Discovering the Rich Legacy of Kingsley Plantation

Kingsley Plantation on Florida’s northeast Atlantic coast lays claim to being one of Florida’s oldest surviving plantations. Not to be confused with Kingsley House in New Orleans, Kingsley Plantation encompasses 60 acres with a hiking trail, Kingsley Mansion, a separate 1920s two-story building, the barn, garden, and slave quarters.

The former plantation, now managed by the National Park Service, welcomes visitors most days though the mansion house is closed to the public except by tour on weekends. It’s one of several national park properties in Northeast Florida. Kingsley Plantation is named for Zephaniah Kingsley, a slave trader and merchant who owned the plantation and lived there for 25 years.

Wander Florida is fully reader-supported. For that reason, this article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This revenue helps keep Wander Florida free and updated. I only recommend products or services that I would use myself. Read the full disclosure here.

We started our day trip to Kingsley Plantation 260 miles away where we live in the small town of Dunedin, Florida, in the Tampa Bay area. The plantation was the first stop of many on a long weekend road trip to Amelia Island. I was excited to learn more about Amelia Island history and see all of the interesting sites on and near the island, including Kingsley Plantation. 

In Florida, summer often means rain storms. The Friday we left Dunedin was no different. Though the day dawned bright and clear on the Gulf coast, we picked up the rain somewhere near Orlando and watched it on the radar (and through the car windows) as the nasty, little storm followed us through Orlando, across I-4, and onto I-95.

I was not amused to be caught in the rain, morning rush hour traffic, and Orlando’s never-ending construction chaos. The rain continued the rest of the day, the product of a tropical wave hanging out over the Bahamas and dumping intermittent rain on Florida’s east coast.

Fabulous.

Not to be deterred from a great weekend, we made the best of a soggy day.

Kingsley Plantation Location

Kingsley Plantation lies south of Amelia Island on Fort George Island in the Jacksonville area. The mansion faces Fort George River and is accessible by boat or car. Boaters access the plantation through a marked channel coming in from the Atlantic and a new dock located down a short path from the mansion and visitor center. 

By car, you access the plantation one of two ways. We followed the GPS up Hercksher Road and turned right onto a road that wound briefly past homes on one side and marsh on the other.

At a fork in the road, signage pointed us towards a dirt road to the left. We paused, read the other signs, and went right to see the historic Episcopal church first. A partially paved road narrowed, with homes on the left and the open expanse of marsh to the right. In the distance we could see a bridge for Hercksher Road crossing Fort George River, the road leading north to A1A and Amelia Island.

We viewed the church from the car, the rain softening the bright white of the church’s walls. An historical plaque gave a brief history of the church. I snapped a few photos while the teen buried himself in his YouTube videos, then turned around in the church’s driveway, and returned to the fork in the road.

The road to the left narrowed considerably, marsh on left side and homes on the right, the road dirt. Eventually this gave way to wooded land on both sides. Still dirt, and now heavily potted, the road led straight between planted palms that lined both sides of it, clearly the grand entrance way at one time. We continued for several minutes, almost 20, unable to drive faster than 10 mph because of the condition of the road, likely from continued rainfall.

History of Kingsley Plantation

In 1797-1798, John McQueen, Jr. (Don Juan McQueen) developed the north end of Fort George Island as his plantation. On the very northern point, he built the mansion of wood and tabby, an oyster shell concrete which was fire resistant and durable. The building used Atlantic breezes to stay cool with large windows in all the rooms. The rooms could only be accessed from outside porches or steps. The mansion at Kingsley Plantation is the oldest plantation house still standing in Florida. In a letter dated March 11, 1798, John McQueen wrote to Eliza Anne McQueen:

“The house at the North end will be in the course of a month a very comfortable habitation, and in any other country a handsome situation, you will come and see it shortly I suppose…”

John McQueen faced bankruptcy in the early 1800s and lost the plantation to John McIntosh. Like McQueen before him, McIntosh grew sea island cotton as the main crop. Small boats transferred cargo, supplies, and people between the dock in front of the house and larger ships waiting near the mouth of the Fort George River. 

