Illustrated in 1930 by Charleston cartographer Augustine Thomas Smythe Stoney, this map provides a pictorial annotated guide to two scenic drives from Savannah’s urban center to Wormsloe Plantation on Isle of Hope. The early 20th century was marked by the rise in popularity and affordability of the automobile, which created opportunities for many Savannahians to explore beyond their immediate surroundings. Coupled with the expansion of the Good Roads Movement, a new swath of paved concrete roads in Savannah enabled city dwellers and tourists to enjoy a pleasurable drive out to the newly opened Wormsloe Gardens. Stoney’s whimsical map, entitled “How to Get to Wormsloe Near Savannah, Ga.”, was the perfect road map to encourage this adventure.
Minding Stoney’s written instructions to “Follow the ARROWS”, the map provides two illustrated routes to navigate from City Hall in bustling downtown Savannah to Wormsloe in the lush azalea and live oak-filled riverside landscape nine miles away. Opting for the coastal route, one would travel south out of the city before turning east onto Victory Drive, where one might glimpse swimmers enjoying an afternoon at Daffin Park lake. Turning south at the “Concrete Cross Roads” onto Skidaway Road and then a slight shift southeast onto LaRoche Avenue, one would enjoy an enchanting view of the river marshes before turning onto Norwood Avenue for a short drive leading to the Isle of Hope causeway and Wormsloe’s grand arched entranceway. The alternative interior route offered a different, more rural experience. Travelling south on Bull Street and then White Bluff Road, one would pass nearly five miles of trees, fields and an occasional church or house. Upon reaching Montgomery Cross Road, where a filling station, store, and working farmland could be found, one would turn east for the last leg of the journey eventually reaching Skidaway Road leading to the final destination, Wormsloe. Both road adventures would have provided a visual and mental escape from the city, allowing one to take in the sights and smells of the natural landscape captured by the artist’s whimsical roadside vingettes.
A. T. S. Stoney (1894-1949) was an accomplished illustrator, cartographer, surveyor, civil engineer and army officer. He was the son of Samuel Gaillard Stoney, a Charleston businessman and plantation owner, and Louisa Cheves Smythe. He served in the U.S Army in Europe during World War I and returned to military service in 1942 for World War II serving in North Africa. Between his periods of military service, Stoney used his draftsman skills to produce numerous architectural drawings, pictorial maps, and surveys, which included locations scattered throughout South Carolina and Georgia.