Mulberry Grove Plantation
Encyclopedia
Mulberry Grove Plantation, located north of Port Wentworth, Chatham County
, Savannah, was once a thriving rice plantation, notable for the location where Eli Whitney
invented the cotton gin
.
Once a thriving plantation, comprising, in 1798, some
Mulberry Grove has been left to ruins, surrounded by industrial areas, and all that remains is a bronze marker outlining the history of the plantation.
plantation. By 1740, the plantation was experimenting with planting rice, and upon the introduction of slavery
to Georgia, the mulberry nursery was abandoned and rice production became the main purpose of the plantation.
After the Revolutionary War
, Mulberry Grove was deserted, and on April 13, 1782, the State Legislature passed an act appropriating five thousand guineas to be used in purchasing the estate for General Nathanael Greene
in recognition of his contributions to the war.
President George Washington
visited Mulberry Plantation after Greene’s death, noting in his diary that he,
Eli Whitney
was a guest at the plantation, during which time he constructed the idea of the cotton gin
.
The plantation's prosperity, largely built on slavery, ended with the Civil War
, after which the estate was gradually broken up. A bronze marker, placed in 1938 on the spot where the old avenue joined into the Augusta Road, is all that indicates the location of the historic estate.
Chatham County, Georgia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, Savannah, was once a thriving rice plantation, notable for the location where Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
invented the cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
.
Once a thriving plantation, comprising, in 1798, some
... 500 acres of river swamp, under good dams and well drained; and 200 acres of upland, in good order for cotton or provisions. The remaining part of the tract, which contains in the whole more than 2000 acres, consists of oak and hickory, and well timbered pine land. There is a large and complete water machine for cleaning out rice, with barns, overseers houses, and other suitable plantation buildings, well constructed, and in good repair. There is also a convenient and well finished Dwelling House with suitable outbuildings, and an excellent garden, containing a variety of shrubs and trees both for use and ornament.
Mulberry Grove has been left to ruins, surrounded by industrial areas, and all that remains is a bronze marker outlining the history of the plantation.
History
Mulberry Grove was part of the Joseph’s Town settlement, and was constructed to be a silkSilk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
plantation. By 1740, the plantation was experimenting with planting rice, and upon the introduction of slavery
History of slavery in Georgia (U.S. state)
Slavery in Georgia is known to have been practiced by the original or earliest known residents of the future colony and state for centuries prior to European settlement. However, the penal colony, under James Oglethorpe, is known to have been the only British colony to have banned slavery before...
to Georgia, the mulberry nursery was abandoned and rice production became the main purpose of the plantation.
After the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, Mulberry Grove was deserted, and on April 13, 1782, the State Legislature passed an act appropriating five thousand guineas to be used in purchasing the estate for General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
in recognition of his contributions to the war.
President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
visited Mulberry Plantation after Greene’s death, noting in his diary that he,
called upon Mrs. GreenCatherine Littlefield GreeneCatharine Littlefield "Caty" Greene was the wife of American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene, a mother of five, and noted for being a supporter of inventor Eli Whitney.-Early life:...
the Widow of the deceased Genl. Green, (at a place called Mulberry Grove) and asked her how she did, and that on the departing from Savannah for Augusta he had the pleasure of dining at Mulberry Grove the Seat of Mrs. Green…
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
was a guest at the plantation, during which time he constructed the idea of the cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
.
I…struck out a plan of a Machine in my mind which I communicated to Miller (who is agent to the Executors of Genl. Greene and resides in the family, a man of respectability and property) he was pleased with the Plan and said if I would pursue it and try an experiment to see if it would answer, he would be at the whole expense, I should loose nothing but my time, and if I succeeded we would share the profits.
The plantation's prosperity, largely built on slavery, ended with the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, after which the estate was gradually broken up. A bronze marker, placed in 1938 on the spot where the old avenue joined into the Augusta Road, is all that indicates the location of the historic estate.