Life in the Golden Isles

You don’t have to be a bookworm to love our libraries. The facilities are warm and inviting and open to all. The staff is always friendly, knowledgeable and eager to help. There’s space to relax with a book, public computers for browsing the Internet or searching for books, and a children’s section to stimulate young minds. In addition to traditional bound books, Marshes of Glynn Libraries patrons can check out CD’s and DVD’s, audiobooks and eBooks.

The recently renovated Brunswick Library at the corner of Gloucester and Bay Streets offers free Wi-Fi, art exhibits, yoga classes, crafting, movies, book discussion clubs and reading lessons for young children.  They also hold regular workshops on subjects including personal finance, health and job hunting. Meeting spaces available for rent include a large conference room and two smaller meeting rooms.

For area researchers and historians, the Brunswick facility also includes a Heritage Room with records, maps and photographs detailing local history. The Glynn County Law Library offers free access to legal resources for the State of Georgia along with legal research databases.

The St. Simons Island Library is located in the St. Simons Casino Building at the Pier Village. Like its Brunswick counterpart, the St. Simons Library offers free Wi-Fi, public computers, a children’s section, special events and just outside, a spectacular view of St. Simons Sound with comfortable rocking chairs ideal for reading a good book. Locals and visitors are quick to praise the extraordinarily helpful and friendly staff.

The Marshes of Glynn Libraries is a participant in the Georgia Library PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) program. Library card holders who join the PINES network (at no charge) can access books and materials at any of the 52 participating library systems throughout the state and have them delivered to their home library.

For research into an extensive variety of topics, the virtual library GALILEO offers access to over 100 databases including thousands of periodicals, encyclopedias, business directories and government publications. For those interested in learning a new language, GALILEO offers access to the MANGO language learning system.

Some of the Library’s most ardent supporters are members of the Friends of the Library, a fund-raising group that operates a used book store in the Brunswick library and holds semi-annual book sales and sponsors a variety of reading programs. They are always on the lookout for new members.

Any Questions?

One of the reasons we love our work at DeLoach Sotheby’s International Realty is that we get to talk about this beautiful and vibrant area all the time…and share our knowledge with people who want to live in the Golden Isles. So if you have any questions about anything here or need any advice from a local, please give us a call at (912) 638-0406, or email Frank.DeLoach@SIR.com.

And when you’re ready to talk about real estate options, here’s the plan. First of all, we’ll listen. We’ll ask questions. We’ll learn everything we can about what will make you happy. Then we’ll show you around. We’ll use both our real estate expertise and local knowledge to help you find what’s right for you. And after you close and move in, we’ll continue to have your back. Thank you for considering us.

In 1961 Eugenia Price, a writer of inspirational books and early radio soap operas for Proctor & Gamble, stopped by St. Simons Island while on a book tour. It changed her life forever. Inspired by a gravestone in Christ Church cemetery, she wound up writing a trilogy of novels set on the island and resettled permanently in a home not far from Christ Church. She went on to write several more bestselling novels.  

Like “Genie”, countless other creatives have been inspired by this area’s charms. The result is a thriving community of creative artists in just about any medium you can think of. Stop by the pier and there’s a good chance you’ll see a painter, or maybe a professional photographer along with the dozens of snapshooters. Stroll down Newcastle Street in Brunswick and browse in several different galleries. Visit Postell Park behind the library at the Pier Village on any given weekend, and there’s a good chance you will encounter a craft show featuring local artists offering any number of imaginative works.

Glynn Visual Arts, a local nonprofit offers exhibitions throughout the year, art festivals at Postell Park, and classes in painting, pottery and visual storytelling among others. The Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association provides classes, exhibits, live events and performances. They also operate the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Brunswick. Another nonprofit, The Island Players stage performances at the Pier Village Casino Theatre.

If you’re into music, check with your neighbors. There’s a good chance you’ll find a musician living nearby. Music venues are scattered all over the Golden Isles. In the summer, you can enjoy seaside concerts at the St. Simons Lighthouse, or riverside at Mary Ross Park in Brunswick. For classical music lovers, The Coastal Symphony of Georgia holds a series of concerts every year at the Brunswick High School Auditorium; and the Island Concert Association schedules performances by nationally recognized artists. The Golden Isles Youth Orchestra offers classroom instruction, concerts and a variety of programs for local youth interested in classical music.

So if you’re a writer, artist, musician, poet, or just a wannabe, you’ll find inspiration in the Golden Isles. And our Realtors can help you find a home.

