custom one-of-a-kind space...
Virtual design consultation: Call or Text 973.729.2125 #Nj #Ny #Ct
The homeowners wanted an enclosed space that incorporated their antique stained glass. We purposely positioned the stained glass to ensure that when the sun sets that it shines through the glass, giving a beautiful glow to the enclosed room.
The gorgeous tigerwood ceiling gives the screened room (12' wide retractable Phantom screen door) an elegant feel, complimenting the stained glass feature. The room features wolf decking, see-through fireplace, circular lounge and black standing seam metal roof. All elements work beautifully together, giving this space that visual “wow”.
A little bit about us…
Deck Remodeler’s Founder and President, Sean McAleer, grew up in his father’s architectural woodworking shop and mastered his craft as a third-generation carpenter and cabinet maker organically. While others adopted the craft, Sean was born in to it. Building a business using the skills he learned and perfected over the years…it’s in his DNA. With 30+ years of experience, he adapted and developed a palette of materials and methods for outdoor living that few can match, though many have tried to copy. Bringing his love of designing and building beautiful things inside the home to the outside spaces with all the challenges that presents has been his passion for decades.
While Sean is certainly the visionary of Deck Remodelers, his talented and dedicated team ensures every project, big or small, is designed and built seamlessly. Our team includes in-house certified designers, architects, project management team, operations director, and of course, our highly skilled craftsmen in the field that bring it all to life.
What also sets Deck Remodeler’s apart is the experience of working with a full team of passionate professionals. All communication between customers, office staff and workers in the field is done through the real time system, allowing us to stream-line our projects. Customers are kept up to date through our system, and never have to wonder the status of their project – stream-lined communication is a huge priority for us.
With 60+ National Design Awards, there’s a reason Deck Remodelers is the MOST awarded deck builder in North America. Regardless of the deck and features, when Deck Remodelers builds your outdoor dream space, it is far from ordinary. Large or small, full features or basic, the design, quality and craftmanship is second to none. You not only get beautiful results, but a company that stands behind its work. We believe it is critical to use quality materials and employ highly trained and certified crew members that assure that quality in every aspect is second to none for our discerning clients.
Serving NJ, NY, & CT we’ve got you covered! If you are looking for a modern, traditional, or transitional custom builder to design& build you your perfect backyard space , call the experts at Deck Remodelers for your free virtual consultation! 973.729.2125

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
This is Frederica living at its finest! Too many custom features to list, but just a few include 15 foot beamed ceilings, wide plank hickory floors, Miele, Wolf and Sub Zero appliances, Bentwood custom kitchen cabinets, wine room, master wing with sitting room and office, fabulous built-ins throughout, Duravit Phillip Stark Collection cabinets and faucets in master and powder room, large two car garage with workshop and pool, all on one level and perfectly positioned on an almost four acre lot. The pictures dont do this home justice, so come see for yourself just how nice this home really is.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual tours
Mediterranean Summerour villa on the lagoon in Ocean Forest. Ancient Oak trees were preserved to make you feel this home has always been part of the landscape. The main floor master retreat includes an office or den, large bath, spacious closet and supreme view. Open kitchen family room is beautifully appointed-the best appliances,and expansive window walls to bring the view inside. The living room/dining room has a fireplace, pecky cypress beamed ceiling and opens to a screen porch on the view. Two more bedrooms with baths, an entertainment room and a nice size veranda are upstairs. The guest house above the 3 car garage offers 2 additional bedrooms and baths, a den, great views and such privacy. Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle magacize called this home The Prettiest Cottage In Georgia.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
This is Frederica living at its finest! Too many custom features to list, but just a few include 15 foot beamed ceilings, wide plank hickory floors, Miele, Wolf and Sub Zero appliances, Bentwood custom kitchen cabinets, wine room, master wing with sitting room and office, fabulous built-ins throughout, Duravit Phillip Stark Collection cabinets and faucets in master and powder room, large two car garage with workshop and pool, all on one level and perfectly positioned on an almost four acre lot. The pictures dont do this home justice, so come see for yourself just how nice this home really is.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual tours
Mediterranean Summerour villa on the lagoon in Ocean Forest. Ancient Oak trees were preserved to make you feel this home has always been part of the landscape. The main floor master retreat includes an office or den, large bath, spacious closet and supreme view. Open kitchen family room is beautifully appointed-the best appliances,and expansive window walls to bring the view inside. The living room/dining room has a fireplace, pecky cypress beamed ceiling and opens to a screen porch on the view. Two more bedrooms with baths, an entertainment room and a nice size veranda are upstairs. The guest house above the 3 car garage offers 2 additional bedrooms and baths, a den, great views and such privacy. Atlanta Homes and Lifestyle magacize called this home The Prettiest Cottage In Georgia.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours
The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents.
Early History
The earliest
St. Simons Island Village
record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini.
Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned.
Colonial History
As
Fort Frederica
early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat.
Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service.
Plantation Era
By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war.
Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton.
Between
Ebos Landing
the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing.
One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863).
Another
Retreat Plantation
large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves.
The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall.
The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church.
Civil War and Beyond
The
St. Simons Island Lighthouse
outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned.
After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations.
By
St. Simons Lumber Mills
1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross.
The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island.
Twentieth Century
The
St. Simons Island Pier and Village
opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development.
In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s.
The
St. Simons Island
outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents.
Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa.
Since
Epworth by the Sea
1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant.
Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.
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