Hermitage Plantation (Georgia)

Hermitage Plantation was a plantation located around 3 mi east of Savannah, Georgia. In existence between around 1825 and around 1934, it included Savannah's largest brickworks.

The plantation's mansion was built for Scottish architect and builder Henry McAlpin and his wife, Ellen McInnis, of Charleston, South Carolina. McAlpin had purchased the plantation, then around 220 acre in size, from Jean Bérard de Moquet, Marquis de Montalet (who had purchased it from Patrick Mackay). It was run by 65 slaves. During Savannah's colonial period, the land, located between Musgrove Creek and Pipemaker's Creek, was owned by Yamacraw Indians. After the death of Tomochichi in 1741, the Yamacraw Indians left the area. It was claimed by the British Crown in 1750, by which time colonists were already living there.

McAlpin expanded the property to cover 600 acre and increased its number of slaves by over one hundred. He also replaced the original plantation home with a mansion designed by William Jay. Other sources claim it was designed by Charles B. Cluskey. The mansion was located at the end of a long driveway lined on either side by oak trees.

Rice was grown at the plantation, but the Hermitage was mostly an industrial site, with steam-powered saw and planing mills, a rice barrel factory. It also contained Savannah's largest brickworks, which produced more than 60 million bricks. Many of its "Savannah Grey" bricks were used to build Savannah's early homes.

Union Camp Corporation later occupied the plantation site.