When visiting St. Simon’s Island, it’s worth taking a short drive over to Jekyll Island. You’ll find miles of unspoiled beaches, bike paths, live oak trees, and zero traffic lights. That’s right – only a little over 25% of the 5,900-acre island is developed under the auspices of the state-run Jekyll Island Authority.  

Jekyll Island served as the private winter playground for the rich and famous during the Gilded Age. Members included JP Morgan, Marshall Field, Joseph Pulitzer, Willie K. Vanderbilt, and more. Here, the Federal Reserve was conceived in a clandestine meeting in 1910 and the first transcontinental phone call was placed in 1915.

Mosaic Jekyll Island Museum

Since our previous visit seven years ago, the state has built Mosaic Jekyll Island Museum in the former stables of the Jekyll Island Beach Club. The lofted space offers visitors a great overview of the island’s history through interactive exhibits. Kids can play with the dollhouse of Horton House, crank the handle of an early 1900s phonograph, and sit inside a 1950s Studebaker. A wall of postcards displays the tourist boom of the 1950s and 1960s, following the construction of the bridge that connected the island to the mainland.

Mosaic doesn’t shy away from more controversial subjects, including slavery and segregation. Shoes worn by enslaved people are on display next to newspaper ads placed by owners offering rewards for information on their runaway slaves. After the Depression and WWII hurt the membership of Jekyll Island Beach Club, the state of Georgia purchased the island. In 1954, a newly built bridge and causeway made the island accessible to the general public. However, African Americans could only visit the newly created St. Andrews Beach on Jekyll, not the motels, golf courses, or other popular attractions.

To see the historic Jekyll Island Beach Club, purchase tickets in the museum for the Landmark Trolley Tour, which runs every hour. Other historic area tour options include sunset, bike, ghost, and even a private tour aboard a 1930s Ford Model T.

Landmark Trolley Tour

The one-hour, guided trolley tour is the best way to see the Jekyll Historic District. It includes admission to the Faith Chapel and Hollybourne Cottage. Our tour guide gave us a detailed history as we drove past the winter homes or “cottages” of the elite.

During the 1800s, the DuBignon family owned Jekyll Island. Near the end of the century, John Eugene DuBignon, and his brother-in-law, Newton Finney, wanted to turn the island into a hunting club. They came up with the idea of selling exclusive memberships to the New York elite. In 1886, the Jekyll Island Beach Club was incorporated with 53 members. During the early 1900s, the invitation-only membership represented 16% of the world’s wealth! 

Our trolley passed by DuBignon Cottage, built in 1884. After selling the land and his stake in Jekyll Island, DuBignon moved to nearby Brunswick. The Victorian Stick-style house then served as the Superintendent’s House during the season, which lasted from December to early April.

Cottages on Jekyll

In 1888, the 60-room turreted Clubhouse (pictured at the beginning of this post) opened for members to stay. With dining facilities and a billiards room, the Clubhouse became the center of activity. However, William Rockefeller, JP Morgan, and others built San Souci, a six-unit building in 1896. Some consider it one of the first condominiums in the country.

Other families wanted even more space, so they built “cottages” on the property. William Struthers, Jr., owner of a large Philadelphia marble company, built Moss Cottage in 1896. The Adirondack-style, dark-green house was the first on the island to be wired for electricity.

William Rockefeller purchased Indian Mounds Cottage in 1905 after the death of the owner, George McKay. Other cottage owners included Henry Kirk Porter (Mistletoe Cottage), Edwin Gould (Chichota), and Frederic Baker (Solterra).

While large, the cottages weren’t meant to outdo each other. However, Richard Teller Crane, Jr., of Crane Plumbing pushed those boundaries. Much to the chagrin of other members, Crane built the largest and most expensive cottage at a cost of $100,000 ($2.4 million today) in 1919.

Hollybourne Cottage

Our tour guide stopped the trolley in front of an imposing, tabby-constructed cottage with dark red shutters called Hollybourne. Charles Maurice, a prominent iron bridge builder, built the nine-bedroom cottage in 1890 for his wife Charlotte and eight children.

