Author: Matthew Humphrey

Meet Our Board: Hollis Linginfelter

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Native Georgian Hollis Linginfelter learned about Jekyll Island’s allure long before she was asked to help protect it.

“I’d visited the island a few times…as a child and young adult…before agreeing to serve on the (Jekyll Island Foundation) Board,” she said, “and then, of course, I learned about the great work the JIA and the JIF have done to improve and protect the island from Hank (Linginfelter) when he served on and then chaired the Foundation board .

Assessing the Island through an analytic mind, which serves her well as a Managing Director with Truist Securities, Hollis appreciates the JIA’s measured approach to amenities, which offer a variety of enjoyment options for as many people as possible without stressing the natural habitat.

“I love that Jekyll is a State Park with a defined protection plan, and I think the JIA has done a great job of balancing what people want to experience with what the Island needs to survive,” she said.

She noted the public/private partnerships that have shaped present day Jekyll are unique. “A lot of state parks don’t have the amenities—or the history—that Jekyll Island does. Development has been well thought out and carefully planned so that the island is self-supporting with the resources to promote conservation and preservation.

The history, she said, is one reason she has come to appreciate Jekyll. But what is most near and dear to her heart?  Conservation.   “Stewardship of the environment is so important to me.  So, while I enjoy roaming the historic district imagining what it must have been like in the club’s heyday, my favorite activity is kayaking on the inland waterway.   I want to see if we can find more ways to protect the environment while also ensuring access, particularly to those who have not had the opportunity to know the beauty of the Georgia coast.”

As Hollis looks ahead to her time as chair of the Foundation Board, a critical Island project is on the horizon that will help her do just that.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC), founded in 2007, has been identified by the JIA as an amenity in need of expansion. A world-renowned facility primarily focused on the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles, the GSTC is housed in the former Power Plant building of the Jekyll Island Club. It is a contributing structure in the Jekyll Island Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For over 15 years, the Center has cared for sick and injured turtles (and other animals) while educating Island visitors about cutting edge veterinary procedures and the effects of human contact with wildlife through daily programs, field trips, guided tours and beach walks.

“The Foundation exists to support the JIA, to raise money for (conservation, preservation and education) projects the Authority can’t do on its own,” said Hollis. “This effort to expand and enhance the Turtle Center—as with Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum—will provide a new opportunity to tell Georgians and the world about Jekyll’s impact.”

Hollis hopes the sharing of Jekyll’s story from a different perspective than the Historic District or the Mosaic will make people curious. “People who visit the Island are much more likely to be engaged in protecting it.”

But she acknowledges that engagement needs to be intentional. “The JIA is thinking very hard about how many visitors are optimal during different times of the year for different amenities and activities. It has to be spread out; it has to be a healthy balance.”

She’s excited about the strength of—and strategic direction set by—the Foundation Board and about the mutually beneficial partnerships the Foundation has curated on and off the Island. “We’ve got a great group of people leading the charge who truly want the best for every aspect of Jekyll.”

Meet Our Donors: Dave & Donna Curtis

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

These days, when Dave Curtis steps onto the grounds of the former Jekyll Island Club (JIC), he’s more likely to be dressed in white all the way down to his Crocs…and carrying a mallet.

“From when I was involved in the restoration of the Club in the 1980s (then known as the Jekyll Island Club Hotel) and we put the croquet lawn in, I always thought it would be fun to play,” he smiles, proudly proclaiming himself one of the newest members of the Jekyll Island Croquet Club.

It was the prospect of renovating the historic property into a hotel that drew Leon N. Weiner and Associates (LNWA), the company for which Dave has worked since 1981, to Jekyll Island for the first time.

“It was 1985 and I was helping to put together a group of investors (to fund the renovation),” he said. “It had to be one of the hottest summers ever. I remember being in shorts…meeting people in business suits…and I’m sure they were wondering if they could take ‘this guy’ seriously,” especially given the economic outlook for the Island at that time.

But Donna Curtis immediately knew her husband was on to something special when she first visited the Island to attend the Jekyll Island Club Hotel’s pre-grand re-opening event in 1987. “Jekyll is just such a unique place. People are friendly, you’re surrounded by nature, there’s a variety of activities. We’ve been bringing friends and family to the Island since then and everyone just loves it.”

