Georgia > Coast > Liberty County > Midway

The American Revolution in Georgia spring vividly to life on this do-it-yourself tour of Liberty County. See the Revolutionary War-era Fort Morris and Midway Museum and Historic District, as well as the environmental richness and African-American heritage of the region.

For centuries, Liberty County has held a mystical power over explorers. The Historic Liberty Trail is a unique driving tour offering a diverse experience integrating history, culture and ecology. It covers 10 stops, including: Midway Museum and Historic District, Cay Creek Wetlands, Geechee Kunda Cultural Arts Center, LeConte-Woodmanston Botanical Gardens, Dorchester Academy and Museum, Fort Stewart Museum, Melon Bluff Nature and Heritage Preserve, Seabrook Village, Fort Morris State Historic Site, and Sunbury Cemetery.

Begin the Historic Liberty Trail Driving Tour
Begin your tour at Exit 76 off I-95, where an information kiosk gives a glimpse of The Historic Liberty Trail. Visitors traveling the trail explore Liberty County, home of Dr. Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett, signers of the Declaration of Independence. Your first stop is the Midway National Historic District. Leaving the kiosk, turn right (west) on US 84. Drive 2.2 miles, turn right on Martin Road. Drive 1.3 miles to arrive at the Midway National Historic District. The cemetery is straight ahead, the church and museum are on the right. For a map showing all of the points on the tour, click here.

Midway National Historic District
Midway Museum, honors the community famed as Georgia’s Cradle of Liberty. Browse through the museum, built in the raised cottage-style architecture, typical of 18th Century plantation houses. Exhibits, documents and furnishings used in coastal Georgia homes from colonial days until the Civil War reanimate the love of Liberty. Tour the grounds which include a detached kitchen, salt vat and extensive nature trail. One of the best sources in the area for genealogical research. Also on the property is the Midway Church, built in 1756, was burned during the American Revolution and rebuilt in 1792. In this white-frame, New England-style church, Sherman’s cavalry set up foraging headquarters during the Civil War. Today, giant live oaks draped with Spanish moss shade about 1,200 graves in the cemetery, among them two generals of the American Revolution and Governor Nathan Brownson. During the Civil War, Sherman’s cavalry plundered county plantations and corralled animals in the walled, two-acre cemetery.

Days and Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-4pm, Sunday: 2pm-4pm
Facilities: Small gift shop with a good selection of books on local history.
Restrooms available.
Fees: Small fee required. Group rates available.
For More Information: (912) 884-5837

Cay Creek Wetlands
DIRECTIONS: Leaving Midway Museum, turn left on US 17. Drive 0.5 miles, at the traffic light turn left on US 84. Drive 2.4 miles until you reach Charlie Butler Road. Turn right on Charlie Butler Road. Travel approximately 0.2 miles until you see the Cay Creek Wetlands sign on your right. Get a map.

As an excellent example of tidal, freshwater wetlands, Cay Creek Wetlands provide a unique opportunity for education and appreciation. The area is rich in diversity. Bay, Cypress and Oak trees are abundant, as are Palms, Palmettos and Magnolias. The area provides habitats for numerous species of animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The site is several different ecosystems. Each has specific traits that give it character, but the distinctions may be overlooked by the casual observer. Look closely and you may notice the differences in plant and animal life in those areas that are permanently wet when compared with areas that are intermittently wet and dry. The site has its history, too. Look for the low earthen berms that cross the landscape. In some instances, they may be the high ground on which you stand. These are the remains of dikes that were used for growing rice. Rice production was common to the area in the 19th Century. Cay Creek Wetlands has seen exciting activity recently with the completion of a boardwalk, allowing visitors to easily access the wetlands in both wet and dry seasons. An interpretive center building, designed to house exhibits and information, will soon follow.

Days and Hours: Monday-Friday: 8am-4pm
Facilities: None.
Fees: Free.
For More Information: (912) 884-3344

Geechee Kunda Cultural Arts Center
DIRECTIONS: Take a right onto Charlie Butler Road out of the drive and travel 0.7 miles, turn right onto Historic Cay Creek Road, a well-maintained, unpaved road. Only 3.8 miles from US 17. Enjoy the canopy of moss-draped oaks and the incredible marsh vistas as well as vibrant flowers and coastal wildlife on this scenic road. Once you’ve reached US 17 take a left and travel through the quaint town of Riceboro. Travel approximately 4.6 miles and turn left onto Ways Temple Road, Geechee Kunda is on the right 0.2 miles. Note: Nice picnic facilities at US 17 junction. Get a map.

