Glorious Ruins

By Beth Yarbrough

Even the burned-out remains are stunning. This is Dungeness, or what is left of it, on Cumberland Island, Georgia.

Thomas Carnegie and his wife, Lucy, fell in love with Cumberland Island in the late 1800's. Shortly thereafter, Lucy decided it would become their winter home. And, as their bank account was among the largest in the nation at the time, they not only could afford that winter home, they ended up buying almost 90% of the entire island while they were at it.

The house, named Dungeness in honor of the original lodge built on the island in the early 1700's by James Oglethorpe, featured 59 rooms. Surrounded by a cluster of service structures that included stables, carriage houses, and one of the earliest ice houses in the region, Dungeness became Lucy Carnegie's island paradise.

Thomas passed away just before the house was completed, but Lucy, who was in her 40's at the time, spent the rest of her life enjoying the barrier island and building massive houses (though considerably smaller than Dungeness) for her children, most all of which still stand.

Following the Great Depression, Dungeness stood empty. And then one night in 1959, Dungeness met a suspicious end when a fire, largely believed to be the work of an arsonist, destroyed it. What you see here are the remains, which are part of the Historic District on Cumberland, which today is a National Park and Wildlife Refuge.

Now the sole province of herds of wild horses who graze the grounds, Dungeness is slowly returning to the elements. And even though I never met a glorious old house I didn't love, I must say, the elements are quite glorious all by themselves.

If you have never had opportunity to visit Cumberland, make a plan to go - but I highly recommend any time that does not involve the word "summer", "heat index at 110 degrees", or "humidity at 297%".

Photos of Dungeness today by Beth Yarbrough. Photo of Dungeness before the fire source unknown.