Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site

This beautiful plantation represents the history and culture of Georgia’s rice coast. In the early 1800s, using enslaved African laborers, William Brailsford of Charleston carved a rice plantation from marshes along the Altamaha River.

While many factors made rice cultivation increasingly difficult in the years after the Civil War, the family continued to grow rice until 1913. The enterprising siblings of the fifth generation at Hofwyl-Broadfield resolved to start a dairy rather than sell their family home. The efforts of Gratz, Miriam and Ophelia Dent led to the preservation of their family legacy. Ophelia was the last heir to the rich traditions of her ancestors, and she left the plantation to the state of Georgia in 1973.

Featured Birds

Barred Owl

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Brown Thrasher

Hooded Merganser

Little Blue Heron

Wood Duck

Wood Stork

A brief film on the plantation’s history is shown at the Visitor Center before visitors walk a short trail to the antebellum home. A guided tour allows visitors to see the home. 

The site also includes a nature trail that leads back to the Visitor Center along the edge of the marsh where rice once flourished. Iconic birds found onsite include: Hooded Merganser, Common Yellowthroat, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue Jay, Pied-billed Grebe, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Parula, Eastern Bluebird, and Little Blue Heron.