Geechee Kunda (a Sarakole’ word meaning compound) is indicative of the culture of Gullah Geechees. Geechee Kunda is reflective of the family compounds that exist throughout the Gullah Geechee areas of the Carolinas, Georgia and Northern Florida as well as Africa. It is a living institution dedicated to preserving the culture of a living people. Its museum is filled with African art, textiles, painting, tools, utensils, implements, craftworks and essentials used by Gullah Geechees from the 1700’s to the 1900’s. The museum houses artifacts from the period of slavery and it’s an educational facility for lectures, workshops, classes, seminars, weddings and more.

Days and Hours: Group tours and classes available, call for an appointment.
Facilities: Gift shop, meeting and classroom space.
Fees: Call for further information.
For More Information: (912) 884-4440

LeConte-Woodmanston Botanical Gardens
DIRECTIONS: Leaving Ways Temple Road turn right onto US 17 toward Riceboro. Travel approximately 0.7 miles and turn left onto Sandy Run Road. Travel 4.3 miles then turn left at stop sign onto Barrington Ferry Road. Barrington Ferry Road is unpaved, but well-maintained. Look for wood storks, ospreys, egrets and herons that feed in the wetlands. Almost one mile south of the intersection you will find a historic marker for the Bartram Trail on the left. The sign marks the entrance to LeConte-Woodmanston. Get a map.

LeConte-Woodmanston, formerly the home of Dr. Louis LeConte, flourished as one of Georgia’s earliest inland swamp rice plantations and is now a nature preserve. Dr. LeConte achieved international fame in scientific circles as did his sons, John and Joseph. John was the first president of the University of California at Berkeley. Joseph and his friend, John Muir, co-founded the Sierra Club. Today, Louis LeConte’s world-famous 18th Century botanical gardens are being recreated with a myriad of antique plants. Visit the cypress forest and walk the interpretative trail along the earthen rice dikes leading through the Bulltown Swamp black-water eco-system. Take a stroll along the Avenue of Oaks or bask in an 18th Century nature experience. They are all part of the Historic Bartram Trail.

Days and Hours: Typically open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 10am-3pm or by appointment. Call to verify times before visiting.
Facilities: A small fee required.
Fees: Restrooms.
For More Information: (912) 884-6500

Dorchester Academy and Museum
DIRECTIONS: Leaving LeConte-Woodmanston, follow drive back to Barrington Ferry Road. Turn right and follow road until it dead ends into US 17, approximately 5 miles. Turn left and travel another 2.1 miles to the intersection of US 17 and US 84, turn left on US 84 and drive 2 miles. Dorchester Academy is on the left. Get a map.

The Academy, today an active community center and museum, was founded after the Civil War as a school for freed slaves. By 1917, the fully-accredited high school had eight frame buildings and 300 students. In the 1940s, its academic program ended when a consolidated school for black youth was built in nearby Riceboro. The brick school building, an example of Georgian Revival style architecture is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prepared for the 1963 Birmingham campaign, one of the first major victories of the Civil Rights Movement.

Days and Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 11am-2pm, Saturday: 2pm-4pm
Facilities: Free.
Fees: Pavilion with barbecue pit and restrooms.
For More Information: (912) 884-2347

Fort Stewart Museum
DIRECTIONS: Leaving Dorchester Academy, turn left (west) on US 84. Travel approximately 10 miles to General Stewart Way and take right fork. Travel 0.8 miles and turn left onto North Main Street. Travel 0.6 miles through historic Hinesville, where you will enjoy specialty shopping and excellent restaurants. Traveling another 0.9 miles take the right fork and drive 0.1 miles to General Screven Way. Take a right onto General Screven Way and drive 0.9 miles to the main entrance of Fort Stewart. Continue straight on GA 119 for 0.3 miles. From GA 119 turn left onto Bunker Road (the first left). Follow Bunker Road to a stop sign. At the stop sign make a left onto Frank Cochran Drive. The museum is on the immediate left. Get a map.

Fort Stewart, the largest military post east of the Mississippi, is home to the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (Mech) and is the summer training grounds for the National Guard. At the museum, Liberty County’s military heritage is showcased in ever-changing exhibits featuring objects from World War II, Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm and present-day military activities.

Days and Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-4pm Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Federal Holidays.
Facilities: Gift shop, snack machine, restrooms and picnic area.
Fees: Free. Group tours upon request.
For More Information: (912) 767-7885

Please Note: Due to heightened security, Fort Stewart is now a closed post and requires all visitors to stop at the main gate. At the gate visitors must provide proof of registration, insurance and drivers license to receive a visitor’s pass.

