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Just as Henry and Clara Ford created a world to their liking and for their leisure, so has The Ford Plantation been created for those who choose to make it their home. It might be their first, second, third, or even fourth home, but home it is, once they immerse themselves in the experience first established three quarters of a century ago.

Leisure can be hard won. To be able to enjoy activities that do nothing more than make one feel good means that significant effort must be made for the time and access needed to enjoy anything "at one's leisure." The environment must be created which fulfills the expectations of those who purchase property and memberships, and it must contain the ambience desired by those who want their leisure to be of the highest order.

Creating this beautifully restored and constructed residential resort sporting community on three bends of the Ogeechee River began centuries ago, was a rice plantation in the 1730s, and progressed remarkably to contain elements of the past and the present. Its remarkablility lies in the full amenities of a preferred lifestyle among those structures, cemeteries, and natural and wooded spaces that have been designated as protected and registered among historic settings.

Had The Ford Plantation been placed in a more industrially desirable location, there is no doubt that the setting would have long ago been spoiled by those who might have established a highly lucrative production endeavor. However, in quiet, unhurried Richmond Hill, after the departure of the Ford dynasty, the 85,000 acres sat virtually undisturbed for almost half a century. The acreage was whittled away over time, but the essence of The Ford Plantation seemed almost unaffected by progress until the early 1980s, when considerable changes were made, most significantly with the addition of a Pete Dye golf course.

The property again laid mostly undisturbed until the developers envisioned establishing The Ford Plantation. Their plan has perfectly melded the historic elements of the property with numerous leisure-activities in a traditional architectural setting. This 1,800-acre property is nothing less than a work of art - one which is set up to maintain its status in perpetuity.

Creating and Recreating

Recreating an atmosphere, a feeling, an ambience, and an environment requires a more delicate touch than does rebuilding a structure. While restoring the Main House on The Ford Plantation was a major accomplishment, the historic details reconstructed there cannot be measured against the creation of the balanced environment that surrounds it.

How does one measure a contribution? If the pursuit of happiness sets all others' concerns to the side, that accomplished pleasure is costly indeed. When ordered living, however, ensures the protection of what it touches, when what it takes does not leave a void, and when those who contribute to another's enjoyment of leisure provide for themselves the satisfaction of their participation, the result can be truly a thing of beauty.

It is the care to produce a thing of beauty without disturbing its surroundings that makes The Ford Plantation a thing apart. It's not just the beautiful setting appreciated and improved by others in the past. It's not just the effort required to preserve the history and environment of the area. It's not just the vision of its developers to create a lovely place for its owners to live but their ability to express that vision to all who touch the plantation in such a fashion that those who come here catch the spirit and spread it throughout the area. It's the do-no-damage, leave-no-mark, cause-no-problem philosophy that must be embraced by everyone if it is to work.

"As the members walk around their property and all of the places set up for their enjoyment, they feel the commitment," explained marketing director Julie Seckinger. "They soon learn that they are as much a part of what preserving this tract is all about, and they become eager to perpetuate it. They have become the stewards of the land. So much so that people who bought property here to 'get away from it all' are leaping into issues all around the area and making their voices heard about conservation and preservation and restoration."

As a residential sporting community, The Ford Plantation first offers privacy to its residents. Being able to enjoy one's leisure in a quiet, private setting produces the freedom to relax.

Those who choose to invest in the plantation are family-oriented people who appreciate a high level of service and amenities but who prefer a relaxed environment. Among other people of like mind, there is no desire to be ostentatious, to compete for attention, or to display excesses which indicate opulence. Once they are established here, they can be just who they are, relaxed in the company of others who are here for the same reasons.

Living at The Ford Plantation provides the kind of freedom so many seek within true privacy. Service without fussiness is what members enjoy. They are as much involved in the issues of society, government, industry, and the environment as any who make themselves aware of what the planet sacrifices for humankind's idea of progress.

The level to which property owners have immersed themselves in The Ford Plantation world has created a surprising development - involvement in the community. Those who came to the area for peace and quiet and to enjoy privacy have come to love and appreciate the area and the concerns of lands beyond the plantation. Many have become involved in preservation and conservation efforts throughout the Coastal Empire, understanding that their enjoyment of nature's splendor within its gates is dependent on how all around them is protected.

It is easy to send bulldozers into a forest and soon have an open field. It is restraint that is difficult. Drawing property lines around ancient oaks and redesigning a floor plan to avoid trees take time and effort and money. It is necessary to protect the entire area covered by the branches from the weight of heavy equipment so that the roots are not stressed. The animal habitats destroyed by clear-cutting cannot be recreated. Landscaping cannot take the place of what Nature's processes can make.

