Visitors to Kingsley Plantation in Jacksonville FL will see on Fort George Road the unfinished Thomson tabby house, which sits atop the McGundo Midden.
History
It is believed that the house was being constructed in 1854 by Charles Thomson, owner of Fort George Island. However, construction was halted when he died in 1855.
Many planters owned Fort George Island, most famously Zephaniah Kingsley, who built Kingsley Plantation and its tabby slave cabins during 1814-1837. The State of Florida created Fort George Island Cultural State Park in the 1950s, and the island became part of the Timucuan Preserve National Park in the 1990s.
The McGundo Midden can be seen in the woods adjacent to the Thomson tabby house. The piles of oyster shells in the midden would have been used in making the tabby, as was common practice. (For more information visit the Timucuan Preserve website and the Fort George Island Cultural State Park Unit Management Plan.)
Location
GPS: N 30°24.562 and W 81° 25.864
Address: Fort George Rd., Jacksonville FL 32226 (The house is on the side of the road just before the intersection with Palmetto Avenue.)
Accessibility: The house sits on the side of the road and is accessible any time.