Melon Bluff Nature and Heritage Preserve
DIRECTIONS: Leaving Fort Stewart drive straight on GA 119 until it dead ends into US 84 turn left, approximately 0.5 miles. Travel approximately 15 miles to I-95, as you cross I-95 travel another 2.9 miles and you will see Melon Bluff on your right. Get a map.

Nestled amongst 3,000 unspoiled acres on Georgia’s coast, Melon Bluff is set amid gorgeous, moss-hung oaks at the river’s edge. Melon Bluff offers 25 miles of grassy, forest trails for hiking, biking, picnics and riding. Birding is the prime attraction, offering 309 species, many uncommon and endangered. Visitors can find overnight accommodations ranging from a restored barn to a plantation cottage. On site, there is a delightful gift shop, a screened pool and a facility for small conferences.

Days and Hours: Saturdays: 9am-4pm from September 15th through May 15th. Public events are scheduled throughout the year.
Facilities: Overnight accommodations, full gourmet meal service, scheduled wagon rides, kayak expeditions, gift shop, pool and facility for small conferences.
Fees: Prices vary - Call for further information.

Seabrook Village
DIRECTIONS: From Melon Bluff, turn right onto Islands Highway. Travel 0.7 miles until you come to Trade Hill Road (Seabrook Village signs will be on your left). Turn left on to Trade Hill and drive 0.6 miles. Seabrook Village office will be on your left. Get a map.

An award-winning living history museum, Seabrook Village features eight turn-of-the-century buildings on a developing 104-acre site. Visit the one-room Seabrook School where “reading, writing and ‘rithmetic were taught to the tune of a hick’ry stick.” Or try your hand at grinding corn into meal and grits or washing clothes on a scrub board. Planned group visits are fully interactive as costumed interpreters engage visitors in all aspects of old time village life. On-going exhibits include the grave art of Cyrus Bowens, featured in Drums and Shadows, and the Willis Hakim J. Hones Material Culture Collection of hand-made items from a peanut roaster to twig furniture.

Days and Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-4pm. Interactive tours available for groups of 15 or more. Special educational and Girl Scout programs available.
Facilities: Seabrook Village Museum Shop and Craft Gallery, meal service (by reservation), restrooms.
Fees: Small fee required.
Group Tours: Call for rates, brochure and availability.
For More Information: (912) 884-7008

Fort Morris State Historic Site
DIRECTIONS: Leaving Seabrook, turn left on Trade Hill Road. Drive 0.2 miles to the intersection of Fort Morris Road. Turn left, drive 2 miles. The entrance to Fort Morris is on the right. Get a map.

Fort Morris was built to defend the former town of Sunbury, once a bustling seaport second in Georgia only to Savannah. Fort Morris was used as a coastal fortification during the Revolutionary War. The earthen works were reconstructed during the War of 1812 and were later used as a Civil War Encampment. The site’s museum features displays of civilian and military life during Georgia’s Colonial, Revolutionary and Antebellum past. During periodic special events, reenactments bring Fort Morris alive with roaring cannons and the measured tread of marching soldiers. Listen! You can almost hear the fife and drums.

Days and Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 9am-5pm, Sunday: 2:00pm-5:30pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Mondays, except some legal holidays.
Facilities: Museum, gift shop, pioneer camping, picnic area, restrooms and nature trail.
Fees: Small fee required.
For More Information: (912) 884-5999

Sunbury Cemetery
DIRECTIONS: Leaving Fort Morris, turn right onto Fort Morris Road. Travel 0.7 miles past Sunbury Village and turn left onto Sunbury Road (dirt). Drive 0.1 miles to Dutchman Cove Road. Drive 0.1 miles to the end of the road, it will dead end into the cemetery. Get a map.

From the beginning of the town’s history, public burials were performed at a community cemetery located at the southeast corner of Church Square. Sunbury Cemetery housed the remains of members from the Midway Congregational Church, Sunbury Baptist Church and others. A sense of integrity remains even though no complete interment records are known to exist for the cemetery. Most of the markers were gone by the 1870’s. Of the thirty-four remaining, the oldest is dated 1788 and the most recent, 1911. Two iron fenced family enclosures are carefully arrayed with neatly lined markers for the Dunham and Fleming-Law families. The most famous tombstone is a full-length marker for Reverend William McWhir. The graves of Josiah Powell and Samuel Law, notables of the town of Sunbury, are also marked.

The cemetery is open year-round and is free to the public.

