Tag: history

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.

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!

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.

Dave Jackson and Jekyll Island’s Dolphin Club

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

When Jekyll Island State Park first opened to the public in 1948, it was accessible only to white visitors. In 1950, black leaders from nearby Brunswick petitioned for and won access to the island’s beaches, and St. Andrews Beach at the south end was designated for use by black visitors. Ten years after Jekyll Island’s grand opening, the Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel, a beach resort for black vacationers, opened at St. Andrews Beach—and it would soon be under new management.

The first version of the Dolphin Club lasted less than a year. The hotel officially opened for business in August of 1959, then closed later in 1959 due to financial difficulties. The Jekyll Island Authority bought the property for $299,000. In 1960, they leased it to its longest-running proprietor—Dave Jackson, a respected black banker, farmer, and businessman from the small town of Adel, Georgia.

Jackson’s hometown reputation preceded him. In 1948, a white journalist named Roy Sprigle spent a month traveling across the South, focusing on the experiences of a range of black people in the region. He published his experiences as a serialized article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and he focused one chapter entirely on Jackson’s notable success as a black farmer in a small southern community. According to Sprigle, Jackson owned two blocks of business property in Adel, along with a thousand acres of some of the best land in Georgia. He was known throughout his community as a hard worker and generous man who helped other farmers, black and white, in times of need. Dave and his wife, Comer King Jackson, worked hard to make themselves known as devoted advocates and examples for their family and their neighbors.

More than a decade later, Dave Jackson’s devotion to his family followed him to Jekyll Island and the Dolphin Club. In 1960, Jackson leased the Dolphin Club property from the Jekyll Island Authority. While Jackson oversaw the entire property, his sisters Annabelle Robinson and Betty Chandler managed the hotel, and his nephew James Chandler supervised the Dolphin Club Lounge. In the years that followed, the Jackson family turned the Dolphin Club into a thriving black vacation destination. As part of the Chitlin’ Circuit, a chain of venues that catered to black performers and audiences, the Dolphin Club Lounge soon attracted big name acts like B.B. King, Clarence Carter, and Percy Sledge. In 1964, Otis Redding performed at the St. Andrews Auditorium, a space built to hold larger performances and conventions on the south end of the island.

All state-owned facilities on Jekyll Island were integrated in 1964, and the Jackson family closed the Dolphin Club in 1966. In the decades since the resort’s closure, the Dolphin Club and the family who brought it so much success have become part of Jekyll Island’s history, celebrated by Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum. In 2022, Mosaic is excited to share the past 75 years of state ownership of Jekyll Island. To join in the celebration, make sure to explore upcoming programs and opportunities on the Jekyll Island website. To learn more about black history on Jekyll Island, visit the interactive timeline here.

In celebration of Black History Month and the 75th anniversary of state ownership of Jekyll Island, explore the island’s unique black history and musical history—all in one tour! Join the Dolphin Club Days guided trolley tour travels around the south end of the island and includes a musical performance by Ace Winn and refreshments on the grounds of the historic Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel. On the way back to the Mosaic, enjoy music from performers who visited the Dolphin Club and hear oral histories about what life was like on Jekyll Island in the 1950s and 1960s. The tour lasts approximately one hour and fifteen minutes and begins at Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum.

Finding Freedom in the War of 1812

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Andrea Marroquin, JIA Curator

Amidst the War of 1812, a proclamation promised freedom to enslaved people who deserted to the British.  This proclamation resulted in what has been called “one of the most extraordinarily effective mass military emancipations ever seen in the United States.”  Thousands of African Americans are believed to have been liberated from this vicinity, including many from Jekyll Island.

British forces under the command of Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn first burned Washington D.C. and failed in an attack on Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland (inspiring “The Star Spangled Banner”), before heading south.  The plan was to terrorize the southeastern coast of the United States with attacks on Charleston and Savannah. 

Meanwhile, the British invaded and occupied nearby Cumberland Island and conducted a series of smaller raids along the Georgia coastline.  British ships attacked Jekyll Island several times, with raids continuing even after the war was already over.  Christophe Dubignon later testified “my house was plundered at four different times by said British.” 