Also if you have any questions about life in the Golden Isles, we would love to help you out. Please give us a call at (912) 638-0406, or email Frank.DeLoach@SIR.com.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are currently in place at most venues in the Golden Isles, so visitors should check with each site before planning a trip.

Coastal Georgia Historical Society Museums

The Coastal Georgia Historical Society operates three museums on St. Simons Island. The newest is the World War II Home Front Museum, located in the old Coast Guard Station on East Beach. Several interactive exhibits and oral histories will take you back to the war years when German U-boats prowled the coast, sinking three ships (survivors from two of them were rescued by station crewmembers). You’ll learn about Liberty ship construction in Brunswick, Glynco Naval Air Station whose blimps provided anti-submarine patrols that ended the U-Boat threat, and the Navy’s radar training school at the King & Prince Hotel.

At the St. Simons Lighthouse and Museum, you can climb 129 steps for a pelican’s eye view from the still-active, 148 year-old lighthouse, or cruise through the former Keepers Dwelling which is now a window into the island’s past. Time travelers will enjoy the upstairs period rooms glimpse into 1907.

Not far from the Lighthouse, the A.W. Jones Heritage Centerserves as headquarters of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. There you can shop the museum store, attend lectures, and check out the local history exhibits. If you’re into serious research, you can access their archival collection of over 15,000 items—available by appointment. Also upstairs is a 1,400 sq. ft. event hall, used for weddings, special occasions and corporate events.

The Historic Harrington School 

In the 1920’s, when the majority of St. Simons Island was African-American farmers, tradesmen and sawmill workers, a one-room schoolhouse was built for their children.

It soon became more than a school, evolving into a community center and meeting space. 

When Glynn County schools desegregated in the 1960’s, the school was briefly converted to a day care center and eventually abandoned. In 2004, Glynn County and the St. Simons Land Trust acquired a 12-acre tract along South Harrington Road that included the school. Their original intent was to demolish the badly deteriorated building. That’s when the local community and the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition banded together to create a restoration and fundraising project to save this former community hub. The ribbon cutting and celebration finally came about In August, 2017 at the Historic Harrington School Cultural Center.

Not only does Golden Isles have stunning scenery it’s also rich in history. What’s not to love? If you are interested in making a move in The Golden Isles be sure to contact one of our premium Realtors.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are currently in place at most venues in the Golden Isles, so visitors should check with each site before planning a trip.

Christ Church

The origins of the Christ Church parish date back to the 1736 settlement at Fort Frederica, where John and Charles Wesley preached. Although the settlement disappeared, enough colonists remained so that by 1808 the Georgia legislature chartered Christ Church at Frederica. The original church, completed in 1820 was largely destroyed during the Civil War. The parish then met elsewhere until Anson Greene Phelps Dodge built the present-day church in 1884, and served as its first rector. Today the parish is thriving with almost 1,000 members.

Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum

The Arthur J. Moore Museum, on a street of the same name in Epworth by the Sea on St. Simons Island is the place to go if you want to learn about island history, John Wesley and the origins of the Methodist movement, along with the birth of Methodism in Georgia.

The museum includes exhibits and videos covering the early Native American period, the Colonial era, and the surrounding area’s history–Hamilton plantation, the lumber milling days and Bishop Moore’s founding of Epworth by the Sea. The research library and its extensive collection of archives is available to researchers. 

First African Baptist Church

In 1869 a congregation of former slaves on St. Simons Island came together to construct their own church not far from the ruins of Fort Frederica. A two-story frame building with a steeple, it’s been expanded and renovated over the years, but its original core remains in place. That early congregation was scattered all over the island, but they continued to make what was then a difficult trip every Sunday to attend services. Toward the end of the 19^th century, the congregation began to establish mission churches in other parts of the island. There are no church tours available, but visitors are always welcome at 11am Sunday services.

If you want to know more about the many congregations in the Golden Isles, give one of our Realtors a call.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are currently in place at most venues in the Golden Isles, so visitors should check with each site before planning a trip.

Old City Hall

After four years of construction, at a cost of $33,000 (that’s 1880’s dollars), the new Brunswick City Hall opened for municipal business in 1890. Four years later it gained a clock tower complete with scary gargoyles. In 2004, after official city business had moved to a new location, the building was renovated. Today the resplendent red and grey edifice at Newcastle and Mansfield Streets hosts a municipal court, city commission meetings, and the Downtown Development Authority’s headquarters. It’s open to the public and available for weddings, meetings and all variety of celebrations and receptions.  

