Jekyll Island today is a state park managed by the Jekyll Island Authority on behalf of the Georgia state government. Easily accessible from the mainland by way of the Sidney Lanier Bridge, millions of people visit the island every year. It features many popular cultural attractions, including the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Founded in 2007, this fantastic facility is Georgia’s only sea turtle rehabilitation center. But Jekyll Island was not always a state-run park. The first known inhabitants of Jekyll Island were Native Americans known as the “Gaule,” who resided along the Georgia coastline centuries before the arrival of the English. While they called the area “Ospo Island,” the Gaule mainly used the location as a spot to merely hunt and fish. When the English landed on nearby St. Simons Island in the 1730s, Jekyll Island remained devoid of populated settlements. It was not until a Frenchman named Christophe DuBignon purchased most of the arable land that it finally had permanent residents. Fleeing the outbreak of the French Revolution, DuBignon chose Georgia as the site of his exile during the early 1790s. He subsequently bought dozens of acres on Jekyll Island for the creation of a grand plantation. DuBignon’s descendants operated the estate throughout the antebellum, until the American Civil War bankrupted their enterprise. Seeking a way to distance themselves from the failing business, the family eventually sold the plantation to Newton Finney in 1886.

Jekyll Island is specifically one of Georgia’s Golden Isles, which are part of a much larger geographic location known as the “Sea Islands.” Stretching from Jacksonville to Charleston, the Sea Islands are a beautiful chain of barrier islands that protect the coastline for much of the southeastern United States. The Golden Islands themselves are a group of four islands that consist of St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and of course, Jekyll Island. They are home to many cultural sites, including Historic Brunswick—a coastal city that English colonists first settled under the leadership of James Oglethorpe during the 1730s. Like the rest of the settlements in colonial Georgia, the English intended to use the Golden Islands as a bastion against incursions from Spanish Florida to the south. Brunswick was formally founded in 1771, just four years before the start of the American Revolution. It then went on to become one of the five major ports of entry by decree of George Washington during his first presidential term. But Brunswick lost some of its national importance as the country grew, although it did become an important site for the construction of merchant marine ships in World War II. Much of Brunswick’s rich heritage is preserved today within its nationally recognized Old Town Historic District. Few places along the Georgia coast truly feature such an amazing cultural identity than the Golden Isles.

Jekyll Island Club Resort is a resort complex consisting of several unique historic structures. The most historic among them is the Clubhouse, which functions as the resort’s main building. Constructed in 1888, the Clubhouse is the Jekyll Island Club Resort’s most celebrated landmark. It was designed by renowned Chicago-based architect Charles A. Alexander designed its main Queen Anne-inspired architectural appearance, which featured a central hall adorned with a gorgeous tower. The club’s third president, Charles Lanier, then commissioned the development of a four-story annex in 1901. This magnificent addition expanded the Clubhouse’s room count to a total of 56 room, as well as eight luxurious suites. Many of the exclusive suites contained access to new parlor rooms and views out onto the East River. Celebrated landscape architect Horace William Shaler Cleveland created the layout for its surrounding grounds, as well. Cleveland had worked all across the United States, crafting the design for parks in such major American cities like Omaha, Providence, and Minneapolis.

The Clubhouse was gradually joined by 18 unique summer cottages, which were scattered throughout the grounds by the club’s most illustrious guests. First to appear was William Rockefeller’s house called “Indian Mound.” Built in 1892, architect Gordon McKay crafted its memorable façade. Rockefeller’s cottage was then followed by structures like the Dutch-style Moss Cottage (1896) and the Georgian Revival-style Goodyear Cottage (1903). Some of the cottages featured cutting-edge amenities for their day, such as the electric elevator installed inside the Mistletoe (1903). But perhaps the greatest of the summer homes emerged at the club around the start of the Roaring Twenties. Richard T. Crane’s marvelous Crane Cottage is one such building. Built upon the site of an earlier house called “Solterra,” Crane’s residence cost around $500,000 to complete. It displayed some brilliant Spanish Revival-style architecture and was the largest of the club’s summer cottages. It was then followed by two more cottages called “Villa Ospo” and “Villa Marianna.” Built in 1928 for Walter Jennings and Frank Gould, respectively, the two were referred to as villas for their resemblance to Mediterranean palatial estates.

The rest of the Jekyll Island Club Resort complex contains many other unique historic structures. The most noteworthy of these buildings is “San Sourci,” which first appeared on the campus in 1896. A group of members led by John P. Morgan developed this fascinating construct, which many architectural historians have since considered to be among the first condominiums in the United States. Translated as “without care,” San Sourci stood three-stories tall and offered six luxurious suites. The resort is also home to Faith Chapel, a quaint church created with Gothic Revival design aesthetics. Built in 1904, the chapel featured four gargoyles inspired by the ones that adorn Notre Dame in Paris. Inside, is the spectacular King David Window, which many believe was installed personally by Louis c. Tiffany of Tiffany Co. The original proprietors of the club even constructed a luxurious indoor tennis facility that they called the “Morgan Tennis Court.” This local landmark was transformed a century later into a terrific convention center known simply as the “Morgan Center.”

Drafting of the Federal Reserve System (1910): While the actual founding of the Federal Reserve financial system occurred in 1913, several prominent American politicians met at the Jekyll Island Club Resort three years prior to draft its legislation. In the wake of the Panic of 1907, Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island called for a convention of the nation’s leading financial figures to discuss important economic reforms. Many answered his summons, including representatives from several major banks like the National City Bank of New York and the J.P. Morgan Company. A.P. Andrews—the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Department under President Theodore Roosevelt—attended the event. The group departed the northeast together in early November onboard a top-secret train bound for the resort. Upon their arrival, they spent the next several days holding discussions that led to the creation of the Federal Reserve Act. This new law would allow for the establishment of a central banking system that could help alleviate future financial crises. It would then play an important role in subsequent economic collapses, including the Great Depression and the more recent Great Recession.

Joseph Pulitzer, celebrated publicist of the New York World and namesake of the Pulitzer Prize.

John P. Morgan, legendary financier and founder of J.P. Morgan and Company.

William Rockefeller, financier who helped co-found Standard Oil with his brother, John D. Rockefeller.

George Fisher Baker, founder of Citibank’s predecessor, the First National Bank of New York City.

Richard T. Crane, founder the modern aerospace manufacturer, Crane Co.

Marshall Field, founder of Marshall Field and Company department stores, as well as the namesake to the Field Museum of Natural History.

James Jerome Hill, renowned Chief Executive Officer for the Great Northern Railway.

Theodore N. Vail, renowned President of American Telephone & Telegraph (now known as AT&T).

Nelson Aldrich, Republican Senator from Rhode Island (1881 – 1911) and father of the Federal Reserve System.

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