In 1814, Zephaniah Kingsley leased the plantation from McIntosh and purchased it in 1817. Zephaniah owned several plantations around the St Johns River, eventually totaling 32,000 acres. He charged the running of Kingsley Plantation and Laurel Grove (near present-day Orange Park) to his primary wife, Anna Kingsley. 

 Anna Kingsley

Anna’s story is the one that really stands out among all the stories at Kingsley Plantation. Anta Madjiguène Ndiaye was born in Africa in 1793, a lingéer, or princess, in the Jolof Kingdom. As the daughter of the ruler, Anta was familiar with slavery (her father owned enslaved captives). She was also accustomed to certain liberties extended to women in her kingdom. Jolof women owned slaves, managed businesses, and lived separate from their husbands in polygamous marriages. These traditions served to prepare Anta for life in America.

In 1806, Anta was captured and sold into slavery. Her captors transported her to Cuba where Zephaniah Kingsley purchased her. She was 13 years old. Zephaniah soon married her and put her in charge of his plantation at Laurel Grove. She bore him three children by the time she turned 18 in 1811. That year, Zephaniah freed her, stating:

“Let it be known that I … possessed as a slave a black woman called Anna, around eighteen years of age, bought as a bozal [newly imported African] in the port of Havana from a slave cargo, who with the permission of the government was introduced here; the said black woman has given birth to three mulatto children: George, about 3 years 9 months, Martha, 20 months old, an Mary, one month old. And regarding the good qualities shown by the said black woman, the nicety and fidelity which she has shown me, and for other reasons, I have resolved to set her free … and the same to her three children.”

Anna and Zephaniah’s fourth child was born in 1814 on Fort George Island, a free child as the son of a free black mother. Though they had a polygamous marriage, Zephaniah considered Anna to be his primary wife.

At that time, Spanish Florida had a three caste society – whites, free blacks, and enslaved blacks. Free blacks enjoyed the same freedoms as whites, and interracial marriages were not unusual. As a freed slave, Anna could manage Zephaniah’s plantations when he was away, and she could also own plantations and slaves herself. She amassed her own properties, totally more than 1000 acres. 

At Kingsley Plantation, Anna lived above the kitchen where it was easier to oversee the domestic operations and slaves. In all, Anna was in charge of approximately 60 slaves. The plantation operated on the task system. Under this system, an enslaved laborer performed a specified amount of work. Once that work was completed, he or she could do what they pleased for the rest of the day. Many laborers on Kingsley Plantation also kept their own crops and were permitted to hunt or fish. Zephaniah’s nephew, Kingsley Beatty Gibbs described:

“October 5, 1841—No work was done today, as all the people have it to gather their own crop—It is a rule which we have, to give all the negroes one day in the spring to plant, and one day in the fall to reap, and as there is a rule on Sea Island plantations fixing the tasks required each day to be done, it occurs, during the long days of summer, that the hand is generally done his task by 2 p.m., often sooner, so they have abundance of time to work their own crop, fish, etc., etc.”

When Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1821, laws changed for all blacks in Florida. Zephaniah held strong convictions about slavery and wrote a treatise on the subject in 1828. Widely considered a man of complex paradoxes, he remained proud of his accomplishments as a slaveholder yet dedicated to his multiracial family. In his treatise, he predicted that

“…our laws to regulate slaves are entirely founded on terror… The idea of slavery, when associated with cruelty and injustice, is revolting to every philanthropic mind; our legislators … have … substantiated by law a dangerous and inconvenient antipathy, which can have no better foundation than prejudice.”

A year later, deeply troubled by the direction of laws in the United States and their threat to his family, Zephaniah purchased a plantation in Haiti and move Anna and their sons there. Their daughters had married white planters by that time and remained in Florida. Zephaniah sold Kingsley Plantation to his nephew who would run the plantation until the Civil War. 