One of those raids took place on November 26, 1814, when the crew of the HMS. Lacedemonian struck anchor, proceeded to Horton House, and attacked.  Henry and Amelia Dubignon, Christophe’s son and daughter-in-law, later testified that the British sailors “immediately commenced plundering everything of value they could lay hands on, destroying what they could not carry off.”

When the British departed, 28 enslaved men and women from Jekyll Island escaped with them.  Christophe Dubignon documented the names, occupations, ages, and prices of the people that he complained “did desert from him.”  This list included two children, sixteen field hands, and many skilled laborers, such as a carpenter, blacksmith, sailmaker, fisherman, packer, carter, shoemaker, seamstress, and cook.

Shortly after this incident, the Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814, formally ending the War of 1812.  The following March, local planters sought the return of property and slaves as required by the Treaty of Ghent.  Admiral Cockburn refused to return any former slaves unless they wanted to leave.  He argued that they became free the moment they arrived on British soil, and that his British ships of war qualified as such. 

In April 1815, neighboring planter John Couper of St. Simons Island travelled to Bermuda “in hopes he might induce them to return.”  As he boarded the frigate Brune to meet with the black refugees on board, a former Dubignon slave named Frederick cried out: “That is Mr. Couper.  I wish my master was in his place.  I should like to shove him down into the sea!” 

Clearly, the refugees were not interested in returning to a life of slavery.  Instead, they sailed to Bermuda and then on to Trinidad or to Nova Scotia, where they faced hunger and hardships but retained their freedom.  Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane (Commander-in-Chief of the North American Station and Admiral Cockburn’s direct report) declared “that none of those persons have been kept in a state of slavery but suffered to go where they thought proper. . . . and those who performed any work were regularly paid for same.”

To explore more of the island’s eventful history, visit Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, where tours and exhibits are available daily.

Chichota Courtyard Rehabilitation

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Taylor Davis, JIA Historic Preservationist

Ever since the waning days of the Jekyll Island Club, Chichota Cottage has been a site left to ruin.  The original house was constructed in 1897 by David H. King, Jr. of New York.  King was a notable contractor whose projects included the base of the Statue of Liberty, Madison Square Garden, and the Washington Arch.  

King built his unique cottage on Jekyll Island as a single-storied, Italian Renaissance house surrounding a central courtyard, complete with a swimming pool fed by an artesian well.  After the property was severely damaged in 1898 during one of the worst hurricanes in Jekyll Island history, King sold Chichota to Edwin Gould just three years after construction.

The Goulds enjoyed their winters at Chichota until the 1917 season, when they lost their eldest son in a hunting accident on nearby Latham Hammock.  After years of vacancy, the house fell into disrepair.  It was razed by the Jekyll Island Club in 1941, leaving only the tabby foundations and an empty pool guarded by two marble lions flanking the entry steps. See Lost Jekyll or Pieces of History, pages 56/57.

In recent years, a series of improvements were made to the site to increase guest accessibility and safety amidst the ruins.  As part of this first phase of rehabilitation beginning in 2019, an ADA ramp was constructed to provide access into the ruins, the former entry foyer of the house was paved, and the pool was partially filled to create an outdoor venue and classroom space, with the edge of the pool serving as seating for gatherings. 

A generous gift to the Jekyll Island Foundation funded the second phase of rehabilitation in 2020.  This phase focused on the rehabilitation of what was once Chichota’s enclosed courtyard.  With the help of volunteers and Historic Preservation Field School students from the University of Georgia, the original quarry tiles were removed and salvaged from the courtyard.  A new masonry base was poured, and a mix of original and reproduction quarry tile was laid on top to replicate the original courtyard paving plan. 

As this second phase of the project comes to a close, enhancements to the Chichota site have created a safe and attractive venue for exploration, education, and special event rentals.  Additional improvements are planned for the future to reestablish other areas of the house and fashion outdoor patio spaces. 

