History

Discover the Jekyll Island Club Resort founded by the elites of American Gilded Age society and providing luxury for the discerning 21st century traveler.

Jekyll Island Club Resort is one of the few resorts in the United States that the U.S. Secretary of the Interior has designated a National Historic Landmark. Its history goes back to the beginnings of Gilded Age America, in which Newton Finney and his brother-in-law, John Eugene DuBignon, decided to create a seclusive hunting club for the era’s prosperous businessmen. The two men decided to establish the club on the DuBignon family estate on Jekyll Island, which John’s descendants had inhabited since the early 18th century. In order to finance the construction of the club’s main facilities, Finney pitched stock ownership in the new venture to prospective members. Some of the most influential Americans quickly became owners, including financier John P. Morgan, journalist Joseph Pulitzer, and department-store magnate Marshall Field. In all, Finney and DuBignon found 53 individuals to serve as co-owners of the new club. The group met in New York to discuss the various by-laws and fees that would come with being a member. They selected the renowned attorney Lloyd Aspinwall to serve as its first president, with Judge Henry Elias Howland as Vice President. After seven long years, the group finally founded their luxurious holiday destination as the “Jekyll Island Club” in 1886.

Construction on the facility began almost immediately with the development of the “Clubhouse.” Opening some two years after its grand debut, the Clubhouse would go on to become the main building for the Jekyll Island Club. Designed by renowned architect Charles A. Alexander, this magnificent building displayed a gorgeous blend of Queen Anne-style architecture. Several other beautiful buildings soon followed over the next several decades, such as the Faith Chapel, San Sourci, and the Morgan Tennis Court. The club’s most illustrious guests also developed their own summer retreats, which spread throughout the grounds. Eighteen in all, these spectacular seasonal cottages featured an amazing combination of architectural styles found across Europe. Famous landscape architect Walter J. Travis also designed the club’s renowned golf course, “Great Dunes.” Jekyll Island Club had started to develop a reputation as a golfer’s paradise, when the United States Golf Association chose it as the site for equipment testing. Travis died roughly a year into the project and did not get to see his grand idea come to fruition. Nevertheless, the fairways at the Great Dunes Golf Course became some of the most popular—and challenging—throughout the entire country.

By the turn of the 20th century, Jekyll Island Club became the gathering spot for the nation’s leading figures. Its membership list featured the names of prominent American families, including the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts, and the Goulds. William Rockefeller, a co-founder of Standard Oil, developed the first summer home onsite known as “Indian Mound.” A few others followed suit, including Richard T. Crane, Walter Jennings, and Frank Gould. Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island decided to host a top-secret meeting with American financial leaders at the club in the aftermath of the Panic of 1907. Together, their discussions led to the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. The President of the American Telephone and Telegraph, Theodore N. Vail, also conducted the first transcontinental telephone call from the Jekyll Island Club. Among the attendees to partake in the call remotely were Alexander Graham Bell and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

The prosperity of the Jekyll Island Club was not to last. When the Great Depression befell the country during the 1930s, the club struggled to retain membership. Its management team tried a variety of novel ideas that sought to attract more people. World War II proved to be the final straw though, as most of the male staff left the area to enlist in the U.S. military. As such, it became impossible to operate the Jekyll Island Club, and it shuttered its doors in 1942. The State of Georgia then came to its rescue several years later in 1947, when it purchased Jekyll Island—including the club—for sum of $675,000. Under the guidance of Revenue Commissioner Melvin E. Thompson, the state rehabilitated the Jekyll Island Club into a public resort. But it, too, struggled to make the endeavor profitable, closing the entire business down in 1971. Sitting dormant for more than a decade thereafter, the resort received a much-needed renovation when Leon N. Weiner & Associates acquired it in 1985. Now operating as the “Jekyll Island Club Resort,” this magnificent historic resort has since resumed its status as one of America’s best vacation getaways.

Hotel Timeline

A French aristocrat named Christophe DuBignon arrived on the island and bought several acres of land. DuBignon had come to the remote Georgia island in order to flee the chaos of the French Revolution. His estate would be the site of the Jekyll Island Club nearly a century later.

After seven years, Newton Finney turned the entire island into a seclusive hunting lodge meant to appeal to the prosperous businessmen of the Gilded Age. He centered his club on the grounds of the DuBignon family estate, which he had purchased from John Eugene DuBignon. Finney specifically established his club by selling shares to prospective members. Some of the most powerful Americans became owners and members, including John P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, and Marshall Field.

The club members debuted the “Clubhouse,” which eventually became the main building at Jekyll Island Club. Architect Charles A. Alexander of Chicago crafted its Queen Anne-style appearance, while the celebrated Horace William Shaler Cleveland developed the layout for the surrounding grounds. The Clubhouse would undergo another round of expansions in 1901, with the addition of a four-story annex.

