An Archaeological Survey of Butler Point, St. Simons Island, Georgia

The coast of Georgia has long been of interest and a focus of research for the University of Florida. St. Simons Island particularly has been featured with work at Fort Frederica and Cannon's Point. Additional work at Cumberland, Jekyll , and Sapelo Islands has been or is in the process of being carried out by faculty and students at the University. The opportunity to undertake additional research on St. Simons was therefore, of great interest. In February of 1978, Dr. Charles Fairbanks was asked by Hampton Plantation Inc. to initiate a survey of Butler Point, which is situated at the northwestern end of St . Simons, directly across Jones Creek from Cannon's Point. Work subsequently began on March 20th with fieldwork ending on May 19th. The project area covered approximately 560 acres comprised largely of secondary hardwood forests (Figure 1) . Two hundred and sixty-four subsurface tests were conducted in the eight weeks of fieldwork, in addition to excavation of an historic trash pit and mapping of the standing plantation ruins. Six road alignments were also considered . The parcel of land is to be developed into a housing subdivision which will have its severest impact on the plantation structural remains. The survey was primarily designed to make recommendations for mitigation of these impacts. St . Simons Island is located approximately ten kilometers east of Brunswick, Georgia (31 N, 81 W) . It is one of the coastal barrier islands which stretch from Talbot Island in Florida to Cape Fear, North Carolina. To the north of St. Simons is Sapelo Island, while Jekyll Island lies south. Evidence of occupation of Butler Point begins during the prehistoric period. Aboriginal shell middens and non-shell sites are located near the tidal creeks and marshes. Evidence of some interaction with the Spanish missions on St. Simons has been uncovered in one of the Butler Point sites. With the arrival of the British, an outpost was established by Oglethorpe on the northwest tip of Butler Point (Vanstory 1970). No trace of the outpost could be located. There appears to have been almost no use of the land until Major Pierce Butler purchased the point in 1793-94 (Vanstory 1970, Scott in Kemble 1961). At its height, Hampton was considered one of the model coastal plantations (Vanstory 1970). The land continued in the possession of the Butler family and descendants until the early 20th century. During World War II there was again, a military lookout on the northwest point, traces of which still remain.