Orange Grove

Retreat Plantation St. Simons Island Retreat Plantation

Thomas Spalding, who inherited his father's estate in 1794, built Orange Grove on St. Simons Island, a replica of Oglethorpe's residence of Orange Hall in Fort Frederica. In 1802, Spalding sold the plantation for $10,000 to Major William Page, and relocated to Sapelo Island. The Pages established a productive cotton plantation and became one of the richest families in the South. Page's only daughter, Anna Matilda, married Thomas Butler King, a young lawyer from Massachusetts. Like many other wealthy planters, he spent much of his time on politics, while Anna Matilda continued managing the successful cotton plantation, along with beautiful gardens of roses, specimen trees, rare shrubs, and shell walkways. Many famous guests and statesmen experienced the Page's Southern hospitality, including wildlife artist John James Audubon. (Susan Peterson, http://petersnn.org/petersnn/plantation_history_of_glynn_coun.htm)

Major William Page and the earliest gardens which we still have any record was laid out. A hothouse was built and the remains may still be seen. This was seemingly the only one on the island. A rose bordered path and a cedar walk and a great many bulbs mark the old garden site. (The Garden History of Georgia, pp. 34-43).

Mount reads: "Edward Van Altena."

Historic plate number: "66."

Historic plate caption: "Georgia, Cedar Walk, Retreat, St. Simons."