Clear-cutting is often practiced in the first stages of developing a piece of property and takes decades to recover. The balanced ecological system that might have been evolving for decades or even centuries is scraped away to allow for the free movement of large machinery. Installing sewer and water and other utility lines is much easier if there are no obstacles. After property lines are established and curbs and roads are set down, structures are erected in predetermined layouts. After the utilitarian business is accomplished, landscape designers can enter the premises and attempt to create at considerable expense what nature had already provided before it was taken away.

Creating an entire community that is devoted to preserving the environment is the greatest mission mankind can have. The Ford Plantation not only displayed significant restraint in its property designs and layouts, but it has become a model of environmental preservation.

Exceptions to the Rule

If there were any rules in land management, The Ford Plantation would have exceptions to all of them. It might seem unusual for a residential resort such as The Ford Plantation to be a completed community with all amenities in place in such a short period of time after its "groundbreaking" in 1998. While much of what has been incorporated into the plan was transformed from Henry and Clara Ford's estate, the decline and decay of much of the existing property meant that the restoration efforts would entail more work than new construction. That becomes evident when preservation and conservation rank above all other considerations of development.

What surprises many who visit the plantation is the variety of architectural styles represented in the homes, guest houses, carriage houses, and facility buildings. Just as the architectural diversity of historic Savannah represents traditional styles with individuality woven into each structure, each building on the plantation is the result of unique detailing. Even houses that have been built to conform to a neighborhood style within the community, such as can be seen at McAllister Point or in Cherry Hill Village, represent respect for an individual's taste.

The individuality of the property owners has become apparent to those who manage the services. They have learned that there are very few like characteristics of property owners at The Ford Plantation, aside from their having achieved a level of security that allows the enjoyment of the ownership of property at The Ford Plantation. Some are couples who have started a life together and want to plan all of it for a future with children in a place that caters to every age and every kind of enjoyable activity. Others have grown children and even grandchildren, and they want a place to gather with their families that will provide a special environment for every member. And some are in young singles, looking ahead to planning the kind of life and family they want.

The demographics of the members have evolved to a dynamic level of people who seek new ways to learn and to experience what they encounter. It is this dynamic demographic which makes the activities at The Ford Plantation so important. While there is much to do at any given moment, what one chooses to do can be done in a relaxed and attentive manner - unhurried but focused - unpressured but energetic. Because the plantation has all of its amenities in place, choosing interesting activities can involve either prior planning or spontaneity. While celebrating the natural beauty of the land around them, the members of The Ford Plantation can become as involved as they like in the kinds of activities which give them pleasure - those they have mastered and some they have never tried. The Annie Oakley Club was organized by several women who had never handled firearms. After participating in the shooting activities, they became so enthusiastic about their new-found hobby that they formalized their group.

Mike Womble, the club's naturalist, is proud to direct the members to new ways to learn and enjoy being on the property. "There is no more popular activity than our oyster roasts. Everyone becomes so enthusiastic about them, from those who have never eaten an oyster, let alone opened one, to those who have eaten so many that they are happy to just open them for the youngsters or the squeamish. The Naturalist Program exposes club members to the wonders of the natural world and takes them on excursions far afield from the boundaries of the plantation. These programs help those connected with the plantation increase their passion for being stewards of the land. With so many avenues of adventure adjacent to the plantation, members can experience hiking, biking, canoeing, boating, and horseback riding while observing the wonders of the natural world." Amenities at The Ford Plantation also include a day spa, a marina, salt- and fresh-water fishing, sporting clays and upland wing shooting, and, of course, golf.

Lance Silver of Atlanta had no difficulty deciding that The Ford Plantation was where he and his family would want to be as often as possible: "Being here is the highest form of freedom I have ever encountered. Within 48 hours of visiting, my family and I decided to buy property here. The deciding factor was the diversity of activities for everyone. We commute from Atlanta at least two weeks a month because, simply speaking, it's paradise."

The archaeological examination and evaluation of the property prior to its being developed for residential and resort applications contributed much toward its ultimate use and arrangement. Being placed on the National Register of Historic Places brought attention to its value and allowed the developers to substantiate their mission and their commitment with the findings of the study, so that future influences could not adversely affect the totality of what is (and will always be) The Ford Plantation.

Ginger Miles can be reached at (912) 652-0209 or by e-mail at ginger.miles@savannahnow.com. To contact The Ford Plantation, call (912) 756-5666 or visit the website at www.fordplantation.com.