Dungeness Audio Tour Stop 5

A rose-lined path leads to the statue of Mercury, which stands just to the south of the Tabby House.

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Quick Facts

Amenities

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

This tabby house is the oldest standing structure on Cumberland Island, being built around 1800 by the Greene-Millers for use as a gardener’s cottage. Tabby is a combination of island resources: sand, water, oyster shell and lime. While the origin of tabby is unknown, it was a common building material during the nineteenth century. Although this is the only building still standing from the Greene-Miller era, the landscape that surrounds you bears many similarities to its early nineteenth century counterpart.

Separated from high society only by geography, both Catharine Greene-Miller and Lucy Carnegie entertained extensively at their Dungeness estates. The carefully manicured landscape provided areas for strolling, games and exercise. Exotic palms, gray olive trees, magnolias, acacia, orange and china trees found in Caty’s gardens were reclaimed by Lucy providing guests in each time frame a beautiful respite from the harsh lines of city landscapes. To the west of the Tabby House, the pergola and the replica of the statue of the Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and financial gain, are two relics of the Carnegie gardens at Dungeness.