Post-Civil War Period at Kingsley Plantation

Kingsley Plantation was mostly abandoned during the Civil War. After the War, the Freedmens Bureau managed the plantation and allowed many former slaves to live there. The Rollins family purchased the plantation in 1869; some of the former slaves stayed to work for the Rollins’. The new owners soon faced challenges with agriculture and their finances. They built a luxury hotel which burned down in 1888. The last Rollins descendent to live at Kingsley sold the plantation to investors in 1923.

The investors developed the plantation into the Fort George Club. A clubhouse – now the visitor center – was built near the mansion. On another part of the island, the investors established the Ribault Club for the wealthy, much like a “millionaire” club. Florida acquired Fort George Island in 1955 and established the site as a park, later transferring it to the National Park Service.

Activities and Amenities at Kingsley Plantation

Palmetto Avenue stretches 2.2 miles to Kingsley Plantation at the end. Visitors to the park enter through a gate flanked by a half circle of slave cabins. A parking lot near the barn provides a shady place to leave the car while you explore the grounds. Twenty five slave cabins remain. There is also a barn with an extensive display within, the kitchen with displays in two rooms, the visitor center (former clubhouse), and dock. The main house is open only by reserved tour on the weekend. 

Hiking at Kingsley Plantation

The visitor center houses a gift shop and restrooms. Picnic tables under nearby trees encourage families to sit and eat lunch while gazing out at the Fort George River. At the visitor center, you can also reserve a plantation house tour or check-out the audio tour for the grounds. The audio tour lasts about an hour and is slightly less than a mile in length.

Not on the plantation grounds but still worth mentioning is the nearby Saturiwa Trail which starts at the Ribault Club. This trail can be seen by car, bike, or on foot. Check out the audio CD which discusses buildings and habitats that once existed at various stops. This trail is about 3 miles and lasts about an hour if doing it by car.

Kingsley Plantation Weddings

Kingsley Plantation and The Ribault Club both hold weddings. The plantation does not allow receptions but the service can be held between the plantation house and waterfront. The Ribault Club offers full wedding services.

Kingsley Plantation Events

Several special events are held at Kingsley Plantation each year.

Harvest Day – October 

Living history demonstrations mark the end of the growing season every October. Learn how to make tabby, spin cotton, churn butter, and do other chores around the plantation.

Kingsley Heritage Celebration – March

A celebration of the heritage that survived (and thrived?) at Kingsley Plantation. Learn how to cook period dishes, churn butter, and spin cotton at living demonstration work stations. Storytellers and interpretive dance theater transport visitors back in time.

Final Thoughts on Kingsley Plantation

Kingsley Plantation is a beautiful National Park filled with history. The plantation, as the oldest plantation house in Florida, provides a unique glimpse into history and architecture. The buildings’ special construction – tabby – enabled them to endure the trials of time and show us how enslaved laborers lived day to day. Additionally, Zephaniah and Anna Kingsley’s amazing lives help us understand how plantations operated and show how slave could also be honored wife and shrewd slaveholder. Kingsley Plantation presents a great opportunity to learn more about our history, as a people, a state, and a nation. 

Let’s Connect!

Follow me on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. And if you’re looking for a great community for sharing travel tips, discounts, secret spots, and hidden gems, go join my Facebook group, Florida Travel Tips & Secret Spots.

Travel Resources:

These are the places I first go when planning or booking travel. They ARE affiliate links so if you use one I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) and (bonus!) it’ll help me keep running this site. Visit my travel resources page to see all of the services and gear I recommend.

Flights: We always check flight prices and information on Way Away first.

Hotels: We use Expedia to compare and book hotels. We also love Booking.com for boutique hotels and B&Bs.

Vacation Rentals: For vacation rentals and other non-traditional lodging options, VRBO is our go-to.

Tours & Tickets: We use Viator for private tours and unique experiences.

Rental Cars: Though we prefer to experience a city through its public transportation, there are times when a rental car is needed and in those instances, we use Discover Cars.

Travel Insurance: No one wants to need it, but it’s great to have when you do. VisitorsCoverage is our go-to provider.