Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens

In 1919 Barbour Lathrop, a friend of Fairchild, purchased the site from Mrs. Miller for $5,430 and leased it to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for $1.

Noted plant explorer Frank Meyer, David Bisset and Alfonso McClure were vital players in the development of the facility as a federally funded plant-introduction station throughout the mid-20th century.

Impressive specimen trees also cast shade across the property, including China fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Japanese evergreen oak (Castanopsis delavayi), lord's holly (Ilex rotunda), Oliver maple (Acer oliverianum), Chinese pistachio (Pistacia chinensis), and live oak (Quercus virginiana).

In 2013, a Mediterranean-style garden was completed in the area by the Bridal Cottage and Conference Center, historically the original entrance to the property when it was a USDA plant-introduction station.

Such items included mulberry leaves for silkworms, as well as grapes, pomegranates, stone fruits, cotton, sesame, hops, and sour oranges.