Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Noble Jones’ “Wormslow”
1736–1775
Photographed By Mike Stroud, August 2008
1. Noble Jones' "Wormslow" Marker
This 1½ mile oak avenue leads to the tabby ruins of Noble Jones’ colonial fortified plantation. Jones and his family were original settlers in Georgia, arriving in Savannah with founder James E. Oglethorpe on February 1, 1733. As a middle-class carpenter from England, Jones would perform a variety of roles in the new colony of Georgia including: constable, physician, surveyor, Indian agent, soldier, member of the royal
council, treasurer, and senior justice of the province. In 1736, Jones leased 500 acres form the Trustees of Georgia and in 1745, finished construction of the fortified home he named “Wormslow.” From this outpost, Jones commanded a company of marines charged with patrolling the inland water route and alerting Savannah of any Spanish attack. Wormslow was also well known for its horticultural efforts. Indigo, rice and silk were all cultivated here by Jones, his indentured servants, and later slaves. Following generations of the Jones family lived at Wormsloe for over two centuries, building on their ancestor's prominent role in Georgia history. The tabby ruins of the original “Wormslow” home survive
this page online
Erected 1992 by Georgia Historic Marker. (Marker Number 025-100.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1857.
Location. 31° 58.035′ N, 81° 4.191′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. Marker is on Wormslow Platation Drive. Located off Skidaway Road. Right at At Wormsloe museum Marker at end at parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Savannah GA 31406, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Isle of Hope (approx. one mile away); Isle of Hope Methodist Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); Bethesda (approx. 1˝ miles away); Sandfly (approx. 1.6 miles away); Brick Pillar (approx. 1.6 miles away); a different marker also named Isle of Hope (approx. 2 miles away); Pin Point Community (approx. 2.1 miles away); Mercer Auto Camp (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Savannah.
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
2. Noble Jones' "Wormslow" Marker
Photographed By David Seibert, April 1, 2012
3. Noble Jones’ “Wormslow” Marker
The visitors' center is in the background.
Photographed By Mike Stroud, August 30, 2008
4. 1733 Wormsloe 1913
Avenue lined with 400 Live Oak Trees
Photographed By Frances Benjamin Johnston, circa 1944
5. Noble Jones’ “Wormslow”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division;
LC-J7-GA- 1353
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
6. "Wormslow" and the remaining family burial plot
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
7. "Wormslow" more tabby ruins
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
8. "Wormslow" tabby ruins
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
9. Family Grave Marker
Photographed By Mike Stroud, August 31, 2008
10. Noble Jones' grave in Savannah at Bonaventure Cemetery
Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008
11. Noble Jones' "Wormslow" Plantation, A Conjectural reconstruction of Wormsloe, ca. 1750
"( Noble Jones) has erected what very justly ( when
finished ) may be called a good house with convenient
Out houses for Servents, Cattle, and ca.(?) he has also
fenced and brought into tillage about 14 acres of Land"
William Stephens, 1740
The tabby ruins mark the location of Noble Jones fortified house, begun c.1739. located inside the walls, the house was 32'x24' or double the size required of the earliest houses in Savannah. Jones built the house in the newer and roomier Georgian style common to the houses of contemporary Frederica. It was at least 1½ stories high. The tabby portion of the structure was 8' high ( the same as the fort wall), while the remaining height probably consisted of frame construction. The tabby walls were smoothed with plaster and whitewash.
Captain Jones' Wormslow, William M. Kelso University of Georgia Press 1979
The tabby ruins mark the location of Noble Jones fortified house, begun c.1739. located inside the walls, the house was 32'x24' or double the size required of the earliest houses in Savannah. Jones built the house in the newer and roomier Georgian style common to the houses of contemporary Frederica. It was at least 1½ stories high. The tabby portion of the structure was 8' high ( the same as the fort wall), while the remaining height probably consisted of frame construction. The tabby walls were smoothed with plaster and whitewash.
Captain Jones' Wormslow, William M. Kelso University of Georgia Press 1979
Photographed By David Seibert, April 1, 2012
12. Noble Jones’ “Wormslow"
The oak-lined drive from the gate to the private residence on the site, the visitors' center, marker, and site of the old fort.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 10, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 1, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,384 times since then and 215 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 1, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 3. submitted on June 9, 2012, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. 4. submitted on September 1, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 5. submitted on May 8, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on September 1, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 12. submitted on June 9, 2012, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