As we stepped into the large foyer of the 12,000-square-foot house, our guide explained that Maurice wanted an open-concept house, something unheard of at the time. When architects insisted he needed load-bearing walls, Maurice proved them wrong. He built his cottage using piers and wooden trusses to support the ceilings, much like a bridge. Though the house suffered extensive deterioration over the past decades, experts believe this truss system and the house’s exterior tabby material helped preserve the outer structure.

The exhibits inside focus on the home’s building techniques. Some rooms are left empty to appreciate the architectural details. To the left of the large foyer, the dining room shows visitors what lies beneath the walls and ceilings – things preservationists discovered during restoration.

Displays and pictures detail life for the Maurice family during the season. For example, from January to March 1906, Charlotte Maurice hosted 22 seven-course dinner parties, 18 afternoon teas, and four luncheons. All supplies and food items arrived via ferry from Brunswick. Long-term staff included Charlie Hill, serving as caretaker, coachman, and chauffeur, alongside his wife Angie, who laundered the clothes and prepared the house for arrival.  

Faith Chapel

Although the trolley drove past Christ Church, the tour didn’t make a stop. Instead, our guide encouraged us to visit on our own time. Self-guided tours only take a few minutes and are included in the trolley ticket.

Constructed in 1904, the nondenominational chapel features cypress shingles and two stained glass windows. The Stickney Memorial Window, which hangs above the altar, was designed by Maitland and Helen Armstrong in 1905. After the death of Jekyll member and president of Singer Sewing Machine Co, Frederick Bourne, the board commissioned Louis Comfort Tiffany to design the Bourne Memorial Window in 1921.

If you don’t take a trolley tour of Jekyll, you can still enter Faith Chapel. Just pay $5 at the door. A docent will answer any questions and point out the stained-glass windows. 

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Before heading back to Saint Simons, we briefly toured the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. I had heard about this place for years and always wanted to visit. Because the center was closing in the next hour, the volunteer suggested we bypass the interior exhibits and head directly to the adjacent building housing the hospital area. 

Big circular tanks sat on both sides of the walkway, and wooden steps let us peer over the fence to see the turtles up close. Several tanks had mirrors above so we could see more activity. A staff member fed one of the rare Kemp’s Ridley turtles while answering questions about its background and injuries. To date, the center has saved over 750 sea turtles.

Back in the main building, exhibits covered sea turtle facts, including nesting habits and conservation efforts. everything from nesting habits to dangers facing sea turtles. In the gift shop, a replica skeleton of the prehistoric Archelon sea turtle hangs above.

Horton House Historic Site

At this point, we left the historic area and drove north on Riverview Drive. Bicyclists enjoyed the scenic paths adjacent to the road, wending between the oak trees. Without any notice, the ruins of Horton House appeared on the right-hand side.

Now it’s time for a brief pre-Jekyll Island Beach Club history lesson. The Guale Indians inhabited the island well before General James Oglethorpe arrived in 1733. Around 1736, Oglethorpe’s right-hand man, Major William Horton, established a 500-acre plantation on the north end of the island and operated the state’s first brewery. He grew crops and shared them with those at Fort Frederica on St. Simon’s Island until his death in 1748. Built out of tabby, Horton House replaced the original house destroyed by the Spanish in 1742.

Frenchman Christophe Poulain DuBignon came to Jekyll via Sapelo Island in 1791. He purchased the plantation to grow Sea Island cotton and moved into Horton House. By 1800, the DuBignon family owned the entire island, holding it for several generations until its sale to the hunting club. After wandering around the structure, visitors can see the DuBignon family cemetery across the street.

Driftwood Beach

Our final stop was to see Driftwood Beach. True to its name, the beach is filled with tons of fallen weathered trees and provides a quiet retreat from Jekyll’s other beaches.

Once a maritime forest, Driftwood Beach lies on the northwest side of the island. Visit during low tide so you can walk around the trees and even climb on some of the branches.

Conclusion

Jekyll Island remains one of Georgia’s most beautiful barrier islands. While we visited for only a few hours, many spend days and weeks here. Fees to visit are $10 for cars ($15 for oversize vehicles) collected before crossing the three-spanned Sidney Lanier Bridge. A guest information center at the base of the bridge provides maps, brochures, and restrooms.

Touring Mosaic and the Historic District is a must on Jekyll Island. For hours and information about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click here. If staying on the island longer, visit Jekyll.com for restaurants, accommodations, beaches, and other island activities.