Humble-Holzendorf House

This lot's occupants had very different living arrangements, but both were key to the British cause.

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Georgia became a haven for James Oglethorpe’s worthy poor, workers chronically in debt, or unemployed who needed a fresh start in life. When Frederica was established in 1736, British Trustees provided each settler with tools and food to get them started, along with 50 acres of farmland, and a lot in town for a house. Frederica’s first houses were simple huts thatched with palmetto fronds. John Humble, the first occupant of this lot, stayed in his palmetto structure for years. The tabby foundations remaining today are from a later resident, Dr. Holzendorf, a surgeon to the British regiment. He purchased the lot in 1743 and built a tabby house that was likely two stories tall.

Oglethorpe expected settlers to improve their property. In John Humble’s case though, Oglethorpe probably overlooked a certain amount of neglect. Humble was a pilot who navigated ships through the narrow coastal channels, a skill essential to Frederica.