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > East Central Georgia > Greene County > Greensboro

Built in 1807 and patterned after European bastilles with two-foot thick granite walls and dungeon-like cells, the old rock jail, or “gaol,” is one of the interesting places you can visit in Greene County’s historic county seat of Greensboro. 

As they say in Greene County, “Relax and do something.” And there is plenty to do on a Georgia family vacation in this county halfway between Atlanta and Augusta. Much of Lake Oconee’s 19,000 acres are within Greene County. You’ll find boating, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, numerous championship golf courses, shopping, dining, art galleries, antiquing and historic downtown Greensboro.

Below are some of the places you can enjoy on a visit to Greene County.

• Downtown Greensboro
• Lake Oconee
• Lake Oconee Outfitters
• Oconee National Forest
• Reynolds Plantation at Lake Oconee
• The Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation
• The Ritz Carlton Spa

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Coastal Georgia > Glynn County > Brunswick

Sailing through Sidney Lanier’s “Marshes of Glynn” is just one of the recreational experiences you can have on a family vacation to Brunswick and the Golden Isles. 

Any time of year is a good time to visit the coastal town of Brunswick and the four Georgia barrier islands that are known as the Golden Isles – St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island and Jekyll Island.

Take a Georgia family vacation to Brunswick and the Golden Isles for beaches, kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, biking, deep sea fishing, dolphin cruises, historical tours, golf, camping, dining, shopping, museums, galleries and much, much more.

Below are some of the places you can visit on a trip to Brunswick and the Golden Isles.

• Brunswick’s Old Town Historic District
• Georgia Sea Turtle Center
• Jekyll Island Club Hotel
• King and Prince Resort
• Lodge on Little St. Simons Island
• The Cloister at Sea Island

Links:

• Read more about Brunswick and the Golden Isles.
• Read more about all of Georgia’s major barrier islands.
• See an interactive maps showing the Golden Island and all of Georgia’s major barrier islands.

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Atlanta Metro Region > Fulton County > Atlanta

Begin a tour of the CNN Studio by taking the world’s largest freestanding elevator to the 50-foot CNN Globe.

CNN is one of Atlanta’s most recognizable entities. Did you know that you can tour the backstage of CNN’s global headquarters in downtown Atlanta—even while it is delivering news from around the world?

The Inside CNN Studio Tour takes you “behind the scenes” to show you the process of delivering the news at CNN. There are interactive kiosks in the CNN Globe where you can browse through over 25 years of CNN footage. There is a replica of the CNN Control Room where you will experience the atmosphere of a fast-paced live television news environment. In Studio 7E, CNN’s black box studio, you will get a close-up look at the technology used at CNN to deliver the news and weather. From the CNN Overlook, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the actual newsroom in action—and maybe spot a few CNN personalities. You’ll visit CNN Center, home of the other CNN networks, including Headline News, CNN International, CNN.com and CNN en Español. You will also get a chance to hear CNN anchors, like Larry King and Anderson Cooper (on video tape, of course), describe how it feels to report history in the making. The 55-minute walking tour is open to all ages and runs every 10 minutes. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Coastal Georgia > Liberty County > Hinesville

The Midway Museum in the historic community of Midway is just one of the places you can visit in Liberty County for a lesson in American history. 

Liberty County folks like to say that the county has played a major role in every significant event in American history – from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement to the fight against terrorism. No wonder that a trip through Liberty County is like taking a course in American history.

This county on the Georgia Coast has plenty of interesting towns and historic sights to visit:

• Allenhurst
• Flemington
• Fort Stewart
• Hinesville
• Midway
• Riceboro
• Sunbury
• Melon Bluff Nature & Heritage Reserve
• Geechee Kunda
• Midway Museum
• Fort Stewart Military Museum

Read more about Museums in Georgia and Georgia Cities and Georgia Counties, or find other activities in the Coastal Georgia Travel Region here at Brown’s Guides.

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Central Georgia > Baldwin County > Milledgeville

There are a number of historic sites to visit in Milledgeville relating to the town’s place in history as a Georgia State Capitol, including the 1839 Old Governor’s Mansion, said to be one of the finest examples of High Greek Revival architecture in the nation.

Milledgeville is a lovely town in central Georgia with a history that includes being the capitol of the state during the Civil War years. You can spend a day or two in Milledgeville exploring its historic district, which boasts more than 20 architectural landmarks, with more than a dozen identified as historical sites.

As the home of renowned American writer Flannery O’Connor, Milledgeville is also a literary destination. Tour O’Connor’s home, Andalusia Farm, on the outskirts of Milledgeville or visit some of the memorials dedicated to her life and work in the historic town.