William Rockefeller began building his vacation home at the Jekyll Island Club, a cottage that he would call, “Indian Mound.” Architect Gordon McKay took nearly a decade to develop this beautiful building, which he turned over to Rockefeller in 1904. Indian Mound was soon joined by many other unique summer residences, including Goodyear Cottage, Moss Cottage, and Mistletoe.

John P. Morgan and five other club members began constructing San Souci, a three-story apartment complex that featured six magnificent suites. “San Sourci” itself translates to “without care.” Many architectural historians consider San Souci to be one of the first condominiums in the United States.

Club members raised a two-story church known as “Faith Chapel.” It displayed Gothic Revival-style architecture, as well as replicas of four gargoyles at Notre Dame cathedral. The beautiful King David Window is even said to have been personally installed by Louis C. Tiffany himself. Dr. George Frederick Shrady—a personal doctor of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant—constructed his celebrated cottage, “Cherokee,” around the same time, as well.

Following the Panic of 1907, Senator Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island invited many of the nation’s leading financial leaders to discuss new policies aimed at curtailing national economic crises. Meeting at the resort in early November, the group conducted a series of secretive discussions that ultimately led to the creation of the Federal Reserve.

First transcontinental telephone call transpired at the Jekyll Island Club Resort, which was arranged by the President of American Telephone and Telegraph, Theodore N. Vail. Among the attendees to participate in the ceremony were Alexander Graham Bell (the inventor of the telephone) and then U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

The most ostentatious of the club’s summer residences, Crane Cottage, appeared on the grounds. Developed by Richard T. Crane—founder of the modern Crane Company—Crane Cottage displayed some of the finest Spanish Revival-style design aesthetics in the country. Its sunken garden has since made it an ideal spot for wedding ceremonies.

Famous landscape architect Walter J. Travis began designing the club’s renowned golf course, “Great Dunes.” Jekyll Island Club had started to develop a reputation as a golfer’s paradise, when the United States Golf Association chose it as the site for equipment testing. Debuting some two years later, Great Dunes Golf Course today has some of the nation’s most challenging fairways.

Two gorgeous cottages referred to as “villas” are constructed on the grounds. The buildings—known as the “Villa Marianna” and “Villa Ospo,” respectively—were called “villas” due to their distinctive Mediterranean-style architecture. Walter Jennings, Vice President of Standard Oil, built Villa Ospo, while Frank Gould of the renowned Gould Family constructed Villa Marianna. They were the last of the 18 cottages raised at the Jekyll Island Club.

The Jekyll Island Club shuttered its doors indefinitely following a prolonged period of financial hardship that began with the Great Depression. The harsh economic conditions of the 1930s greatly reduced membership, causing the club’s management team to significantly lower the cost of joining. But America’s entry into World War II proved to be the final straw, as the staff left to enlist for military service en masse. As such, it was impossible to keep the Jekyll Island Club open for the foreseeable future.

The State of Georgia purchased all of Jekyll Island with the intent on making it into a public park. Melvin E. Thompson—then the state’s revenue commissioner—conceived of the idea a year prior. Its purchase of the island also included the sale of the Jekyll Island Club, which went for $675,000. After some minor renovations to the facility and the surrounding area, Jekyll Island Club formally opened as a public resort in 1948.

Renowned curator and journalist Tallu Fish opened the Jekyll Island Museum. Fish founded his wonderful institution inside the summer cottage of William Rockefeller—Indian Mound. The museum chronicled the history of both the resort and the island. It possessed many outstanding exhibits, including a taxidermy exhibit of the local wildlife, as well as restored furniture from the club’s formative years.

The State of Georgia formally ended its management of the Jekyll Island Club Resort, deeming it a failure. Despite the serious efforts to transform the island into a world-renowned resort since the 1950s, the endeavor was never able to turn a profit. Regardless, the Jekyll Island Club managed to receive National Historic Landmark status from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior seven years later.

Leon N. Weiner & Associates acquired the Jekyll Island Club, which had sat neglected for more than a decade. Having fallen in love with the Jekyll Island Club, the company diligently restored the facility to resemble its original elegance. The resort debuted two years later as the “Jekyll Island Club Hotel.” Many prominent individuals attended it grand reopening, including the Governor of Georgia, Joe Frank Harris.

Legendary actor Robert Redford filmed much of The Legend of Bagger Vance at the Jekyll Island Golf Club. Starring Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron, the movie portrayed the tale of a local golfer and his coach overcoming the odds at a high-stakes tournament. Other movies shot around the Jekyll Island Club include X-Men: First Class, Live by Night, and the critically acclaimed Glory.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center opened for the first time inside the resort’s former power plant. One of the island’s greatest landmarks, the complex is Georgia’s only seat turtle education and rehabilitation facility. This fantastic organization has since offered guests the ability to interact with sea turtles directly, as well as to learn more about Jekyll Island’s unique ecosystem.

A luxurious new conference facility known as the “Morgan Center” debuted. The building was once an indoor tennis court for the club’s original guests during the Gilded Age. The restoration occurred as part of a lucrative partnership between the Jekyll Island Club and the local Jekyll Island Authority.

