Former Savannah ‘Shrimp Camp’ That Was Turned Into an Idyllic Marsh Front Hideaway Aims To Lure in a New Owner for $1.3 Million

A Savannah property that is packed to the gills with historic significance is attempting to catch itself a new buyer—more than 100 years after it was developed as a marsh front shrimp camp.

Offering more than 11 acres just outside of the thriving Georgia city, the centerpiece of the property is a charming one-bedroom, one-bathroom cypress cottage that spreads across 1,000 square feet and was recently given a dramatic overhaul at the hands of the seller, who picked up the quaint abode in 2024.

Before that, the property, which is aptly known as "Shrimp Camp," had been in the same family since 1925—when it was established—and its recent arrival on the market for $1.29 million marks the first time that it has been publicly listed for sale.

Overlooking Gray’s Creek, which connects to the intracoastal waterway, the cabin, which is listed with Hannah Eyre and Lori Judge of Judge Realty, would be the perfect place for a birdwatcher or animal lovers as marsh birds and river otters come here often.

“This is a little cabin that’s built on a private hamlet surrounded by marshy area on the way out to Tybee Island, in between historic downtown Savannah and the islands,” says Eyre. “You have unmatched privacy out there.”

Anchoring the property is the cypress cabin, which was built in the 1920s and unoccupied for a long time.

“It was an abandoned shell. There was nothing habitable. It didn’t have septic, running water, electrical,” says Judge.

Today, however, that "shell" has been left unrecognizable, after the seller carried out a dramatic renovation that saw the dwelling outfitted with a new roof and a rearranged open floor plan that is filled with natural light, courtesy of the numerous windows.

However, that's not to say that the home doesn't feature plenty of historic elements, including a unique ballast stone "witch's crook” chimney and the original hardwood floors.

“He really modernized the home and brought it to a luxurious livable state,” Eyre says about the seller.

There are two other structures on the property—a reading nook, and a 200-square-foot mother-in-law suite with a porch, bedroom, bath, and bar area—plus an outdoor shed to store tools and other large objects. Throughout, the focus was on maximizing the panoramic salt marsh views.

Both the cabin and mother-in-law suite boast porches overlooking the marsh.

Much like the rest of the property, the reading nook, which was completed only this month, boasts an impressive heritage.

“It was a little shack where they sold bait for fishermen,” says Eyre. “Our seller has renovated that structure to be a cozy little reading nook with a giant window overlooking the marsh.”

Whoever buys this can easily add onto the cabin, as the listing includes an acre of buildable land, although the rest of the property is protected marshland. In fact, the seller intentionally folded in flexibility when redesigning that cabin.

“He made it so that you could continue to build onto the house,” says Eyre. “There’s a lot of potential for shaping it in the way that you would want.”

Also included with the sale are the drawings to construct a 700-foot-long dock with two covered boat lifts.

The region is also a huge draw, with local employers such as the Savannah College of Art & Design, a new Hyundai manufacturing facility, and tourism industry companies.

“Savannah is seeing a lot of growth,” says Eyre. “There’s potential for your (real estate) investments to appreciate.”

That might attract a creative person on the hunt for an inspiring spot.

“We’re thinking that this would be a great second home for someone, a really great retreat from normal life, but it also has a short-term vacation rental certificate,” says Eyre.