Information
Landmark: Horton HouseCity: Brunswick
Country: USA Georgia
Continent: North America
Horton House, Brunswick, USA Georgia, North America
Overview
On Jekyll Island, Georgia, the Horton House stands out as a rare landmark-rich in history and unlike anything else, its weathered tabby concrete walls still catching the late afternoon sun.Dating back to 1743, it’s among the oldest buildings still standing in the state, its weathered brick and worn timbers offering a rare, hands-on link to Georgia’s earliest colonial days.Major William Horton built the Horton House, a sturdy tabby concrete home, during Georgia’s early colonial days.Horton served as a trusted officer and aide-de-camp to General James Oglethorpe, the man who founded Georgia’s colony, often seen at the general’s side with a leather-bound map in hand.Honoring his service, Horton received 500 acres on Jekyll Island in 1735, where he built a plantation shaded by tall, salt-swept oaks.In 1742, Spanish forces burned down the house Horton had built, striking in their push to take the territory back from the British.Horton responded by rebuilding the house in 1743 with tabby concrete, a tougher, more inventive mix of lime, water, and oyster shells that hardened like stone.The new structure was built to hold up against salty sea air and whatever assaults might come its way.Major Horton played a key role in building the colony’s infrastructure, even setting up Georgia’s first brewery near his plantation, where the smell of fresh hops drifted toward settlers and troops at Fort Frederica.His influence reached far past Jekyll Island, shaping the colony’s wider growth like ripples spreading from a stone dropped in calm water.The Horton House stands out as a rare and striking example of tabby concrete construction, a colonial-era building method found only in the coastal South, where shells were mixed into the walls and still catch the light today.Tabby is a blend of lime, sand, water, and crushed oyster shells; once mixed and left to cure, it hardens into a durable, concrete-like surface that feels cool under your hand.People chose this method because coastal areas offered plenty of raw materials-driftwood washed up daily-and it held up well against rot, insects, and even fire.The weathered walls of the Horton House, still standing in places despite the ruin, reveal just how sturdy this building style was.Thick tabby walls kept the structure standing through centuries of damp, salt-laden sea air.The house is a single-story rectangle with cutouts for windows and doors, a no-frills design much like the sturdy homes colonial settlers once built.Only weathered stone walls stand now, but careful preservation has kept the site alive as a treasured piece of cultural and architectural history.In 1790, the DuBignon family-French Huguenot settlers-took over the property and turned it into a thriving plantation, where fields of cotton swayed under the Georgia sun.The DuBignons grew Sea Island cotton, a sought-after variety with fibers as long and smooth as a ribbon in the breeze.They tended a mix of crops and livestock-ripe melons in the fields, goats bleating in the pasture-and helped drive the island’s economy forward.The DuBignon family lived in the house for decades, and their memory lingers in the nearby DuBignon Cemetery, where weathered stones mark the graves of relatives and other early settlers.This cemetery holds a vital piece of history, offering a glimpse into how the island’s colonial residents lived and died-weathered headstones still whisper their names.Since 1971, the Horton House has held a place on the National Register of Historic Places, honored for its cultural roots, storied past, and weathered tabby walls.The Jekyll Island Authority runs the site, keeping the weathered ruins safe while making sure visitors can still walk among them.Preserving the house and cemetery brings Georgia’s colonial coast to life, offering visitors and scholars a chance to step into its past and learn from the stories etched in weathered stone and timber.Visitors to Horton House can wander the grounds at their own pace, sunlight warming the old tabby walls, and it won’t cost a dime.It’s easy to get to, and there’s free parking just a few steps from the door.Though the building stands in ruins, signs along the path walk visitors through its story, pointing out how it was built, the history behind it, and why it still matters.Beneath the sprawling live oaks and the salt-scented tangle of coastal plants, the quiet setting draws you in, linking you straight to Georgia’s colonial past.Next to it, DuBignon Cemetery quietly calls you to think about the early settlers-their lives, their struggles, and the mark they left behind.The Horton House sits just minutes from Driftwood Beach and the Jekyll Island Campground, so visitors can easily weave it into a day spent exploring the island’s sandy paths and quiet shoreline.The Horton House stands as a cornerstone of Jekyll Island’s history, its weathered tabby walls catching the late afternoon light.It’s one of the few remaining examples of 18th‑century colonial architecture built with tabby concrete, a weathered shell‑and‑lime mix that speaks to the settlers’ grit and skill in shaping homes to fit their rugged surroundings.From Major William Horton laying the colony’s first stones to the DuBignon family tending rows of cotton under the hot Georgia sun, the house’s story captures the heart of the state’s colonial and plantation-era past.Today, the site welcomes visitors into a quiet, thoughtful space where they can trace Georgia’s coastal beginnings and feel the lasting presence of its first settlers, like the faint echo of footsteps along a weathered boardwalk.Preserving it as a historic landmark keeps this important piece of American history open to future generations, letting them walk the same worn steps and feel its past underfoot.