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The Location

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.

The Architecture

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.”

Famous Historic Events

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.

Famous Historic Guests

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.

Film, TV and Media Connections

Glory (1989)
Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
X-Men: First-Class (2011)
Live by Night (2016)

Ghost Stories

General Lloyd Aspinwall, a founding member of the Jekyll Island Club in Jekyll Island, Ga., was to be its first president. However, he died unexpectedly on September 4, 1886, more than a year before the club would officially open. Letters dated from later years, reveal that certain members had seen the general, hands clasped behind him in military manner, walking the Riverfront Veranda about dusk...on September 4th. Today, that area of the veranda is a sunroom that, interestingly enough, bears the name, the Aspinwall Room.

Guests at hotel have been surprised to find their coffee sipped and morning paper read. It certainly isn't due to a lack of service or hospitality. Each morning at this exclusive hunt club, Samuel Spencer, president of the Southern Railroad Company, insisted the Wall Street Journal be delivered to his room. For years, it was his ritual to drink a cup of coffee while scanning the paper. In 1906, he was killed instantly in a train accident. For years, club members and hotel guests who occupied Spencer's room, have found copies of their newspaper disturbed, moved or folded in their absence. Coffee cups have been mysteriously poured or "sipped on" when guests returned from the shower or a brief outing.

More than one bridegroom has inquired about the mysterious bellman at the hotel, as well. It seems this "bellman" is dressed in a cap and suit reminiscent of a 1920s movie. He delivers freshly pressed suits to bridegrooms and has been seen mostly on the second floor, knocking gently on the guestroom door announcing his delivery.

History Mystery

Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world’s most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

Conspiracy theorists often talk of exclusive societies, where powerful members pull the strings and rewrite the course of history behind closed doors. Although, for the Jekyll Island Club Resort off the coast of Georgia, this isn’t simply speculation—it’s part of the hotel’s illustrious past. Opened in 1888, the Jekyll Island Club quickly became a wintertime hideaway for some of the era’s most prominent businessmen and their families, counting moguls like J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, William K. Vanderbilt, and Marshall Field as co-owners.

Soon enough, the coastal retreat would go on to be called “the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the world,” representing an astounding one-sixth of the globe’s wealth. Though largely conceived of as a member’s-only hunting club for the era’s elite, this wasn’t just a social gathering spot. In fact, the Jekyll Island Club played host to its fair share of influential moments, including the clandestine drafting of the Federal Reserve and the country’s first transcontinental phone call between the likes of President Woodrow Wilson in Washington, DC, Alexander Graham Bell in New York, and the then-president of AT&T, Theodore Newton Vail, at the Jekyll Island Club. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Fortunately, guests needn’t be millionaires to stay at the Jekyll Island Club Resort today. Those who do choose to visit this grand hotel, however, will undoubtedly be in good company. While the island escape no longer exclusively plays host to history’s wealthiest movers and shakers, legend tells that some of them still roam its storied grounds to this day. J. Pierpont Morgan, financial tycoon and former resident of Sans Souci Cottage, loved to relax on the summer home’s porch in the early morning, reflecting on the day ahead while puffing on his favorite cigar and watching the Jekyll River flow by. More recent guests staying in Morgan’s historic apartment report being woken up by a whiff of cigar smoke wafting on the breeze even though there is no one else around.

Samuel Spencer, a railroad magnate, was the former president of the Southern Railway Company and another club member. Another early riser, he would often start his day with a cup of coffee and the latest edition of the Wall Street Journal. It seems that he’s still carrying on his morning ritual to this day, as guests who have stayed in his room have returned to find their newspaper mysteriously rifled through and java partially sipped. But these aren’t the only spirits wandering the Jekyll Island Club Resort’s halls. Soon-to-be grooms have mentioned seeing what appears to be a bellman in an old-fashioned uniform dutifully delivering a freshly pressed suit for their impending nuptials. Or, perhaps that is just their pre-wedding jitters talking.

This has been a Historic Hotels History Mystery.

For more fun facts, trivia, and historic highlights, check out our History Mystery pages for Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. Subscribe to our newsletter below and follow us on social media to play along.

Question: Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world's most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel
Union League Club of Chicago
Jekyll Island Club Resort
The American Club

History Mystery

Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world’s most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

This has been a Historic Hotels History Mystery.

Question: Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world's most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel
Union League Club of Chicago
Jekyll Island Club Resort
The American Club

History Mystery

Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world’s most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

This has been a Historic Hotels History Mystery.

Question: Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world's most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel
Union League Club of Chicago
Jekyll Island Club Resort
The American Club

History Mystery

Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world’s most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

This has been a Historic Hotels History Mystery.

Question: Which Historic Hotel was once a member's-only club for the world's most powerful people and is still said to be home to some of their spirits today?

Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel
Union League Club of Chicago
Jekyll Island Club Resort
The American Club