A look back at Georgia's historic, scenic Jekyll Island, once a millionaire's paradise

Matt Soergel, Florida Times-Union
·3 min read
In 1983 members of a 4-H club from inland Georgia spread a 60-foot seine on the wide beach at Jekyll Island, a fine place for their class in beachcombing.
In 1983 members of a 4-H club from inland Georgia spread a 60-foot seine on the wide beach at Jekyll Island, a fine place for their class in beachcombing.

For those afflicted by the history bug, the main attraction of Jekyll Island, Ga., are the grand houses of the Jekyll Island Club, which date to the 1880s and are set amidst sprawling giant live oaks on the western side of the island.

Among them are the ornate clubhouse and a series of giant so-called cottages (and an early condo) built by titans such as William Rockefeller, Vincent Astor, William Vanderbilt, Joseph Pulitzer, Marshall Field and J.P. Morgan.

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In January 2008, men and women dressed in white play croquet in front of the Jekyll Island Club, once the winter playground of the truly rich and famous.
In January 2008, men and women dressed in white play croquet in front of the Jekyll Island Club, once the winter playground of the truly rich and famous.

As the Times-Union's inimitable Sandy Strickland wrote in 2018: "Calling them 'cottages' is like referring to Mickey Mouse as a rodent. Mansions is the operative word here. But what boggles the middle-class mind and pocketbook, even more, is that these turn-of-the-century 'cottages' were only winter homes for the rich and renowned.

"This Jekyll Island historic district," Strickland continued, "is sort of a down-South version of Newport Beach, R.I., set among live oaks dressed in moss. On this barrier island 70 miles from Jacksonville, the wealthy hunted boar and pheasants, rode horses, biked, golfed and played croquet and tennis in exclusive privacy."

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More than 500 square dancers, including some from the Satilla Swingers, took to the floor at the Jekyll Island Jamboree in 1972.
More than 500 square dancers, including some from the Satilla Swingers, took to the floor at the Jekyll Island Jamboree in 1972.

You can stay in some of those restored, grand rooms at what's now called the Jekyll Island Club, from which you can see the marshes of Glynn County and croquet players dressed in all white out on the plush croquet court in front (serious stuff, this).

The glory days of the millionaires' retreat faded away until the club closed in 1942 during World War II. The state of Georgia bought the island in 1947 through condemnation proceedings for $650,700, and the old buildings have been constantly renovated over the years.

From 2014: Last students pass through Jekyll 4-H Center until late 2016

There seemed to be a lot of energy at 1989's Beach Music Festival on Jekyll Island. The archived Times-Union photo request that accompanied the story alerted the photographer to what he might expect: "A bunch of buzzed people in shorts doing the shag on the beach." Sounds about right.
There seemed to be a lot of energy at 1989's Beach Music Festival on Jekyll Island. The archived Times-Union photo request that accompanied the story alerted the photographer to what he might expect: "A bunch of buzzed people in shorts doing the shag on the beach." Sounds about right.

Jekyll Island is now a state park, and even though there's no shortage of private homes and hotels, much of it is kept wild. A good way to see it is via bike paths that both circle and crisscross the island (bike rentals are available).

Away from the historic district, much of the rest of the island's accommodations are on the oceanfront, and they're more downhome and decidedly late 20th-century in style. And that seems just fine to the vacationers who flock there.

In 1983 Jan Cook, a counselor at a 4-H camp on Jekyll Island, and 12-year-old Juan Webb from Macon, Ga., return from the beach carrying a seine net. They were part of a beachcombing camp on the island.
In 1983 Jan Cook, a counselor at a 4-H camp on Jekyll Island, and 12-year-old Juan Webb from Macon, Ga., return from the beach carrying a seine net. They were part of a beachcombing camp on the island.

Island highlights include a sea turtle museum and rehabilitation center, a water park and miles of oceanfront, along with festivals (Jekyll likes its festivals) that include a long-running shrimp and grits celebration and a bluegrass event that's almost 50 years old.

The island has also drawn filmmakers. Parts of the Civil War story "Glory" were filmed on the beach, and Robert Redford later came to the island to shoot "The Legend of Bagger Vance" with stars Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron.

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Released in 2000, "Bagger Vance" did not do much to impress the Times-Union's grumpy movie critic (me, in a former life), who groused that it was "utterly square and predictable," while allowing that the filming locations in coastal Georgia (including Jekyll) and South Carolina were as gorgeous on film as they are in real life.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Georgia's Jekyll Island, once a millionaire's paradise, still charms