Historic Ritz Theatre

In 1899 the Grand Opera House opened in downtown Brunswick as a venue for legitimate theater. The building also included some retail space and the headquarters of the Brunswick & Birmingham Railroad. Not long after, it hosted vaudeville acts. When motion pictures came along in the Roaring Twenties, it was converted into a movie theater, complete with marquee and vertical sign with a new name, the Ritz.

After decades as the place to see a movie in Brunswick, the Ritz fell into a long period of decline, beginning in the late 60’s and 70’s as multiplexes slowly took over. In 1981, the City of Brunswick purchased the theater and began a series of upgrades and reconstruction. Today the Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association operates a totally rejuvenated Ritz, with live performances, classic movies, art exhibits, community events and more.

Jekyll Island Historic District

Jekyll Island has been around for a long time. Native Americans, French explorers, British colonists and plantation owners all stopped by. None of them left much that remains today. However the tycoons of America’s Gilded Age (roughly 1870-1900) left behind an entire neighborhood now known as Jekyll Island Historic District.

After the Jekyll Island Club purchased the island in 1886, its fabulously wealthy members (Rockefellers, Morgans, Astors, Vanderbilts, etc.) built their own getaway mansions. One of the first structures built was the Clubhouse—today’s Jekyll Island Club Resort. Evacuation of the island during World War II put an end to the Club, and in 1947 the state of Georgia bought the island, converting it into a state park. Today, visitors can stay in the Clubhouse and tour the restored homes via an open-air trolley.

Home ownership on Jekyll Island is different. Let us explain. In Brunswick, there are some beautiful and affordable homes. Our Realtors would love to show them to you.

The past is never really past. Things remain. Stories are told. Drawings are made. And since the mid-nineteenth century, pictures are taken. Which is great because at some point most of us get curious about what happened here before. It’s no surprise that this area’s natural beauty and resources have attracted visitors for many centuries. So if you’re curious about the Golden Isle’s past, in this and future posts, we’ll take you to some of our most visited places.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions are currently in place at most venues in the Golden Isles, so visitors should check with each site before planning a trip.

Fort Frederica

After establishing his first colony at Savannah, General James Oglethorpe built a fort and settlement on St. Simons Island in 1736 to defend his southern flank from the Spanish at St. Augustine, Florida. By 1743, almost 1,000 people lived there–British soldiers and farmer-colonists who provisioned them. After the battle of Bloody Marsh removed the threat of invasion and a peace treaty was signed in 1748, the regiment was disbanded and colonists gradually left. In 1758 a fire consumed the entire town and the remains went to ruin. By the early 20^th century, locals became interested in excavating and preserving the ruins, and the Fort Frederica National Monument was established in 1945. 

Bloody Marsh

After a failed siege of St. Augustine by James Oglethorpe, an army of Spanish troops and  ships invaded and occupied Fort St. Simons, then located at the site of today’s lighthouse. Their intent was to overtake Fort Frederica. On their way north, the Spanish were ambushed and routed by Oglethorpe’s small, 50-man force hidden in the woods. Having suffered heavy casualties, running low on provisions and assuming, wrongly, that a British flotilla was soon to arrive, they returned to St. Augustine, never to return. Today, a granite marker commemorating the event stands at the edge of the battle site just off Old Demere Road.

Christ Church Cemetery

The Christ Church cemetery, where many of the Georgia colony’s early leaders and settlers are buried, includes graves from as far back as 1796. The oldest marked grave dates from 1803. Inhabitants include church builder Anson Greene Phelps Dodge, James Gould who designed the original St. Simons Lighthouse, and 20^th Century novelist Eugenia Price. The cemetery is open to visitors from dawn to dusk every day except Mondays.  

After you’ve seen the Colonial sites, let DeLoach Sotheby’s International Realty help you find a home site.

They may not be as tall, but we love our live oaks here in the Golden Isles as much as Californians love their sequoias. A salt-tolerant species, they are the anchor of our maritime forests and they beautify our neighborhoods. They’re huge. They’re beautiful. They give us shade. No two are alike. And they’re old. Some of them are very old.

There are live oaks in the Golden Isles that are older than America. Plantation Oak on Jekyll Island is between 350 and 400 years old, say the experts. Lover’s Oak in Brunswick was there when Columbus arrived! That would be Christopher Columbus. In 1492. A more youthful group, the much-visited Avenue of the Oaks on St. Simons Island was planted in 1850.

Visit Neptune Park on St. Simons Island, especially around dusk, and you’re likely to find photographers capturing images of families, brides and grooms and visiting groups in front of the massive live oaks. 

