Historic Site
(912) 264-7333
This beautiful plantation represents the history and culture of Georgia's rice coast. In the early 1800s, William Brailsford of Charleston carved a rice plantation from marshes along the Altamaha River. The plantation and its inhabitants were part of the genteel low country society that developed during the antebellum period. While many factors made rice cultivation increasingly difficult in the years after the Civil War, the family continued to grow rice until 1913.
The enterprising siblings of the fifth generation at Hofwyl-Broadfield resolved to start a dairy rather than sell their family home. The efforts of Gratz, Miriam and Ophelia Dent led to the preservation of their family legacy. Ophelia was the last heir to the rich traditions of her ancestors, and she left the plantation to the state of Georgia in 1973.
A museum features silver from the family collection and a model of Hofwyl-Broadfield during its heyday. A brief film on the plantation's history is shown before visitors walk a short trail to the antebellum home. A guided tour allows visitors to see the home as Ophelia kept it with family heirlooms, 18th and 19th century furniture and Cantonese china. As one of the Colonial Coast Birding Trail sites, Hofwyl-Broadfield offers a nature trail that leads back to the Visitors Center along the edge of the marsh where rice once flourished.
Teacher's Resource for Touring Historic Sites
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.
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Note: Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site has no reservable facilities.
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Admission: $2.50-$5
Group rates available with advance notice.
FACILITIES:
Guided House Tour
Museum and Film
Gift Shop
Nature Trail
Picnic Area
Bus Parking
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS:
Brunswick & The Golden Isles
Crooked River State Park (camping/cottages)
Fort King George State Historic Site
Sapelo Island Visitor Center
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