BRUNSWICK, GA #2

Back From The Water

Jekyll Island is a place of dowagers. That's the way these wonderful old turn-of-the-century buildings strike me - stately and very much in possession of their aging faculties. The Jekyll Island Club was once the winter playground of the very rich. The original clubhouse above was built in 1888 and is still in use as a hotel.

As part of the Jekyll Island Club Historical District there are a number of preserved "cottages." This is Moss Cottage built by a founder of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea company, more commonly known as A & P. As the original founders died off, the cost of maintaining these palaces often became too much to bear for the heirs. 

Another "cottage" is Indian Mound, built by one of the Rockefellers. Many of the remaining original resident's heirs abandoned the area from the lingering effects of the Depression and suffered further when the US Government closed the area due to the threat of bombardment. The Historic District has just spent over a quarter million dollars restoring this 24 room mansion. Proceeds come from tours and donations.

As its name suggests Faith Chapel serves all faiths. For many years during WW II most of the mansions and cottages sat empty. Most homes lost furnishings and decor. This church has two stunning stained glass windows that were left, despite other parts of the church being ransacked. How high were the high fliers that formed the Club and built their own cottages? Many of the winter residents came together (in secret, natch) to create today's Federal Reserve System. 

Not all of the structures have been renovated. This Italianate tabby concrete house remains untouched. After the abandonment that the war years brought, the State of Georgia attempted to run the Club as a public resort but failed. Though the Radisson chain brought new life back into the Clubhouse in the mid 1980s, the Jekyll Island Club now is operated as a historical landmark.

Another bit of history from the heyday of the Jeckyll Island Club was the placement of the first Transcontinental Telephone call. It was actually a three legged call between Alexander Graham Bell in San Francisco, Thomas Watson in New York City and the head of A T & T, Theodore Vail, on Jekyll Island.

The grounds are a showplace for flora too. Though commonly misnamed as a palm tree, this is a Sago Cycad. The red seeds peeking out from the center denote that this is a female plant. They are extremely toxic.