Today our live oaks are protected, but that wasn’t always the case. From about 1874 to just after the turn of the 20^th century, the Georgia Land and Lumber Company operated lumber mills in the Gascoigne Bluff area. Much of the lumber used in construction of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge came from here. Before that, in the early 1800’s St. Simons lumber was used on “Old ironsides”, the USS Constitution.

The iconic Spanish moss that hangs from virtually every live oak is not really moss. It’s an herb…a bromeliad. It picks up its nutrients not from the trees, but from whatever floats by in the air. The name however has an interesting history. Native Americans called it Itla-okla, or “tree hair”. Hearing this, the early French explorers decided it resembled the beards of Spanish conquistadors and called it Spanish beard. Despite Spanish attempts to re-name it French hair, the French description prevailed, and somewhere over the centuries, it got changed to Spanish moss.

Unlike many other oak species, live oaks are evergreens—alive in winter—hence the name.

If you’re interested in buying Georgia St Simons Island property, Brunswick property, or property on Jekyll Island that has a live oak on it, call DeLoach Sotheby’s International Realty. We know where they are.

Have you ever wanted to take a pure golfing vacation? Think about this. You could come to the Golden Isles for a week, never play the same hole twice and go home a better golfer.

Across the Golden Isles we have 189 holes of golf. Public courses include Heritage Oaks on Brunswick’s Oak Grove Island, the Jekyll Island Golf Club where you will find three 18-hole courses and one 9-hole, the Sea Palms Golf Club, featuring a newly reconditioned 18-hole championship course and practice facility, and the King & Prince 18-hole championship golf course, with marsh island holes and 800 feet of elevated cart bridges.

The Brunswick Country Club is a private facility, but they do offer flexible membership options, including Non-Resident and Seasonal. Then there’s the Sea Island Club, limited to members and hotel guests at The Lodge, The Cloister, and The Inn at Sea Island. Their three 18-hole championship courses, located on St. Simons Island include the Scottish links style Seaside, newly re-designed Plantation, and for a broad range of players— Retreat. Every November, the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic brings many of the nation’s top golfers to the Seaside and Plantation courses. (This year, out of concern for the health and safety of everyone in the community, the tournament will be played without spectators).

Lessons for all skill levels

You’ll also have a chance to improve your game here, with instruction available at all of our golf clubs, including the Sea Island Club’s state-of-the-art Golf Performance Center and Putting Studio, staffed with master teachers.

For the history buff

The game of golf has a long and rich history in the Golden Isles. Way back in 1898, members of the Jekyll Island Golf Club built the area’s first course. Not the most inspiring facility according to lore, but a start. In 1927 Howard Coffin, who had just purchased Sea Island, opened the Walter Travis designed Plantation Course. A year later, the Jekyll Island Golf Club opened their own new course, designed by the renowned Travis. Several more followed, creating today’s exceptional golf landscape. 

Several PGA touring pros are currently living in the Golden Isles. If you would like to join them, give one of our Realtors a call. We’ll be happy to help you find golf nirvana.

If you were a pirate and buried your treasure on St. Simons East Beach say 10 or 15 years ago, and came back looking for it today, you would be out of luck. The sands here are forever on the move. Coastal breezes, storms and most of all the huge tidal swings are forever changing our shoreline. Speaking of tides, they range from about 7 to 9 feet, so there’s always more beach available at low tide.

St. Simons Island beaches

The most popular beaches on St. Simons Island are Coast Guard Beach, Massengale Park and Gould’s Inlet. Massengale has shade trees and picnic tables with grills, restrooms, a children’s playground and outdoor showers. Coast Guard Beach has a bath house with showers and restrooms, shaded picnic area, a concession stand (open in summer), lots of parking and a very wide beach. The adjacent old Coast Guard station now houses the World War II Home Front Museum. The beach at Gould’s Inlet is beautiful and wide, but more susceptible to shifting sands. And because it’s an inlet, offshore currents can be strong. Best to stay close to shore. There’s an outdoor shower and water hose available, and limited parking.

Jekyll Island beaches

With ten miles of shoreline, Jekyll Island has seven public beaches. All have a variety of facilities at the beach or close by. The most popular beaches tend to be in the center of the island, including Oceanview and Great Dunes Parks, and Corsair near the Beach Village. South Dunes Park has a large tree-shaded picnic area. Farther south at the soccer complex is Glory Beach, where portions of the 1989 Civil War drama Glory were filmed. The long, straight boardwalk leading to the beach was originally constructed by the production company. Near the southern tip of the island, St. Andrews beach actually faces west, looking out over Jekyll Sound opposite Cumberland Island.

