Screven: Nature and History in Georgia

Screven brings together natural areas and traces of history around Sylvania, former settlements, and roads. As you plan your trip, you can explore different perspectives side by side: the landscape along the Savannah River, the region’s history, and places with their own distinct character. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Screven, these topics can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

Nature along the Savannah River

The Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area covers 15,100 acres in Screven County and borders the Savannah River. The Brier Creek Battlefield also lies mostly within the protected area. Two distinct perspectives therefore come together in the same place: the landscape and a historic site. Its size can be compared with two other areas: the Hiltonia Wildlife Management Area covers 500 acres, and the Dixon Bay Wildlife Management Area covers 300 acres. Dixon Bay is also characterized by hardwood and pine forests in Georgia’s Coastal Plain region. These acreage figures make the differences in size tangible without suggesting that the areas are alike.

History in Sylvania and the surrounding area

On December 24, 1847, an act of the General Assembly designated Sylvania as the seat of government for Screven County. The spacious, symmetrical town plan, drawn up by surveyor Azariah Enneis, has been preserved. In downtown Sylvania, brick and stone buildings give the town its small-town architectural character from the 1920s and 1930s. The town plan and its buildings tell different chapters of local development: one through the layout of the town, the other through the building style of a later era.

Historic markers also highlight different aspects of the area. A marker about the March to the Sea records that the 17th Corps, with General Sherman and his staff, crossed what is now U.S. 301 near Coopersville on December 4, 1864. The marker for Louisville Road, by contrast, concerns a road built during the colonial era that connected Queensboro with Savannah. The Dell-Goodall House is the only surviving building from old Jacksonboro. These places and markers differ in their dates and associations, spanning a colonial road, the Civil War, and a surviving building from an earlier settlement.

Visitor attractions and local insights

The Sylvania Historic Welcome Center was the first visitor center built in Georgia. Behind the building is a park with ten picnic tables and two barbecue grills. Old Courthouse Park is home to two historic 12-pound Napoleon Civil War cannons. They were donated to the city in 1913 for a commemorative display. The visitor center, park, and cannons each offer a different glimpse of Sylvania: its visitor services, a place with picnic tables and barbecue grills, and the memory of the Civil War.

The Soda Shop Gallery is housed in a renovated historic building in downtown Sylvania and showcases local artwork. The gallery highlights the diverse talents of artists from Screven County. Wade Plantation has a different local connection: it is known for its pecans. The Old Freeman Family Farm received the Centennial Family Farm designation in 1998; before then, it had been owned and operated by the Freeman family for five generations. The farm offers field trips for school groups.

Routes and more to explore

Historic U.S. 301 runs from Sylvania through Statesboro, Claxton, Glennville, Ludowici, Jesup, and Folkston to the Florida border. As it crosses Georgia, it diverges from Interstate 95 rather than running immediately alongside it. Travelers considering a trip along the historic route can view the named towns as different stops along the way; this description outlines the route, not the distance or driving time between the towns.

Other attractions range from technology to motorsports: Robbins Grist Mill is the only water-powered grist mill currently operating in Georgia. Screven Motor Speedway is a 3/8-mile, semi-banked red-clay oval track at the Screven County Motorsports Complex. Professional video and photo packages are available as add-on options at Jump Georgia Skydiving. The Market on Maple Farmers Market takes place every Thursday from May through September. Together with the historic buildings, art, and natural areas, these attractions show how many different themes a trip to Screven can include.

Discover more destinations: Sylvania, Brooks, Chattooga, Washington County, Bryan, Ben Hill County, Fulton, Douglas.

Return to the main travel overview: Georgia.