<strong>The</strong> Oyster House Story and Photos Michelle L. Morris RichmondhillReflectionsmag.com 13
legacies&<strong>lore</strong> ✴ <strong>beauty</strong> <strong>abounds</strong> <strong>The</strong>re’s something so endearing about an old historical site that still has most or all of the original materials and structure. When visiting places like this, I find myself getting lost in thoughts of what has occurred or what has been seen, felt and experienced right in that exact spot. It’s an unexplainable, nostalgic connection to things of the past. For the same reason, many historical sites are wildly busy tourist destinations all over the world. I’m here to tell you, the nostalgia of the Oyster House at <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ford</strong> <strong>Plantation</strong> is simply no different, and you feel it the moment you step foot on the bridge and make your way to the island where it sits. When I visited recently, I was able to chat with the gentleman who has called the Oyster House his office for the last 8½ years. Mike Womble is a naturalist and works full-time for the members of the <strong>Plantation</strong>. He says, “I’m not a historian...” although he possesses great knowledge of the building and all that surrounds it. We stood inside the Oyster House and I did my best to listen intently to all Mike had to say, while forcing myself not to be distracted by the myriad of items surrounding me. <strong>The</strong>re were cages of venomous snakes, a stuffed wild boar, fishing poles ga<strong>lore</strong>, a bow and arrow bigger than me, a stuffed duck, live snapping turtles, fish, a dried piranha and most certainly enough animal bones, teeth and skulls to fill up the backseat of a small car. Amidst all that adorned the walls, I noticed a small, framed black and white grainy picture of two well-dressed middle-aged men chatting it up. I asked about the image on the wall, and Mike began to fill me in on Henry <strong>Ford</strong>, and much of Henry’s story that was written right where I was standing. <strong>Ford</strong>, like many successful people, was a bit impulsive (or rather decisive) and knew just what he wanted and when he wanted it. <strong>The</strong> Oyster House was built in the 1930s and was completed, from start to finish, in just three short days. <strong>The</strong> urgency was in place only because <strong>Ford</strong> wanted to use the building for a party that was to be held during the upcoming weekend – an oyster roast, to be exact. His friends had often teased him about buying such extensive property in “backwards Georgia,” and in an effort to shrug off the good-hearted mockery, he placed a sign on top of the entry doorway reading, “AIG-ROEG.” Try reading that one again, and if it’s still not clear, read it backwards. Clever man! Evidence of the untampered originality and age of the house was clear to me from the settling cracks and several uneven lines in the construction of the planks. In more than one spot, there was just enough space between the cypress wood planks that sunshine was spilling through. <strong>The</strong> original ventilation holes were visible at the bottom of the entry door, making it clear that there’s no central cooling or heating inside, indicative of that time period. Inside, seeing the two brick ovens filled my imagination with all that must have been prepared in them over the decades. <strong>The</strong> Oyster House has become a place of celebrations and connections for countless weekends since the original construction. <strong>The</strong> members of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ford</strong> <strong>Plantation</strong> (there are about 300 total), along with Mike Womble, place a high priority on preservation of history and nature. “We still use it for its original purpose – oyster roasts,” says Mike. “Homecoming of the members is in October. This year, instead of the oyster roast being at <strong>The</strong> Main House, it will be here at the Oyster House. We also do wild game dinners in the fall and winter. We’ve dug a pit and roasted a hog in the ground under the ashes. <strong>The</strong> chef comes over and cranks up the two ovens inside the Oyster House and we’ll do pot pies, quail breasts and roasted snapper.” Mike is very passionate about his job and his service to the members of the <strong>Plantation</strong>. As the naturalist on the property, he manages everything from alligators to kids’ summer camps and maintaining bluebird boxes around the property. <strong>The</strong>re are so many elements that set <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ford</strong> <strong>Plantation</strong> apart from other similar historical sites and developments, but certainly having a full-time naturalist on staff, serving a group of members who have dedicated half of their property to preservation, is quite incredible! I left feeling more connected to the past and more drawn to the undeniable <strong>beauty</strong> of such a dedicated community of people. It is a peaceful and awe-inspiring place to visit, rich with history and great promise of countless more memories to be made. q 14 Richmond Hill Reflections