And now, Donna says, “it’s wonderful to see Jekyll get its due acclaim—the awards, the ‘most popular place to visit’ listings—because with the beaches, the historic district, the Beach Village, the water park, the biking trails…each area and amenity is distinct and has its own personality, so there really is something for everyone.”

Dave admits that when the Jekyll Island Foundation started in 1999, the Hotel didn’t take much notice. “We were passively engaged” through donation dollars attached to room revenue. “But once the Foundation started doing things like the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which does such great work, we got more intentional about our investments.”

That corporate support was underpinned by the success of the Hotel, which was sold in 2021 and currently operates as the Jekyll Island Club Resort. Today the support continues because of subsequent LNWA re/development projects on Island…and off. “We were basically multi-family developers. But now—really because of our work on Jekyll and the best practices learned here—we have a separate company focused on hotels and resorts doing projects here and elsewhere like Delaware, Massachusetts and Georgia.”

Recently, Dave and Donna decided to double down on their family investment in the Golden Isles, moving to St. Simons Island from their long-time homebase of Delaware. “We’ve spent so much time here…had such great times here…it was a natural choice” when thinking about where to retire, said Donna.

And while they lovingly disagree on where the best spot is to watch the sunset—he says the porch of the Club, she says from in front of Crane Cottage—they completely agree that Jekyll is only getting better with age.

In fact, Donna and Dave are energized by the vision of—and are personally invested through the Foundation to support—Jekyll Island’s future. “The [Georgia Sea] Turtle Center was a big accomplishment, a groundbreaking addition to the Island, and now we have Mosaic [Jekyll Island Museum],” he said. “Who knows what’s next?”

That question though, Dave offers, is a bit easier to field today than it was 35 years ago. He appreciates the thoughtful oversight of the Jekyll Island Authority and respects the limit on Island development. “Jekyll will be able to retain the nice balance it has because the Authority is doing a good job of protecting the Island’s economic viability, a reality now that didn’t seem all that possible then.”

Dr. James Clinton Wilkes and the St. Andrews Auditorium

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

In the early 1960s, the Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel, or simply the Dolphin Club, brought hundreds of excited visitors to Jekyll Island’s shores. Nearby St. Andrews Beach had been designated the first public beach in Georgia accessible to black visitors in 1950, and in the preceding decade, the local community had worked to develop a thriving black beach resort. The Dolphin Club filled its rooms and welcomed visitors to an idyllic slice of Georgia’s coastline. It also entertained them: the Lounge was a popular entertainment venue. Under the capable management of James Chandler, the Lounge expanded its repertoire beyond local jazz ensembles and dance bands. In 1961, B.B. King performed at the Dolphin Club Lounge—and other big-name performers like Percy Sledge and Millie Jackson soon followed. The Lounge had joined a chain of venues called the Chitlin’ Circuit, which showcased black performers and catered to black audiences.

As the Lounge continued to expand its reputation, though, the Dolphin Club also began to test the limits of its capacity. In 1960, the complex and Jekyll Island itself received a request from Dr. James Clinton Wilkes, president of the Black Dental Association of Georgia, to hold the Association’s annual convention on Jekyll Island. The island could accommodate the convention-goers at the Dolphin Club but had nowhere to host a group like the Black Dental Association. Dr. Wilkes was prepared for the situation—in fact, the request was ultimately a way to force Jekyll Island to provide an adequate convention space for groups like his. Wilkes used the “separate but equal” principle to argue for the construction of a convention space within the Dolphin Club complex. Jekyll Island quickly constructed the space to hold the convention, named it the St. Andrews Auditorium, and held the convention there later the same year. But the hasty construction project wasn’t the end of the story for the St. Andrews Auditorium or for Dr. Wilkes.

Until his death in 1965, Dr. James Clinton Wilkes continued to advocate for the end of segregation in Brunswick and the Golden Isles. He and his family were featured in a documentary, “The Quiet Conflict,” that highlighted Brunswick’s journey toward desegregation. Dr. Wilkes and his family were notable both for their residence on Jekyll Island and for the birth of their youngest child, the first black child born in the “white section” of Brunswick’s hospital. The St. Andrews Auditorium continued to host larger events like family reunions and dances. In 1964, just before Jekyll Island peacefully desegregated, the St. Andrews Auditorium hosted one of its final and most famous events. Local concert promoter Charlie Cross brought the Auditorium and the Dolphin Club complex its last big-name act: Georgia native Otis Redding.

