Tag: jekyll island foundation

Meet Our Donors: David & Julie Fisher

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

David and Julie Fisher have travelled all over the world. And when you ask them to name their favorite place, they answer—in unison—without hesitation: Jekyll Island.

“When we drive over the bridge, my heart rate slows down, my pulse slows down, I breathe easier,” Julie said.

And that’s really saying something given the pace she and David keep due to their very successful architectural photography business.

“We started the business before we retired,” David said, “back then it was more of a hobby. But now it’s a way of life.” He laughed, “We’re always on the go. We even live out of suitcases at home!”

Laughing and travelling are major themes with this couple who met at David’s 50th birthday party and started dating shortly thereafter. “When I gave her a ring, she said she wasn’t ready to get married yet,” recalls David. “So, I told her to let me know when she was.”

Julie did just that one night by spelling out ‘will you marry me’ in candles, and David jokes that he answered, “No way…(pause for dramatic effect)…can I turn down an offer like that from you.”

Though neither is a native Georgian, they both had individual experiences with Jekyll before buying a place together in the early 2000s.

“During the summer, it has a resort feel,” said David. “Then in the winter,” Julie adds, “the snowbirds come down and it feels more like home.” And while their primary residence is in Stone Mountain, they visit Jekyll about once a month and suspect they might have more friends on the Island than in the city.

“That’s one of the things we love about Jekyll,” said Julie. “There are just so many wonderful people.”

The people and the place itself seem to hold endless fascination for this duo who have taken—and donated—thousands of pictures capturing the Island’s unique geography, wildlife, and lifestyle.

“The landscaping is remarkable,” said David. “And we love that Jekyll is still being developed but in a responsible way.”

That, he said, is in large part due to the tenacity and vision of the Jekyll Island Authority Board of Directors and its Executive Director Jones Hooks. “There were—are—a lot of hurdles, but he leads through them quite well.”

David and Julie also credit Jekyll Island Foundation Executive Director Dion Davis with getting them engaged in ways that don’t always involve their camera. “She has a love for Jekyll Island that you can feel, and she has the ability to inspire that same love in others,” said David.

“We’re just so impressed with what the Foundation is doing,” said Julie, who acknowledges the work of the Foundation to raise funds to support several island initiatives. “The Mosaic [Jekyll Island Museum], the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Horton Pond, the historic homes…all of these things keep Jekyll special.”

Indeed, they feel the entire Georgia coastline is one of our country’s best kept secrets. “We use a plane and love to take people up to show them just how beautiful this area is,” said David.

They also believe that continuing to examine the need for revitalization—balancing that with critical versus non-critical utilization—is important. “Especially because of the aging homes [on Jekyll], our infrastructure definitely needs attention,” said David.

When asked what they hope for the Island’s future, David jokes, “We have some mighty fine restaurants, but what Jekyll needs is a good barbeque joint.”

There’s a smile behind Julie’s answer as well. “We hope more people experience Jekyll. We love to introduce new people to the Island. And every time we go, we discover something new.”

“In fact,” said David, “every time we leave, we always look at each other and say ‘that was the best trip ever!’”

Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

On a drive around Jekyll Island, you can’t help but notice them: dozens of houses with unique roof lines, patterned concrete walls, and other, varied architectural elements designed to draw the eye. These aren’t the tabby farmhouses or millionaire mansions of Jekyll’s earlier history. Instead, the residential masterpieces scattered across the island point to a more recent architectural movement—and the legacy left behind by a distinctive period in the history of the island, the country, and the world. Each house displays a respect for the materials of its own construction as well as a Space-Age reverence for the future. What better name for such a style than mid-century modern?

Rooted in the designs are the architectural stylings of visionary Frank Lloyd Wright, whose work spans the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Wright’s work intentionally stands in stark contrast to the Victorian formality of structures like the former Jekyll Island Club members’ many cottages. Instead, his style incorporates elements like concrete and glass, especially as a way to blur the relationship between the indoors and the outdoors. Wright’s vision was ahead of its time, but by the 1950s, its elements had become a major component of architectural styles that were now accessible for everyday Americans. As families around the country built their dream homes, they increasingly looked towards mid-century modern’s exposed framework and lack of ornament—and the new homes on Jekyll Island were no exception.

