Early colonists built Fort Boykin by hand, and soldiers were stationed there from 1623 to 1862. Herbert T. Greer and his wife, Mary E. Greer, purchased the fort in 1908, preserved its formation, and spent twenty-three years transforming its grounds into lovely gardens. Also associated with the site are Col. Josiah William Jordan and his wife Frances Moseley Dawley Jordan, and William Francis Jordan, who was born on this plantation, and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Johnson Jordan.