Page 12 - Richmond Hill Driving Trail

STOP Strathy Hall
24 51 Mill Hill Landing Road

Strathy Hall, built in 1838 by rice planter George
W. McAllister, is the oldest residential structure in
lower Bryan County and served briefly as Union
cavalry general Judson H. Kilpatrick’s headquarters
during the Union campaign to take Fort McAllister
in December 1864. Spared from destruction due
to its northern connections, Strathy Hall was later
restored by Henry Ford in the 1940s and is now
listed on the National Register of Historic Places,
though it remains a private residence.
*Please do not enter the driveway or knock on the door.
Other points of interest:
Don’t miss seeing the oak allée to the left of the
house leading to the Ogeechee River, which once
led to the family’s boat landing. This can be seen
from Strathy Hall Drive. Another oak allée led from
the front of the home all the way to Highway 144.
Homes are now built between the oaks.

Once on Strathy Hall Drive, heading toward 144,
look for the Strathy Hall Cemetery for enslaved
individuals on the right at 237 Strathy Hall Drive.

STOP Ford Sawmill & Industrial
25 Complex, and Trade School Site

10747 Ford Avenue
(now Sawmill Plaza Shopping Center)

The Ford Sawmill Complex, which included a sawmill,
cabinetry shop, and other industrial buildings, was
the heart of the community, producing school desks,
church pews, and more. Supported by Henry Ford,
the Trade School provided vocational training in
woodworking, metalworks, and engineering for high
school boys, emphasizing Ford’s commitment to
skill development.
Powered by steam boilers, the sawmill operated
efficiently with tracks connecting it to the lumber
yard and dry kiln. The sawmill, which adhered to
sustainable production limits set by Ford, increased
output during World War II but ceased operations
after Mrs. Ford’s death in 1950 and a subsequent
11 fire the following year.