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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/547789aa-74a2-4cd6-b5d1-81c83d3ecb78/Barbees-Pavilion-From-Bluff-Drive-scaled.jpg https://iohha.org/documents daily 0.75 2025-01-09 https://iohha.org/historicdocumentspage daily 0.75 2025-01-28 https://iohha.org/documentspage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://iohha.org/historicfigurespage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/cfd7b473-90ba-48d9-a934-ab65717df2e3/Collections-HISTORIC-FIGURES-Noble-Wimberly-Jones.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/58377679-da24-4369-89a3-345a2f0acb3a/500px-Gallie-11-179x300-1.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/9620d3f1-a1b4-470c-bcd9-624714000476/18521125-IOH-Stolen-Horse-Reward-1-300x89-1.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/f20d3a86-420b-47cf-807b-60b11ce176d7/17971027William-Parker-1-300x145-1+%281%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/8b89cc1a-6959-47dc-9889-a109bb1815c3/Claghorn-Photo-WIP-3-198x300-1.png https://iohha.org/mapspage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/c06458cf-068b-497f-8c78-7bdfe2642d9d/Maps1.jpg MapsPage Sixteen years after the founding of Isle of Hope, cartographer William DeBrahm identified the settlements of “Cap: Jones” and “Henry Parker Esq: President” on his topographic map of the coast of Georgia. He did not identify Isle of Hope itself, only these two individual settlements. This was the first time any landmark on Isle of Hope had been identified on a map. This map is a magnified view of the small portion of DeBrahm’s map that relates to Isle of Hope. DeBrahm’s entire map, entitled, “A Map of Savannah River Beginning at Stone-Bluff, or Nexttobethel, which Continueth to the Sea, also the Four Sounds Savannah, Hossabaw, and St. Katherines and their Islands”, depicts hundreds of miles, first along the Atlantic Ocean and then up the Savannah River border with South Carolina. This is one of DeBrahm’s earliest maps in colonial America. He would later become Surveyor General of Georgia and South Carolina and is considered one of the great mapmakers of the eighteenth century. The detail relating to Wormsloe includes Noble Jones’ four bastion fort and his “garde haus” protecting the river route south of Savannah. Henry’s Parker’s home is also shown on northern Isle of Hope. The straight-line, clear-cut vistas between the two settlements, which were used for trails and signaling, are also shown. Color-coding identifies the island’s bluffs, marshes, pine barrens, and oak lands. (Special Thanks to Forrest Willoughby) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/19e98bf4-1190-499b-9f01-1e5c96175487/Maps2.jpg MapsPage This is detail from the earliest map that identifies Isle of Hope. The larger map, by renowned cartographer Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres (1722-1824), shows the Atlantic Coast from St. Catherine’s Island in the south to the May River in the north. DesBarres created The Atlantic Neptune, a four-volume atlas that is considered the most important collection of maps of North America in the eighteenth century. The detail relating to Isle of Hope shows three different settlements along an unlabelled waterway that is the Skidaway River. These three settlements correspond with the three original settlement on Isle of Hope dating back to 1736, forty-four years before the map was created. The first settlement shown in the south of Isle of Hope corresponds to the land grant for the Jones property at Wormsloe. The second settlement in the middle corresponds to the original property of John Fallowfield, who left the colony in 1742. His property was forfeited and later also given as a land grant to the Jones family. The third settlement corresponds to the original property settled by Henry Parker and given in a land grant to his wife Ann after his death. (Special Thanks to Forrest Willoughby) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/f6bfde5b-60da-4af2-b5a5-a462cc890137/Maps3.png MapsPage This beautiful, hand-colored map shows Isle of Hope at the time of the Revolutionary War. In 1778, the British under Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell invaded Georgia and captured Savannah and Augusta. In 1780, Campbell created a much larger, uncolored map based upon his military campaign along the Georgia coast and up the Savannah River. His complete map provides information about the siege of Savannah as well as other towns, plantations, and roads in colonial Georgia his troops encountered during the British invasion. Isle of Hope played no role in Campbell’s Revolutionary War military operations. The part of Campbell’s map relating to Isle of Hope contains far less detail than other areas of his map where his troops were active. Isle of Hope is depicted as a heavily wooded, sparsely populated island. There are only two settlements shown on the island, one for Jones and one for Parker, two of the families who first settled Isle of Hope in 1736. Both settlements are depicted as cleared land surrounded by wilderness. The Jones settlement, which depicts Wormsloe plantation, shows