a bit of island history

I told you that we visited the Historic District on Jekyll and that I would tell you more about it. So, here's a little history lesson for you.
Jekyll Island is one of only four barrier islands off the coast of Georgia that is accessible by a paved causeway. James Oglethorpe, who founded the Georgia colony, named the island after a dear friend, Sir Joseph Jekyll.
In 1792, Christophe Du Bignon, a frenchman, moved to the island. He and his family had purchased it to build plantations. As the years passed, the land was inherited and divided and purchase until by 1886, John Du Bignon owned the entire island. By this time, productivity of the plantations was down and he devised a plan to sell the island by tracts to wealthy families (for $600 a piece) as a place for recreation. This began the Jekyll Island Club. Families with names like Macy, Vanderbilt, Pulitzer, Rockefeller, Morgan, and Goodyear purchased tracts and spent much time on the island...biking, playing tennis (on the indoor tennis courts built by J.P. Morgan), horseback riding, and swimming. Some built mansions there...and called them cottages! The Great Depression and the beginning of WWII brought the Club era (1888-1942) to a close. In 1947, the state of Georgia, in an effort to to make the island a public recreation area, condemned it and purchase it for $675,000 from the remaining club members. The historic district covers 240 acres and is also called Millionaire Village.

One of the "cottages"!
(oops! I failed to get the name!)

This is the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.
Notice the turreted tower on the left.
This was the clubhouse where
many festive dinners and dances took place
during the club's "hey day"!
Today, on almost any evening,
guests are playing croquet on the front lawn!

This is the back of Crane Cottage.
It has beautiful grounds and is the site for outdoor weddings.

If you look to the left from where I was standing
to take the above picture, you see this.

Indian Mound Cottage...once owned by
the Rockefeller family.

Du Bignon Cottage.

Faith Chapel...another popular place for weddings.

Some of the low hanging branches on the
many live oak trees on the island.

Oleander blooms are abundant!

One of the best things about the island is that nature
is being preserved and development is
being controlled.
By Georgia State Law,
65% of the island has to remain undisturbed.
And for all of us who visit there, THAT is a good thing!