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.

Villas in Cumberland Island

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Villas in Cumberland Island

Villa in Jekyll Island

Lara

$124 nightly

Dec 29 - Dec 30

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Villa in Fernandina Beach

Shelly H.

$345 nightly

Dec 19 - Dec 20

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Vacation Home in Fernandina Beach

Betsy C.

$1,084 nightly

Dec 26 - Dec 27

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Villa in St Simons

Audrie W.

$743 nightly

Dec 2 - Dec 3

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Top Cumberland Island Hotel Reviews

Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Jekyll Island

10/10 Excellent

"The breakfast menus said continental - wasn’t expecting anything special- somehow this breakfast was the best breakfast. I don’t eat sausage - I ate 5 pieces. My daughter doesn’t eat eggs- she went back for seconds. Everything in this breakfast was mouthwatering ! The location was excellent and the staff was very friendly! I think her name was Leslie when we checked in was really sweet and helpful- I would definitely recommend this hotel !! "

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Cumberland Island Villas information

Number of reviews	1,389
Accommodation	49 Villas
Lowest Price	$147
Highest Price	$1,200

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Villas in Cumberland Island

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Top Cumberland Island Hotel Reviews

Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Jekyll Island

Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Kingsland Naval Base I-95

Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa

The Inn by Sea Island

Tru By Hilton Brunswick

Ocean Coast Hotel at the Beach Amelia Island

Best Western Plus Jekyll Island

Hampton Inn & Suites Jekyll Island

Extended Stay America Premier Suites - Jacksonville - Airport

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