Although the St. Andrews Auditorium no longer stands, historical markers across the former Dolphin Club site stand in tribute to the building’s history and to the civil rights work of people like Dr. Wilkes. This August, Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum will spearhead an exciting oral history program that hopes to collect memories from across the island’s 75 years as a state park. If you have memories to share from visits to the Dolphin Club, the St. Andrews Auditorium, or the early state era on Jekyll, preserve them as a part of the island’s history! To learn more about sharing your memories for future generations, visit jekyllisland.com/mosaic.

New Features at Chichota Cottage

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

Chichota Cottage is rooted in big ideas. In 1897, David H. King, Jr., unveiled his Jekyll Island getaway, but the new house was far from his first project. King was a well-known contractor whose resume included such high-profile projects as the Washington Arch, Madison Square Garden, and the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. His Italianate villa was the only one-story cottage in the Jekyll Island Club complex, and its courtyard swimming pool was the first pool in a private residence in the state of Georgia.

After a hurricane damaged Chichota in 1898, King sold the cottage to Edwin Gould, a son of railroad magnate and financier Jay Gould. Edwin and his wife Sarah had two young sons, Edwin Jr. and Frank. The family relished their time on Jekyll Island. At one point, the Goulds owned seven contiguous lots within the Jekyll Island Club, where they built both Gould Casino (a playhouse for Edwin Jr. and Frank) and Cherokee Cottage (for Sarah’s parents, Dr. and Mrs. George Schrady). The family spent idyllic seasons on Jekyll Island until 1917, when a hunting accident claimed Edwin Jr.’s life. He was only 23. Sarah vowed never to return to Jekyll Island and had Chichota Cottage boarded up. The cottage fell into disrepair until the Club finally tore down the structure in 1941. The courtyard footprint, imposing guard lions, and some smaller pieces of Chichota’s structure remained.

Today, the ruins of Chichota Cottage stand out for their air of tranquility and mystery. Historic Resources staff have been working hard to activate this space, returning life to what was once a central part of the life of the Jekyll Island Club. Chichota’s center courtyard, once David King’s innovative indoor pool, now serves as an outdoor classroom space. Preservation staff recently filled the pool— the process is reversible if plans for the space change. The tiles used for this process mimic the original tiles used for Chichota’s construction in 1897. Thanks to a donor’s generosity, Historic Resources staff have also been able to pull up and salvage the quarry tiles used in Chichota’s courtyard. Staff also sourced new tiles, which have the same dimensions as the original tiles, but a slightly different color to provide a visible difference between old and new.

Other recent improvements to the Chichota site include a tabby walk to an ADA-accessible ramp, tabby paving of the site’s circular driveway, and a non-chlorine biomass removal process on the entryway’s iconic lions. Over the next few months, Chichota will undergo even more improvements as the site completes its transformation into a usable, multi-tiered venue and classroom space. This transformation is possible thanks to the generosity of Jekyll Island Foundation donors and the work of preservation. Click here to learn more about the Foundation’s initiatives and invest in the preservation of the island’s unique spaces.

Crawling into Nesting Season

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

With May 1st marking the official start of turtle nesting season along the Georgia coast, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) is already busy patrolling Jekyll Island’s causeway for diamondback terrapins and beaches for nesting sea turtles.

DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS

The GSTC and Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF) donors have partnered for nearly 10 years in diamondback terrapin rescue, research, and implementation of various protection methods during nesting season. These efforts focus on decreasing terrapin road mortality rates. The GSTC’s diamondback terrapin patrol team routinely drive the causeway in search of nesting mamas crossing the road and inspecting nest boxes for similar signs. Recently, JIF and ANIMEX, a new partner, donated fencing materials that were installed on either side of the entrance to Jekyll’s causeway, adding one more component used to help decrease terrapin roadway mortality rates.

SEA TURTLES

And along the beaches these ancient reptiles emerge from the ocean to begin nesting as early as May. Fertile turtles crawl slowly to the dunes, enter a trance as their eggs drop into the sand, laying over 100 ping-pong ball-like eggs under the cover of darkness. Then, the GSTC Sea Turtle Patrol Team jumps into action gathering measurements, identification information, and ensuring the nest is protected from predators and human disturbances. The data collected helps inform local, regional, and international conservation efforts.

Jekyll Island visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of this once-in-a-lifetime experience can join GSTC educators under the stars by registering for an Evening Turtle Walk or Ride with Night Patrol on select nights in June and July. There’s no guarantee a nesting turtle will appear, but the evening promises to make the night memorable!

