Page 11 - Richmond Hill Driving Trail

STOP Dead Town of
21 Hardwicke Marker
31° 56.975′ N, 81° 18.729′ W. A blue historical marker on
the right hand side of the road when traveling west on
Fort McAllister Road

In 1755, Governor John Reynolds selected a site
on the Great Ogeechee River, 14 miles from the
Atlantic, for Georgia’s capital, naming it Hardwicke
after Philip Yorke Hardwicke. However, in 1761,
Governor Sir James Wright decided to keep the
capital in Savannah, leading Hardwicke to become a
mere trading village and eventually one of Georgia’s
“dead towns.”

STOP Myrtle Grove
22 65 Old Hardwicke Road

Myrtle Grove, built in 1849 by planter Richard
James Arnold as a wedding gift for his daughter
Louisa, remained in the Arnold family until 1909
and was later owned by William Washington
Gordon II, father of Girl Scouts founder Juliette
Gordon Low. The property was acquired by Ms.
Allethaire Ludlow Rotan in 1920 and renamed Folly
Farms. In modern times, the property has served as a
filming location for movies including Glory and The
General’s Daughter, as well as many other films and
TV series. This is a private residence.*Please do not
enter the driveway or knock on the door.
STOP
23 Kilpatrick on Bryan Neck
Marker is near the intersection of Fort McAllister
Road (State Highway 144 Spur) and GA
Highway 144
In December 1864, Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick
(pictured left) led the 3rd Cavalry Division [US] in
supporting Gen. Sherman’s advance on Savannah
by crossing rivers and establishing headquarters at
Lt. Col. Joseph L. McAllister’s plantation, sending
scouts into Liberty County, and engaging in
skirmishes near Fort McAllister. Kilpatrick’s actions,
including strategic scouting and securing supply
depots, were crucial in aiding Sherman’s campaign,
and his aggressive cavalry tactics played a significant
role in the Union’s success during the 10
Civil War.