Jekyll Island, Georgia

Playing Croquet at Jekyll Island Clubhouse

Jekyll Island currently is a Georgia State Park, but it is filled with history. After being the site of a plantation for about a century, it was sold to the Jekyll Island Club in 1886, consisting of many East Coast millionaires like Goodyear, J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer and the Rockefellers. They turned the island into a beach family getaway and hunting preserve. Their large clubhouse and many of their cottages are preserved today in the State Park. Two important historical events also occurred here. In 1910, a secret meeting occurred here that eventually led to the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank and in 1915, the president of AT&T participated in the first transcontinental telephone call, with the Woodrow Wilson in Washington, Alexander Bell in N.Y. and Dr. Watson in San Francisco. We learned this and other things in the historical museum (which was a little disjointed in its presentation) and then wandered some of the grounds to see a few of the cottages: the Goodyear Cottage, Mistletoe Cottage, and then Rockefeller’s Indian Mound Cottage. We took a tour of the inside of this cottage, where the first Living Room was created (as contrasted with the Parlor Room in most homes of the time, used for presenting the dead). The Living Room was intended as a room for family activities. Because of the fear of fires, each of the bedrooms had an escape door. A flick of a handle removed the door from its hinges, even if the door was locked. 

Island Mound Cottage

We also paid a visit to the Faith Chapel, which had animal carvings on the support beams and two beautiful stained glass windows. One of these windows was a Tiffany Window, one of four still remaining in their original chapels. Our final stop was the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, where we learned how they rescued turtles from around the area. This is a great stop for kids with lots of learning activities. We saw several green and leatherneck turtles, most of which are harmed by propellers when they come up for air. Our campsite tonight is the Savannah Oaks RV Resort. It is large and well shaded, and only 14 miles out of the center of town. Unfortunately, we’ve had little success with their WiFi. 

Tiffany Window at Faith Chapel