Today, the Chichota ruins remain a captivating point of interest for visitors to explore and enjoy.  Visit Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum to begin your island explorations or plan your special event in the historic district. 

Jekyll Island: Better Together

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Ben Carswell, JIA Director of Conservation

Partnership is essential to success in nature and in society. Without mutually beneficial relationships with pollinating insects and fungi, the vast and complex plant communities that green our world would never have come to be. The same can be said for the greening of Jekyll Island. Whether advancing wildlife conservation, ecosystem restoration, or sustainability, the phrase that became a global mantra in 2020, “we are all in this together”, remains vitally true.

Since 1999, the partnership between the Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF) and the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) has been a mutually beneficial relationship built around bringing to life projects that elevate conservation, preservation, and education goals within Jekyll Island State Park. This relationship produced the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which catalyzed conservation efforts within the JIA that continue to bear fruit. Many other achievements, like the outdoor recreation, education, and wildlife enhancements at Horton Pond, which has become a favorite spot for families exploring Jekyll Island, and Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, which keeps Jekyll’s past alive and reminds us that nature connects us all to it, were made possible because of partnership, between JIF and JIA, and our many donors.

The roots of Jekyll Island’s partnership ecosystem extend outward as well, nourishing work that connects Jekyll Island with other institutions, whether public, private, or NGO, that are leading the way in our State. The possibilities for doing good on Jekyll Island are vastly expanded because of the care and collaboration extended by our colleagues at, among many others, Georgia Audubon, Georgia Power Company, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, and forward-thinking businesses like LNW Hospitality and Cherry Street Energy that look beyond profits to realize the power of their investments to bring about positive transformations.

The key to winning partnerships is broadening our imaginations to realize how much our interests can overlap and how much stronger our accomplishments are when we work together for the greater good. There is no better crucible for this than Jekyll Island, a place that brings people together and where the beauty of the natural world unfolds daily before our eyes – inspiring us to higher ideals.

Become a partner, member, or corporate sponsor today. Click HERE.

Celebrate Preservation Month

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

The story of Hollybourne Cottage began in 1890 when Charles Stewart Maurice, one of the original members of the Jekyll Island Club, chose a plot of land for his family’s winter residence. Maurice’s personality and interests were evident in Hollybourne’s very construction. Maurice was a partner in Pennsylvania’s Union Bridge Company, and he incorporated bridge-building techniques into Hollybourne. The brick piers in the basement, steel support system, and truss system that supports the second floor are all examples of Maurice’s techniques.

Hollybourne’s construction incorporated a mixture of its owner’s passion for his work and his newfound enthusiasm for his family’s winter vacation home. Hollybourne is the only cottage in the Jekyll Island Club compound to be built out of tabby, a local mixture of sand, water, lime, and oyster shells, reflecting Charles’s and his wife Charlotte’s interests in the history and culture of the area. The Maurices’ personal investment in Jekyll Island’s history led them to spearhead the restoration of Horton House and the Dubignon cemetery in 1898. Charlotte died in 1909 and Charles died in 1924, but their family’s Jekyll Island story didn’t end there. Their nine children, especially their daughters Margaret and Marion, were similarly devoted to Jekyll Island, and spent every winter season at Hollybourne Cottage until the Club’s final season in 1942.

Hollybourne sat empty and in a state of disrepair for several decades. Beginning in 1998, however, the cottage became an ongoing preservation project for the Jekyll Island Authority and a host of volunteers. Most recently, volunteers and preservationists spent several months restoring and preserving Hollybourne’s windows. Holllybourne’s present as an ongoing preservation project, as well as its past as a home for a family focused on the preservation of Jekyll Island, make it a perfect destination for this May’s annual celebration of Preservation Month. Visitors can see the family and servant areas of the cottage and observe the preservation process in action or take part in programs that highlight Historic Preservation Month, like family history programs and an outline of international design at the Jekyll Island Club.

To reserve a spot on a tour of Hollybourne Cottage or at one of our Preservation Month activities, click HERE  or to help preserve and restore Hollybourne Cottage, click HERE to donate.