“ ONE OF THE PRESERVE ’ S MANAGEMENT GOALS IS TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR CONSERVATION , AND WE FELT THIS WAS A TECHNIQUE THAT COULD BE APPLICABLE IN OTHER COASTAL AREAS .”
— STEPHANIE KNOX , LAND CONSERVATION MANAGER AT CANNON ’ S POINT PRESERVE
University of Florida archaeologist Dr . Jerry Milanich determined that the first contact between Native Americans and Europeans on St . Simons Island took place at Cannon ’ s Point in 1525 between Spanish sailors and Guadalquini , a Timucuan chief .
By the end of the 16th century , the Spanish had established two missions on St . Simons . A century later , the Spanish abandoned the missions after pirates had burned them and their associated villages .
Built in 1736 , Fort Frederica marked the start of a permanent British presence on the island . Carpenter Daniel Cannon was given a land grant to the peninsula as a reward for helping construct the fort . Among those who lived on St . Simons during that era were Anglican theologians Charles and John Wesley , who would later return to England and found the Methodist movement .
In 1793 , Scotland-born planter John Couper purchased Cannon ’ s Point . While his primary crop was Sea Island cotton , the property came to be called “ Georgia ’ s Experimental Station ” because Couper cultivated a wide variety of other crops from citrus , figs and sugar cane to olives , dates , grapes and even mulberry trees for silk .
Cannon ’ s Point was also the hub of St . Simons social life during this period . Couper hosted a number of celebrated visitors , from famed duelist and U . S . Vice President Aaron Burr to British actress Fanny Kemble and renowned geologist and author Sir Charles Lyell .
The ruins of Couper Plantation House still crown the tip of the peninsula . An observation tower provides a bird ’ s-eye-view of the ruins and Hampton River .
The property passed through several owners including the Taylor brothers , who grazed cattle and hogs at Cannon ’ s Point until the 1960s . In addition to reducing the land-use footprint of previous owners , the brothers lent their name to Taylor ’ s Fish Camp .
The St . Simons Land Trust eventually purchased the entire tract in 2012 , saving Cannon ’ s Point for posterity .
Taylor ’ s Fish Camp is the starting point for most visits . It features the Georgia-Pacific Education Pavilion , where visitors can learn about the preserve ’ s natural and cultural resources , view educational posters , chat with trained docents and begin their self-exploration of Cannon ’ s Point .
Cannon ’ s Point Preserve is open Saturday - Monday , 9 a . m . to 3 p . m . Admission is free .
At the south edge of Cannon ’ s Point is one of eight thriving shorelines located in the state of Georgia .
Guests can enjoy a bike ride through the Preserve .
FALL / WINTER 2022 / 23 | SEA ISLAND LIFE 31