Old Town Plantation

The area now called Old Town Plantation is shown on maps dating to the early 18th century. It was called Ogeechee Old Town because of the ancient Creek Indian town that Carolina traders visited before Georgia was founded in 1733. George Galphin of South Carolina received a royal grant of 1,400 acres here in 1767 and established an Indian trading post, cow pens and plantation called Old Town. Under the Galphin, Forsyth and Fitzsimons families the plantation grew to 5,000 acres. The extensive plantation complex was destroyed during Sherman's March to the Sea in 1864. The land was jointly owned by Linton Stephens and W.W. Simpson from 1860-1876 when they sold it to W.D. Grant. He farmed the plantation with convict labor under the notorious Convict Lease System. In 1895, H.M. Comer, President of the Central of Georgia R.R., bought the plantation. The extant buildings including two main residences, 25 outbuildings and a grist mill were built by the Comers between 1895 and 1910.