a single structure. The Parker settlement farther north upriver shows four structures. Parker’s settlement is labelled “Parker’s Ferry,” indicating that there was a ferry to Skidaway Island from the north end of Isle of Hope. Across the river on “Skedway Island” was a road leading to the interior of the island. This ferry was short-lived. Later maps of Isle of Hope do not show a ferry on the north end of the island, instead showing a ferry to Skidaway Island on the southern end of Isle of Hope near Long Island. The few roads depicted on Campbell’s map are straight lines. One is a road from the mainland to Parker’s Ferry along what would now be near Skidaway and Parkersburg Roads. The other two roads are clear-cut paths between Parker’s Ferry and the Jones’ settlement and between Jones’ settlement and the “Orphan House” at Bethesda. Those two clear-cut trails, straight as arrows, served not only as roads but also as signaling systems between the settlements. Outside of these two settlements, Isle of Hope is depicted as untouched forest and completely uninhabited. This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/9d4d369d-4c0f-467b-bcb8-b939ab5119e7/Maps4.jpg MapsPage This checkerboard map by Isidore Stouf shows the first subdivision of Wymberley and the beginnings of the Bluff Drive properties as we know them today. From 1736 until 1810, the first three generations after Isle of Hope was settled, the 500 acres of the Wimberly Plantation was a single, undivided piece of property. In 1810, when this map was created, Wimberley Plantation was owned by one woman, Mrs. Sarah Jones Glen, the granddaughter of one of Isle of Hope’s original settlers, Noble Jones. Noble Jones received the land directly from King George. Noble left the land to his son, Noble Wimberly Jones. Noble Wimberly Jones gave the 500 acres intact to his daughter Sarah. Sarah had a plantation house, kitchen, and gardens at Wimberly Plantation when she died in 1804. She was a widow, having outlived her husband, John Glen, who had been Savannah’s mayor and the first Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Sarah and John had thirteen children. Ten were living when Sarah died. This map was needed because Sarah’s will did not provide details on how the entire 500 acres should be allocated among her many children. She only specified the recipients of two five-acre lots. She gave her the five-acre riverfront lot with her plantation house to her oldest daughter, Margaret Glen Hunter. Margaret received special treatment because she also was a widow, as her husband had been recently killed in a duel. Sarah Glen also set aside a second five-acre river lot for son Noble Glen. How to divvy up the remaining 490 acres turned into something of an ordeal. After five years, Sarah’s sons and daughters finally reached an agreement that the property should be re-surveyed and then subdivided into a one group of 5-acre riverfront lots and another group of larger interior lots. The siblings would draw lots and select their lots in order. This map shows the re-survey of the land just prior to the drawing and lot selection. The re-survey revealed that Wimberly Plantation included 582 acres, 82 acres more than previously known. The map shows the selected lots with their owners’ names. The names of Thomas Bourke, John Grimes, George Milner, and A.S. Bulloch are the names of the husbands of Sarah’s daughters. This subdivision of Wimberly Plantation in 1810 would be the largest subdivision of the land until James Richmond developed the Wymberley subdivision in the 1950s. There are several important Isle of Hope landmarks shown on the map. The Skidaway Road of present day is identified as “Road to Ferry of Skidaway” and ends at a point on southern Isle of Hope known as Ferryman’s Point. Parkersburg Road is identified as the “Road to Parker Pt.” The Skidaway River is shown as the “Warsaw River.” The five-acre riverfront lots, known as the “Wymberley Lots”, show the beginning of the modern property boundaries along Bluff Drive. Interestingly, the Glen family plantation house is shown on the map and identified as “Wimbally”, However, the land called “Wamberly” on the text in the map’s legend. Over a hundred years later, James Richmond would name the area “Wymberley.” That is certainly better than “Wamberly”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/ff8a65b4-80ad-4dbc-8234-e5fd81f689e8/Maps5.jpg MapsPage This map is based on a tracing of the resurvey map by John McKinnon as described in its transcribed map legend. The colored boundary lines noted in the legend have been added from the original map. As the legend states, the map documents the two-part subdivision of the Parker tract comprising the north end of the island, circa 1800, but also includes the property boundaries of William Parker’s heirs, not mentioned in the legend. This copy also includes later boundary lines of the Thomas Henderson property (in red) and other details not on the original map. (Special Thanks to Karl Schuler) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/3a25218d-fe92-4a34-9d6e-eb97b0e2ed80/Maps6.jpg MapsPage This map is an 1881 tracing of an 1846 map which