Our Isle of Hope

Isle of Hope, nine miles southeast of Savannah, has been described as “a lazy warmth of land.” It was first settled in 1736 on Savannah’s southern flank as the city’s first line of defense against a Spanish invasion. It grew from a struggling colonial outpost to a sleepy seaside village, to a summer retreat for the city’s elite, to a nationally known resort destination, to Savannah’s choice saltwater suburb. Unlike Savannah, with its relentless planned progress and straight-line street grids, Isle of Hope grew slowly over almost three centuries, gradually fanning out in all directions from a horseshoe bend in the Skidaway River to loop in a network of tree-shaded neighborhoods. This unhurried growth over so many years created a unique community with a rare sense of history.