Below are some places to visit on a trip to Milledgeville:

• Old Capitol Museum
• Old Governor’s Mansion
• Andalusia Farm
• Historic Trolley Tours
• Lockerly Hall & Arboretum
• John Marlor Art Center
• GCSU’s Natural History Museum
• Brown-Stetson-Sanford House
• Blackridge Hall Art Gallery
• The Museum at GCSU/Flannery O’Connor Memorial Room

Read more about Milledgeville and Baldwin County, or find other activities in the Central Georgia Travel Region here at Brown’s Guides.

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Northwest Georgia Mountains > Fannin County > Blue Ridge

Join the fun on a trip through the Northwest Georgia Mountains on the narrow gauge Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. 

Railroads played a significant role in the development of the Northwest Georgia Mountains between the 1800s and the early 1900s. They saved an ailing mining industry, contributed to the growth of small towns as resort communities, made it possible to log the last remaining virgin timber in the area, and eventually, determined the routes of local roads.

Today, just for fun, you can travel the route that was originally built as the narrow-gauge Marietta & North Georgia Railroad in the 1880s. Tucked into the charming mountain village of Blue Ridge, Georgia, in the lush Chattahoochee National Forest, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway takes you on the trip of a lifetime. The area is known as the “antique capital” of Georgia with friendly folks and an old-time atmosphere.

The regular 4-hour, 26-mile round trip in vintage climate-controlled or open-air railcars is a scenic smorgasbord, including one hour winding along the course of the beautiful Toccoa River. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > East Central Georgia > Wilkes County > Washington

Re-enactors from the Sons of the American Revolution portray the Elijah Clark Militia firing at the Battle of Kettle Creek, the most significant Revolutionary War battle to take place in Georgia.

Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill. There are numerous towns in the Northeast United States that immediately come to mind when you think about the Revolutionary War. But Georgia was also a battleground, and an area of Revolutionary War activity in Georgia that makes for a nice weekend trip is in the Piedmont in and around Wilkes County where you can learn about the Battle of Kettle Creek.

As late as the early 1770s, Georgia’s boundaries were mostly within the coastal region. In only a confined area beyond Augusta were the Piedmont’s heavier soils and hardwood forests included in the colony’s boundary. Frontiersmen were trickling down into this region from their homes in Virginia, Maryland and the Carolinas. Mostly of English or Scotch-Irish ancestry, these settlers were seeking new economic opportunities, good land and, most importantly, as much freedom as possible from British rule.

One of the most significant battles of the Revolutionary War in Georgia was fought here by these patriots at Kettle Creek in Wilkes County, a county that was formed along with the first Constitution of Georgia in 1777. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > East Central Georgia > Richmond County > Augusta

The first black kindergarten in Augusta was started by Lucy Craft Laney at the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in what is now the Laney–Walker North Historic District.

Augusta is a beautiful, historic town in Richmond County with a significant amount of African-American history. To begin putting it all together, an interesting area to tour is the Laney–Walker North Historic District.

The construction of the Georgia Railroad in 1833 and the building of the Augusta Canal from 1845-47 brought many laborers in need of housing to Augusta and triggered the development of this neighborhood. Until the end of the 19th century, it was a well-integrated, multi-ethnic working-class community associated with three of Augusta’s historic minority populations—Irish, Chinese, and African American.

The district is significant for its wide variety of modest residential, commercial, and institutional buildings dating from the mid-19th through the early-20th century. By that time, Jim Crow “zoning” laws, requiring blacks and whites to settle in blocks designated by race, quickly transformed the district into Augusta’s principal black neighborhood. New companies located in the area to provide service to the black population. One of these, the Penny Savings Bank, was one of the first independently owned black banks when it was started at the turn of the 20th century. (more…)

By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

You will travel 60 feet underground to tour Consolidated Gold Mines in Dahlonega, site of the nation’s first gold rush.

It is easy to forget that Georgia was the site of the country’s first gold rush back in 1828. That 1849 one in California just seems to get all of the publicity. They say back then you could “pick it up off the ground,” and there are still a few flecks of the glitter floating around in the North Georgia Mountains. So if you are around Dahlonega, you might just want to try your hand at panning at Consolidated Gold Mines.

This gold mine is said to be the first attempt at systematic, deep underground mining in the east, and it quickly became legendary. You can take a 40-minute guided tour of the mine that goes 60 feet underground. You will see displays of actual equipment used at the turn of the century and walk through the huge mining tunnel network that still has the original track system. (more…)