showed the division of Dr. William Parker’s large land holdings on northern Isle of Hope. Dr. Parker was the grandson of Henry and Ann Parker, the original settlers of the northern 500 acres of Isle of Hope. William Parker died a childless widower in 1838 and left portions of his property to his nieces and nephews, Alexander and James Maxwell, William Parker Bowen, Mary Amelia and Ann Mathews White, and Robert Guerard, many of whom are identified on this map. William Parker also willed 10 acres of land on the Bluff to Christ Church, which are shown on the map and labeled the “Church Lots”. Not surprisingly, present day Parkersburg Road is labelled on the map as “Road to Dr. Parker’s”. The map shows far more of Isle of Hope than Dr. Parker ever owned, particularly in the Wymberley area. The “Wymberley Lots”, the group of the five-acre lots along the Bluff which were divided under the will of Sarah Jones Glen, are labeled. “Wormslow Road” and the road from “Skidaway to Savannah” are shown in southern Isle of Hope. Owners of the properties throughout the island are identified and the map gives an important roster of Isle of Hope landowners at the time. The original 1846 map was traced in 1881 in connection with a land purchase by Charles Henry Seton Hardee that year. The maps includes great detail about the area around on northern Isle of Hope around “Lot 4”, the property being purchased by Hardee. That property became known as “Whitehall’. At that time, Bluff Drive was 70 feet wide and extended all the way to the north end of the Bluff in front of the houses. That portion of Bluff Drive has been blocked off for many years now. (Special Thanks to the Hardee Family) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/98da8363-a3f4-4df3-ae00-fb1347849a29/Maps8.png MapsPage This map gives a glimpse of Isle of Hope just after the Civil War. Savannah mapmaker Charles Platen worked several years to create a topographical map of all of Chatham County, relying on 37 original deeds, maps, and surveys of portions of the county. He then spent seven months in Philadelphia with a printmaker ensuring that the produced lithographic maps, some nearly 4 feet by 6 feet in size, were perfectly printed. In December of 1876, The Savannah Morning News proclaimed Platen’s work “the handsomest lithographic map in America” and stated, “As a work of art, it is a magnificent specimen, and as an accurate and complete map of the county, its equal has never been seen, and its value cannot be overestimated.” Platen’s map is the first map to show a railroad to Isle of Hope. The Savannah, Skidaway & Seaboard Railroad had reached the island in July of 1869, six years before. Strangely, on Platen’s map, the name of the railroad is printed in mirror-writing and “Skidaway” is misspelled “Scidaway.” The topography of the Isle of Hope is shown with lowlands and swamps colored in green and separated by dotted lines from higher ground colored in yellow. Property lines are shown with the nine “Wymberly Lots” and four “Church Lots” along Bluff Drive blocked off in black. Many of these riverfront lots are intact today. Fort Wimberly and the Jones family mansion are identified in Wormsloe. Skidaway Road is shown leading from the causeway to a bridge connecting Isle of Hope to Long Island, long gone today. LaRoche Avenue, not to be built for a quarter century, is nowhere to be seen. (Special Thanks to Forrest Willoughby) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/70f82458-b84e-473b-986e-c14b671f0cf6/Maps9.jpg MapsPage This map is condensed from the topographic survey map of Chatham County completed by county engineer, Richard Blandford. It documents in detail topographic features such as dams, canals and earthworks, including vestiges of Civil War earthworks. Details also include locations of roads, buildings, cemeteries and other features that in some cases are otherwise undocumented on maps. Numbered coordinates on the 1000-foot grid mark distances south, east and west from the old City Exchange, the current location of City Hall. (Special Thanks to Karl Schuler) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/328af74c-8fc7-460f-a3a1-4dbe299e1cca/Maps11.png MapsPage In 1901, the Savannah Morning News commissioned civil engineer Percy Sugden to prepare a map of Chatham County. The purpose of the map was to spotlight the many advantages Chatham County presented to prospective business owners, such as its large port and waterways, its extensive railroad system and terminals, and its many roadways and streetcar circuits. The entire Chatham County map was published with an accompanying article in a two page spread in the April 4,1901 edition of the Savannah Morning News. The map above is a portion of that larger Chatham County map and focuses on Isle of Hope’s connections to downtown Savannah. Two streetcar lines are shown running from Savannah to Isle of Hope. The Savannah, Thunderbolt, and Isle of Hope Electrical Railway and The City and Suburban Electrical Railway each ran separate rail lines from midtown Savannah out to the Sandfly streetcar station. Once at Sandfly, a single rail line ran from the Sandfly streetcar station across the