Darien in McIntosh County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Butler Island Plantation

Photographed By Mike Stroud, August 2008

1. Butler Island Plantation Marker

Inscription.
Famous rice Plantation of the 19th century, owned by Pierce Butler of Philadelphia. A system of dikes and canals for the cultivation of rice, installed by engineers from Holland, is still in evidence in the old fields, and has been used as a pattern for similar operations in recent years.

During a visit here with her husband in 1839-40, Pierce Butler`s wife, the brilliant English actress, Fannie Kemble, wrote her "Journal of a Residence On A Georgia Plantation," which is said to have influenced England against the Confederacy.

Erected 1957 by Georgia Historical Commission. (Marker Number 095-25.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Arts, Letters, Music • Settlements & Settlers • Women. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list.

Location. 31° 21.278′ N, 81° 26.718′ W. Marker is in Darien, Georgia, in McIntosh County. Marker is on Ocean Highway (U.S. 17), on the right when traveling south. 1.3 miles south of Darien , between Butler and Champneys Rivers. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Darien GA 31305, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies

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. Famous Butler Authors (within shouting distance of this marker); General's Island (approx. 0.6 miles away); Darien Waterfront (approx. 1.1 miles away); Fort Darien (approx. 1.1 miles away); Port of Darien (approx. 1.1 miles away); Fort King George (approx. 1.1 miles away); Saint Cyprian's Episcopal Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Burning of Darien (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Darien.

Also see . . .
1. Longstreet Highroad Guide to the Georgia Coast & Okefenokee,By Richard J. Lenz. Butler Island and Champney Island/Ansley-Hodges Memorial Marsh Project : Butler Island and its southern neighbor Champney Island are readily accessible to the visitor without a boat and are good sites for bird-watching during waterfowl migrations. On Butler Island, the house and grounds are used as a private staff residence for the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area and are not open for public tours. Tourists can view the property from US 17. An observation tower and marked trail on Champney Island provide easy access for wildlife viewing of the flat, marshy terrain. During the winter, the quiet observer may identify some of the refuge's known 18 species of ducks, including nesting wood ducks, and at other times discover numerous

Photographed By Mike Stroud, August 08

2. Butler Island Plantation Marker

wading birds, including a variety of herons and egrets. Swallowtail kites and bald eagles are known to nest near the area, and alligators and a variety of snakes are common. (Submitted on August 28, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

2. Fanny Kemble and Pierce Butler , pbs online entry. Fanny Kemble was an abolitionist; her husband Pierce Butler was a slaveholder. With such diametrically opposed views, it's no wonder that their initially blissful marriage would end in divorce. (Submitted on August 28, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

Butler Island Plantation Marker,looking north along US 17, (old) Butler River bridge image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008

3. Butler Island Plantation Marker,looking north along US 17, (old) Butler River bridge

Butler Island Plantation image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008

4. Butler Island Plantation

a 75-foot brick chimney that was a steam powered rice mill built in 1850 and the still-operational dike system, designed by engineers from Holland. Located on the property is the two-story home of Col. T.L. Huston, a half-owner of the New York Yankees, who had a Guernsey dairy farm and a successful truck farming operation that shipped iceberg lettuce grown in the restored fields. The residence was built in 1927. In the 1920s, many baseball players visited Huston, including Babe Ruth. (Butler Island and Champney Island/Ansley-Hodges Memorial Marsh Project )

Photographed By Mike Stroud, August 2011

5. Butler Island Plantation Marker

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008

6. Butler Island Plantation

the house and grounds are used as a private staff residence for the Altamaha Waterfowl Management Area

Credits. This page was last revised on January 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 3,808 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 28, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 2. submitted on September 4, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 3, 4. submitted on August 28, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 5. submitted on September 17, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 6. submitted on August 28, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.