The GSTC hospital and patrol teams continue to work diligently to rescue and rehabilitate these gentler creatures. Investments of any size are welcome and appreciate. GIVE NOW.

Here before you know it!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Ben Carswell, JIA Director of Conservation and Sustainability

This year, 2022, marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Jekyll Island State Park. And yet, many visitors to Jekyll Island never know that this unique place contains more than just the Island itself. In fact, by the time one slows to make the turn from Highway 17 onto the Downing Musgrove Causeway, they have already crossed into its welcoming boundaries. The six miles of causeway to follow offers expansive views across nearly 7,000 acres of tidal marshlands brimming with biological diversity and dotted with forested marsh hammock isle-lets, all of which lies within the Park’s boundary. This lesser-known side of Jekyll Island, known as the “back-barrier marshes” covers more area than the Island itself and supports over half of the Wildlife Priority Species identified in the Jekyll Island Conservation Plan.

Like its State Park boundary, the work of the Jekyll Island Foundation doesn’t stop at the foot of the bridge onto the Island. The Jekyll Island Conservation Plan sets forth the following management priorities for the Causeway and back-barrier marshes:

  1. Minimize vehicle strike mortality of Wildlife Priority Species
  2. Reduce immigration of exotic-invasive plants and animals
  3. Prevent loss of elevation due to erosion or compaction of soils surrounding the Causeway
  4. Promote habitat diversity
  5. Maintain a safe and enjoyable experience for drivers and cyclists that affords opportunities to appreciate the natural beauty and abundance of wildlife evident upon arriving

The excellent work spearheaded by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to better understand and protect Diamondback Terrapins along the Causeway is a shining example for how Foundation dollars can make a difference towards achieving these goals. Another For the Record piece this month highlights the latest big step in efforts to help terrapins avoid roadway hazards. And coming soon, thanks to generous donor support through the Foundation, the Jekyll Island Authority will be able to add a mile of new native wildflower meadow along the east end of the Causeway, making arrival to the Island even more welcoming, not just for human visitors, but for pollinating bees and butterflies as well.

The Causeway and back-barrier marshes are a truly special part of the Jekyll Island experience that connects the Island with the broader community of Brunswick and the Golden Isles, mutually strengthening the well-being of many. The next time you turn onto the Jekyll Island Causeway, take your time, breath in the fresh air, brake for terrapins, and think about giving to the Jekyll Island Foundation. Your contributions go a long way towards empowering better stewardship of every corner of Jekyll Island State Park.   

Genoa Martin, Jekyll Island Trailblazer

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

In 1955, the Jekyll Island State Park Authority approved two separate construction projects for the island’s southern end near St. Andrews Beach. Only five years earlier, African American community leaders from Brunswick had petitioned for and won access to Jekyll Island’s beaches. With this victory, St. Andrews Beach became the first (and, at the time, only) public beach in Georgia accessible to black visitors. The southern end of the island now needed amenities to provide for these crowds of beachgoers.

The first construction project, the Beach Pavilion, was completed in September of 1955, bringing concessions, a jukebox, and other amenities to St. Andrews. The second project, a set of segregated residential and commercial lots called St. Andrews Subdivision, was approved in the same year. At first, the subdivision didn’t receive much interest. However, following the success of the nearby Dolphin Club Motor Hotel and Lounge during the late 1950s and early 1960s, some local residents began to choose spots for vacation homes at St. Andrews Beach.

In 1963, Brunswick couple Genoa and Mamie Martin became the first residents of St. Andrews Subdivision. The couple were already well-known as community leaders in Glynn County, Georgia. Genoa Martin managed both Seldon Park, in Brunswick, and ran a beloved weekly radio program. He also worked with a genre of musical acts like those that graced the Dolphin Club stage. As a promoter, Martin brought nationally known musicians like James Brown, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington to the Brunswick area. By 1963, Martin and his family had submitted plans for a beach house and a request for a building permit to the Jekyll Island State Park Authority, which were approved on January 21. Over the preceding years as St. Andrews Subdivision flourished around them, the Martin family remained central figures of African American life on Jekyll Island.