Jekyll became a state park in 1947. For the first few years after its opening, it was still accessible only by boat, and the few residents of the island lived in the buildings that already stood in the former Jekyll Island Club. The opening of the Jekyll Island Causeway in 1954 brought scores of new visitors to the island, many of whom decided they’d like to stay. Most of Jekyll’s mid-century modern homes, which still stand today in neighborhoods across the island, were constructed between 1955 and 1971. Local architects like Cormac McGarvey and Joe Schlosser built homes with concrete breezeblocks, flat roof panels, and glass details—all hallmarks of a style that would define Jekyll’s early state park years. Today, the homes are just as much a part of Jekyll’s spirit as the former Jekyll Island Club or the iconic Driftwood Beach. They stand as a showcase of early residents’ excitement about their new home on the island, and as a symbol of their connection to the decades that shaped the future of Jekyll Island.

These mid-century masterpieces are as much a part of Jekyll Island’s history as the millionaires’ cottages. The houses and those that lived in them shaped the State Era, from Jekyll’s premiere as a state park in 1947 to the present day. This year, the island continues its celebration of 75 years as Jekyll Island State Park. A new exhibit commemorating the island’s Diamond Jubilee opened at Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum in September—it includes a life-size commemorative sandcastle and time capsule objects that will showcase Jekyll history far into the future. Visit Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum to explore state era history and leave your mark on this special place!

Beautiful Solutions to Pesky Problems

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Cliff Gawron, JIA Director of Landscape and Planning

Picture yourself in one of Jekyll Island’s most recognizable spaces, where North Beachview Drive passes the historic mini-golf course near the intersection with Shell Road. This area falls in the middle of a zone of beachfront that provides parking, facilities, and access for Jekyll’s most visited beaches. To the north and south of this point, most of the parking areas and park spaces have been re-designed and beautified with predominantly native plant landscaping over the past 15 years as Jekyll Island has been revitalized.

One glaring exception, however, has been the public parking lot adjacent to Tortuga Jacks restaurant, directly across Beachview Drive from Jekyll Island Mini Golf. The existing parking lot is in full view for passing drivers with no screening vegetation. The existing strip of land that separates the parking lot from Beachview Drive is a relatively flat expanse of scraggly Bahia grass, weeds, and just a few cabbage palms. In addition to being a bit of an eye sore by comparison with the rest of Jekyll’s beachfront landscaping, the site has a functional problem as well. On Jekyll, the old adage “when it rains it pours” is often quite literally the case. And when it’s pouring, the vast majority of stormwater runoff from the south side of the Tortuga Jacks restaurant and the parking lot has no catchment and flows across Beachview Drive right into the mini golf facility where the water itself can cause problems along with the debris it carries with it.

Fortunately, the Jekyll Island Foundation partnering with the Jekyll Island Authority to put donor support to work, is a proven recipe for problem solving. To address this particular problem, a landscape architecture intern from the University of Georgia, worked alongside the Jekyll Island Authority’s Director of Landscape and Planning to create a stormwater detention “bioswale” and planting plan. The design will address the storm water runoff disfunction by re-grading the area to create a swale that will be partially planted with a mix of predominately native tree, shrub, and grass species to aesthetically complement the landscape design of the adjacent Great Dunes Beach Park. Fresh turf will be brought in for the road shoulder to maintain open sight lines for traffic safety and to serve as the aesthetic foreground framing the plantings behind. Once the installation matures, the parking lot will become hidden behind a “green screen” of lush vegetation. A meandering strip of sweetgrass, an iconic native coastal grass, will be a highlight and will make for a dramatic display of misty pink seed heads come late October.

The bioswale will occupy nearly 20% of the total drainage area, large enough to capture all the runoff from the parking lot in all but the most intense downpours. During a rainstorm, the feature will initially fill with storm water, creating a temporary shallow pond which will percolate through the plants, roots, and sandy soils to return to the groundwater table.

This project is set to break ground this Fall after generous support from Foundation donors. Learn more about future Foundation initiatives like this one that you can be a part of supporting: https://jekyllislandfoundation.org/give/initiatives/

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.