The most famous, and certainly most unique beach on Jekyll Island is Driftwood Beach. A favorite spot for locals and wedding planners, it’s often referred to as a tree graveyard. Over the decades, several large oaks have been uprooted by the tides and their greyed-out remains and twisted branches create a starkly beautiful landscape…or seascape. To get there, head up to the north end of Jekyll on North Beachview Drive, just past Villas by the Sea. Limited parking is available on the west side of the road.

If you would like to relocate to a place with this many beaches and a mild climate, give DeLoach Sotheby’s International Realty a call.

Here’s a Halloween idea. Dress up as a tree spirit. “What’s a tree spirit?” you ask. If you spend any time on St. Simons Island, you might encounter one.

Tree spirits are faces carved into a few of our Live Oaks—some sorrowful, some majestic, all mysterious. For well over 30 years, visitors and residents have been encountering these arborescent faces. Many have no idea how they got there. So naturally, quite a few legends have grown up around them.

Many believe they commemorate sailors who have lost their lives at sea in wooden ships constructed from the area’s Live Oak timbers. Some are said to be the images of Native Americans who lived here long before the arrival of Europeans. But how did they get here?

Back in the early 1980’s, artist Keith Jennings carved a face into a tree in his back yard. Everyone who saw it loved it. Soon he was doing it on commission and tree spirits were appearing all over the island…many of them on private property.

So what’s the story behind them? If you ask Keith Jennings, it’s a lot like asking a songwriter the meaning behind one of his/her most popular compositions. “The trees do it all,” he says. “I don’t have that much to do with it. The wood speaks to you.”

OK, is he claiming to hear tree voices?

Not at all. Like so many of us who live on this very special island, he feels a connection with the trees. Each one is unique, and he gets his inspiration directly from the tree. And if you’ve ever loved a particular tree or perhaps a forest, you probably know what he’s talking about. And when you see a tree spirit, you’ll likely derive your own meaning from it.

Sadly however, tree spirits are not eternal. They age. As the trees grow and change, their shape can change. Sometimes that adds even more character and mystery. Sometimes nature gets the best of them. Insect infestations, overgrowth, and wood rot can deface or cover them up. Some are gone because the trees died of old age and had to be removed.

But the good news is that Keith is still at it, together with his son, Devon. Working with the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, he will be adding more spirits on public property, accessible to everyone. Stop by the St. Simons Welcome Center at 529 Beachview Drive, see the carving in their parking lot and pick up a map showing all the public locations.   

On rare occasions, a home with a tree spirit on the property might come up for sale. If you’ll get in touch with one of our Realtors, we’ll send you a speedy alert.  

In the Golden Isles, life on the water is every bit as diverse, fascinating and scenic as life on land…maybe more so. If you’re lucky enough to own a boat, power or sail, there are so many places you can go…so many things to see. Rivers, estuaries, creeks, Intracoastal Waterway, St. Simons Sound, the Atlantic Ocean. Whatever kind of boating you enjoy, it’s here.

Fishing enthusiasts will find trout, redfish, flounder and whiting inshore. Go offshore for cobia, snapper, grouper and amberjack…not to mention sharks and tarpon. (If you’re over 16, you will need a fishing license. Learn all you need to know here.) Sailors can catch a breeze on St. Simons Sound and offshore. Our inshore waters are mostly calm, so you can enjoy a sunset cruise, sightseeing and watching the maritime wildlife.

But stay away from the shrimp boats. They attract a cloud of seagulls and you don’t want to be under that.

Be safe out there

Do talk to other boaters and marina operators about water depths and shoaling. We have a very high tidal swing due to our location at the center of the Atlantic bight, so our waterways are constantly shifting about. Local knowledge and a depth sounder are essential. And local knowledge is available, along with slips, dry storage, supplies and maintenance at six local marinas. There are launch ramps at most of the marinas and public ramps at several other locations in the area. For more information, click here.

Other maritime options

If you don’t have a boat, you can rent one or join a boating club. Or you can sign up for a fishing or sightseeing charter. There are dolphin cruises, sunset cruises and ecotourism boat rides. For a truly memorable experience, especially for the kids, catch a ride on the shrimp boat Lady Jane. For the adults, we even have a floating casino, the Emerald Princess. 

There’s always something different happening on our Golden Isles waterways. If you enjoy living on the water contact one of our local Realtors to learn about home buying options.