Decades later, Genoa and Mamie’s daughter, Sandra Martin Mungin, shared fond memories of her time at the house on Jekyll Island. Like her parents, Sandra was an involved member of the community both in Brunswick and on Jekyll Island. She was a teenager when her parents built their house in St. Andrews Subdivision. Her friends flocked to the house to enjoy all the area had to offer including fishing, barbecues, dances at the Beach Pavilion, and walking on the beach. Sandra’s favorite memories of life on Jekyll Island involved “just spending time with my father and friends and doing simple things. Enjoying the beauty of Jekyll Island and what it has to offer. We just had a good time! That’s what it was all about, living over here, was to enjoy the place!”

This summer, Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum is excited to collect oral histories of life on Jekyll Island as it  continues to celebrate its 75th anniversary as a State Park. Like Sandra’s recollections, these oral histories share the depth and variety of experience on the island from the 1940s through today. Do you have a Jekyll Island story to tell? Visit the Mosaic website to share your unique memories with the curatorial team — your story may be recorded into our archives to further shape Jekyll Island’s rich history!

It’s Turtle Crawl, Ya’ll!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Alexa Hawkins, JIA Director of Marketing & Communications

Join other turtle-lovers at the annual Jekyll Island Turtle Crawl! Registration is underway for this fan-favorite event celebrating the start of sea turtle nesting season on the Georgia coast. Registrations from the Turtle Crawl races benefits the life-saving work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on behalf of the Jekyll Island Foundation.

Returning to the road Saturday, April 30, participants can run the beachside 5K or 10K races and receive a commemorative t-shirt. Those who place at the top of their category will also receive a 2022 race metal. Families looking to participate together can join in the one-kilometer Fun Run and pose for a photo with the Center’s official mascot, Scute C. Turtle, and friends. For those who want to support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center from afar, or simply sleep in and still get a t-shirt, registrants can join the race through a virtual Ghost Crawler option. Following the races, join Georgia Sea Turtle Center staff for Shell-e-brate, the Center’s family-friendly all-day event featuring educational activities and visits with staff and animal ambassadors.

Turtle Crawl was created in 2003 as a fundraiser for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center which, with more than a decade in operation, has provided care for more than 3,000 patients, including a variety of sea turtle species and other coastal wildlife. Turtle Crawl participants have raised more than $100,000 to help save sea turtles, with more than $24,000 raised in 2021!

Become a sea turtle ambassador and race for a cause at this one-of-a-kind event supporting sea turtle conservation. Be sure to register soon as race registrations increase April 10 and online registration closed April 27!

A Year of Progress at Hollybourne Cottage

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

It’s hard to miss Hollybourne Cottage on a trip through the Historic District. The Cottage’s unique structure, enormous side porch, and tabby exterior attract curious visitors every day. These same features speak to the Maurice family’s love for Hollybourne and their devotion to preservation on Jekyll Island. Charles and Charlotte Maurice spearheaded the first rehabilitation of Horton House and the Dubignon cemetery, two other tabby structures on the island, in 1898. Even after Charles’ and Charlotte’s deaths, their children, especially their daughters Marion and Margaret, maintained their devotion to Jekyll Island and spent every winter season at Hollybourne until 1942.

Today, Hollybourne Cottage is a fascinating preservation work in progress. Throughout the past year, Jekyll Island Authority Historic Preservationist Taylor Davis and a host of volunteers have worked to make important improvements to the cottage’s exterior and interior features.

The most visible project from the outside is Hollybourne’s roof—the cottage’s original shingles were made of old growth cypress, and the team recently undertook a major roof preservation project. Hollybourne gained new, high-quality cedar shingles that are fire, rot, and bug resistant, aiding in the future preservation of the cottage.

Several interior features were upgraded as well. A stove hood in the service wing of the house had been removed from the building for eight years for stabilization and paint sampling to retain its original color. Volunteers rehung this stove hood in early 2022, along with the original basement door, which also underwent significant preservation.

In the dining room, the team continues work on the ceiling, including new lath (wooden strips) which will be left exposed. The ceiling project, along with several other projects in the dining room, aim to return the room to an interpretable level while leaving “windows to the past” to highlight construction methods.

Hollybourne Cottage’s story is ongoing. The most recent issue of 31•81, the Magazine of Jekyll Island, highlighted one of the cottage’s remarkable preservation stories. As Preservation Month approaches in May, make sure to visit Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum for opportunities to explore Hollybourne’s unique place in Jekyll Island history or click HERE to participate in the restoration of this beautiful piece of history.