Sleep Inn

Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation House

by grandmaR

We walked 0.3 of a mile through a plantation of live oaks draped with Spanish moss, to a house which wasn't much different from our own house in Leonardtown (photo 2 and 5) and around to the front porch to wait for the tour.

Apparently William Brailsford of Charleston had a rice plantation here on the Altamaha River before the Civil War. The property was originally named Broadface, but Brailsford and his SIL James Troup renamed it Broadfield. Brailsford's granddaughter Ophelia Troup and her husband George Dent added the Hofwyl part of the name after the Swiss school that George attended.

During the Civil War most of the plantation was destroyed and the Dents moved into the farm manager's 1850's house. In 1903, James decided that mosquitoes were responsible for malaria and so he screened all the windows and doors and even the chimneys and was able to remain at Hofwyl-Broadfield throughout the summer without anyone getting malaria.

There was a particularly interesting four poster bed with rice carved on the bedpost, and in the parlor was a "Charleston secretary" (photo 3). After the tour walked back the way we came, rather than take the 0.7 mile route over by the marshes and former rice fields. On the way back we noticed shallow holes which appeared to have been dug at random in the ground, and we asked a ranger. She said it was wild pigs.

We looked at the museum with a repousse pitcher made by Samuel Kirk and Sons (top picture), and then watched the movie (photos 3 and 4), and I bought post cards of the Rice bed and Charleston secretary, and we left about 2:15.

Admission: $2.50-$5
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9AM-5PM; Sunday 2-5:30PM; Last main house tour at 4PM Tuesday-Saturday, 4:30PM Sunday. Gate locked at closing. Closed Monday (except holidays), Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Closed Tuesday when open Monday.

Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site
5556 U.S. Hwy 17 N.
Brunswick , GA 31525

Located between Brunswick and Darien on U.S. Hwy. 17, 1 mile east of I-95 exit #42.