Trace the storied steps of countless American icons.
From the moment you arrive, you’ll be whisked away into the rich history of Jekyll Island and the club that bears its name. This is a story for the ages, a great history preserved, and we approach each new day with a sense of wonder. Navigate through our storied history below, and when you’re ready, allow us to chart your own exploration of our historic resort.
1733 Colonization
General James Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia and named Jekyll Island in honor of Sir Joseph Jekyll, his friend and financier from England.
1736 Diplomacy of Nations
English, Spanish and Creek tribes met on the island in an effort to settle their differences through diplomacy.
1747 Georgia's First Brewery
William Horton purchased a great copper pot and began brewing beer on Jekyll Island at what would become recognized as the state’s first brewery.
1792 Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Fleeing the French Revolution, Christophe DuBignon purchased property on Jekyll Island.
1879 Hunting Club
Newton Finney and his brother-in-law, John Eugene DuBignon, a descendant of Christophe DuBignon, collaborate to turn Jekyll Island into a private club for the nation’s wealthiest individuals, quickly becoming their winter hideaway.
1886 Exclusivity
The island was purchased by the newly formed Jekyll Island Club, which Munsey’s Magazine called “the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the world.”
1888 The Club Opening
The club officially opened its doors in January 1888, quickly becoming a retreat for families that represented one-sixth of the world’s wealth.
1896 Sans Souci
Owned in part by J.P. Morgan, this six-unit building is recognized as one of the first condominiums in the United States. The floors, leaded art glass, stairway and skylight are all original still today.
1901 The Annex
Built as an addition to the clubhouse, the Annex featured eight suites for members and their guests on the first and second floors, some offering enclosed parlor rooms and river views.
1904 Cherokee
Cherokee Cottage, named after a wild rose, reflects the Shrady family’s life of elegant leisure. Built in the Italian Renaissance style, Cherokee Cottage is complete with double front doors, a spacious great room and 10 guestrooms.
1910 The Federal Reserve
Under the cover of night, and using only first names to keep their identities secret, Senator Nelson Aldrich led a party of financial leaders to Jekyll Island to conceptualize a federal banking system. Coined the “First-Name Club,” the group drafted the modern-day Federal Reserve.
1915 Can You Hear Me Now?
The nation’s first transcontinental phone call took place between President Woodrow Wilson in Washington, DC, Alexander Graham Bell in New York, Thomas Watson in San Francisco, Henry Higginson in Boston, and AT&T President Theodore Newton Vail at Jekyll Island Club.
1917 Crane Cottage
Built in the Italian Renaissance style for Richard Teller Crane, Jr. and his wife, Crane Cottage is the largest, most lavish of the cottages. Featuring a sunken garden, fountains and an upper terrace, today Crane Cottage is still as awe-inspiring as ever, making it an ideal wedding venue.
1924 Golfer’s Paradise
In 1924, the USGA selected Jekyll Island as a testing ground for golf, replacing hickory shafts with new steel clubs, and testing ball performance. Together, these strokes of genius resulted in the use of a lighter ball and steel shafts, forever changing the game.
1926 Great Dunes
The island’s seaside course, Great Dunes Golf Course, was designed by Walter J. Travis exclusively for Jekyll Island Club in 1926. Great Dunes is still regarded as one of the best golf courses in Georgia for its coastal terrain and varied level of difficulty.
1928 The Cottages
Families with names like Rockefeller, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Pulitzer and Baker built elegant cottages designed for comfort in Victorian architectural styles. Villa Marianna was the last of 18 cottages to be completed in 1928.
1942 World War II
Jekyll Island Club flourished throughout the 1930s, but world events took their toll. The Great Depression changed people’s priorities, and half of the club’s membership dropped away. The final blow was World War II, when the government ordered an evacuation of the island due to the threat of enemy submarines off the coast.
1948 The State Era
The state of Georgia purchased Jekyll Island from the Jekyll Island Club for $675,000. The Island opened to the public as a state park in 1948.
1954 New Beginnings
The drawbridge to the island opened, and renowned curator and journalist Tallu Fish founded the Jekyll Island Museum. Operating out of Indian Mound Cottage, once owned by William Rockefeller, the museum featured club-era furniture, a taxidermy display, a pottery exhibit and an ornate wishing chair.
1978 Landmark District
The historic district achieved Landmark District status, becoming known as the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District.
1985 Resurrection
After a decade of neglect and abandonment, two friends, one a lawyer, the other an architect, climbed through an unlocked window and fell in love with the deteriorating clubhouse. Together, they planned to preserve and renovate the club to its original splendor and re-open it as a hotel.
1987 Grand Re-Opening
The hotel’s grand opening ceremony included remarks from Joe Frank Harris, governor of Georgia, and Paul Warwick, Mayor of Brunswick. The celebration included harp players and an ice sculpture in the form of the clubhouse turret.
1999 Stars of the Stage
Robert Redford’s Legend of Bagger Vance starring Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron was shot along the Riverfront Lawn. Other notable films shot on Jekyll Island include X-Men: First Class, Glory and Live By Night.
2007 Conservation
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center opened in the renovated power plant of the Jekyll Island Club.
2010 Morgan Center
Once an indoor tennis court for guests of Jekyll Island Club, a joint venture between the Jekyll Island Authority and the resort restored the Morgan Center to a conference center.
2017 Ocean Club
The ocean played a key role throughout the history of the Jekyll Island Club, from the natural beauty to the season-opening arrival of the members’ yachts. Jekyll Island Club Resort’s all-suite, oceanfront, boutique hotel, Jekyll Ocean Club opened.
2024 Renovation
The refreshed and reimagined Jekyll Island Club Resort, having completed its renovation in spring 2024, now boasts recent upgrades that breathe new life into our charming guest rooms and dining outlets, with special attention to artwork, furnishings and details designed to offer visitors a warm welcome and an inspiring guest experience.