marsh and to the depot near the bluff at Isle of Hope. Major roads are shown, some labelled and some not. The Skidaway Shell Road and the new LaRoche Avenue, Isle of Hope’s two connectors to Savannah, are identified. Parkersburg Road and Bluff Drive on Isle of Hope are shown with the locations of houses, but these roads are not identified. Grimball Point and Grimball Creek are specifically identified. Grimball Point Road, shown but not identified, leads from the center of Isle of Hope out to Grimball Creek, where five houses are shown grouped on the shoreline of the creek. (Special thanks to Forrest Willoughby) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/4f78801d-b4f8-4156-9fca-f880008bc8ff/1902LarocheMap.jpg MapsPage In 1897, Walter LaRoche proposed the idea of a new, shorter road only to Isle of Hope. The LaRoche family had lived on Isle of Hope since the 1860s when Walter’s father Isaac bought a 50-acre tract of land. LaRoche’s solution not only slimmed down the size of the original beltline idea, but it also reduced its cost through a clever engineering plan. LaRoche’s plan had the new road branch off the county’s existing interior roads and follow the curvature of the coast along the Herb River until it reached the north side of Isle of Hope. There it would connect with an abandoned military causeway temporarily used by soldiers during the Civil War. At the end of the causeway, a new section of road would be constructed to reach the north end of Bluff Drive at the Wylly Place. From there, the existing roads off the island would complete a circuit back to Savannah. Under LaRoche’s plan, Chatham County would finally have its coastal beltline road and it would not have to build a costly new causeway over the marshes on the northside of Isle of Hope. To pressure Chatham County to build the road, LaRoche drew up a petition and circulated it to Isle of Hopers and other southsiders. 600 signed it. Chatham County agreed to build the road and even named it, “LaRoche Avenue.” Construction began in 1900 and was completed two years later. Originally intended to be a clay road, the county later decided to “harden” the road and pave it with gravel and chert. With the opening of LaRoche Avenue, the drive to Isle of Hope and back was praised as “one of the prettiest and most pleasant in the country.” Buggy and wagon traffic to the island increased and so did the number of automobiles. Dozens of automobiles visited Isle of Hope each Sunday after the completion of LaRoche Avenue and the paving of Bluff Drive in 1902. (Special thanks to Forrest Willoughby) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/bc3a4444-f705-42fd-9ca6-5c5568f692a0/Maps13.jpg MapsPage In 1908, the Savannah Automobile Club, with several Isle of Hope representatives on its Executive Committee, hosted the annual championship races of the Automobile Club of America. The Grand Prize race, whose course is shown by this map, was truly an international competition with German, French, Italian and American entries among the twenty teams. One of the reasons Savannah was selected as the race site was its splendid roads and beautiful scenery, especially along the circuit of roads in its waterfront suburbs, including Isle of Hope. These roads formed the 25-mile course that the racers would lap sixteen times with a winning average speed of 65 mph. The course included straightaways where speeds reached 100 mph. However, the stretch at Isle of Hope, from Skidaway Road to Parkersburg Road to Bluff Drive to LaRoache Avenue, had several sharp turns that greatly reduced the speed to 37 mph. One race car of team Italia ran off the course at Isle of Hope and did not finish. (Special Thanks to Dr. John Duncan) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/632d74ea-a30d-4d19-9fc1-fa5ddeade6bf/Maps14.jpg MapsPage Civil engineer W.O.D. Rockwell’s map provides a detailed plan of the Wormsloe plantation and surrounding areas at the outset of the twentieth century. Landmarks at Wormsloe depicted include the long entrance avenue, the old colonial fort “Fort Wymberly,” and the confederate battery “Battery Wymberly,” as well as hammocks, pine woods, open fields and dams. The location of the Jones family mansion and outbuildings are shown as dots at the end of a road and marked, “Wormsloe.” Shown outside the boundaries of the plantation are Long Island in its entirety and just a bit of Skidaway Island with two bridges, the “long bridge” and the “short bridge,” connecting Isle of Hope to Skidaway Island via Long Island. Portions of undeveloped, pre-James Richmond Wymberly are shown. Present day Parkersburg Road is labelled “To Parkersville.” Also shown outside of Wormsloe boundaries is the route of the Savannah Electric Railway electric streetcar line, “The People’s Electric Railway,” across the island to Isle of Hope’s river bluff. The Savannah Electric Power Company had assumed charge of the streetcar to Isle of Hope in 1902, six years prior. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/a7ec85a7-196a-4771-acda-63ac844e60f9/Maps15.png MapsPage Illustrated in 1930 by Charleston cartographer Augustine Thomas Smythe Stoney, this map provides a pictorial annotated guide to two scenic drives from Savannah’s urban center to Wormsloe Plantation on Isle of Hope. The early 20th century was marked by the rise in popularity and affordability of the automobile, which created opportunities for many Savannahians to explore beyond their immediate surroundings. Coupled with the expansion of the Good Roads Movement, a new swath of paved concrete roads in Savannah enabled city dwellers and tourists to enjoy a pleasurable drive out to the newly opened Wormsloe Gardens. Stoney’s whimsical map, entitled “How to Get to Wormsloe Near Savannah, Ga.”, was the perfect road map to encourage this adventure. Minding Stoney’s written instructions to “Follow the ARROWS”, the map provides two illustrated routes to navigate from City Hall in bustling downtown Savannah to Wormsloe in the lush azalea and live oak-filled riverside landscape nine miles away. Opting for the coastal route, one would travel south out of the city before turning east onto Victory Drive, where one might glimpse swimmers enjoying an afternoon at Daffin Park lake. Turning south at the “Concrete Cross Roads” onto Skidaway Road and then a slight shift southeast onto LaRoche Avenue, one would enjoy an enchanting view of the river marshes before turning onto Norwood Avenue for a short drive leading to the Isle of Hope causeway and Wormsloe’s grand arched entranceway. The alternative interior route offered a different, more rural experience. Travelling south on Bull Street and then White Bluff Road, one would pass nearly five miles of trees, fields and an occasional church or house. Upon reaching Montgomery Cross Road, where a filling station, store, and working farmland could be found, one would turn east for the last leg of the journey eventually reaching Skidaway Road leading to the final destination, Wormsloe. Both road adventures would have provided a visual and mental escape from the city, allowing one to take in the sights and smells of the natural landscape captured by the artist’s whimsical roadside vingettes. A. T. S. Stoney (1894-1949) was an accomplished illustrator, cartographer, surveyor, civil engineer and army officer. He was the son of Samuel Gaillard Stoney, a Charleston businessman and plantation owner, and Louisa Cheves Smythe. He served in the U.S Army in Europe during World War I and returned to military service in 1942 for World War II serving in North Africa. Between his periods of military service, Stoney used his draftsman skills to produce numerous architectural drawings, pictorial maps, and surveys, which included locations scattered throughout South Carolina and Georgia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/8194cc5d-7579-4fb8-bf45-d1a64d52c8a7/Maps16.jpg MapsPage This 1916 Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map provides amazing detail of Isle of Hope’s Bluff area from just over a hundred years ago. Beginning in 1867, Sanborn created maps for thousands of cities across the country to assist with property insurance. The maps included not only typical map features, such as streets and property boundaries, but also included the size, shape, and site of all structures, both residential and commercial. Sanborn had created earlier maps for Savannah in 1884, 1888, and 1898. The 1916 Savannah map was the first Sanborn map to include Isle of Hope. This map focuses on the area in the center of the island along the Skidaway River, which at that time was dominated by the businesses and buildings of Alexander Barbee, the Terrapin King. Barbee had been operating at Isle of Hope now for over twenty years with a series of partners, first with George Willett, then with J.H. Bandy, and finally with his son, Willie. The business had grown from a restaurant in the train depot to the sprawling operations shown on this map. A new and improved pavilion and restaurant dominated the waterfront and included a bathhouse, a boathouse, and a pool. (This two-dimensional map does not show the diving tower, popular with island children.) Across the street was Barbee’s Diamond-Back Terrapin Farm with tin-covered sheds housing eighteen terrapin crawls for thousands of turtles. Nearby was an ostrich pen, home to Marguerite the ostrich and her ostrich friends, an aviary with a pool for birds, and a zoo, which at various times had a sloth, a tiger, a monkey, an anteater, wildcats, and assorted snakes. The map shows our Lady of Good Hope Chapel and the Isle of Hope Methodist Church. An African American church is identified on Parkersburg Road, near the current site of the Isle of Hope School. The school identified in the map is across Parkersburg Road. There is no St. Thomas Episcopal Church, which explains why there is not yet a St. Thomas Episcopal Avenue. Many other streets look familiar and have familiar names, but some have been renamed over the years. Bluff Drive is named River Road and Rosenbrook Avenue is Depot Lane. Many Bluff residences shown on the map are still standing, including Liberty Hall at 25 Bluff Drive, (marked by no. 223), the cottages at 27, 29, 31, and 33 Bluff Drive, (nos. 229-232), and 35 Bluff Drive (no. 233). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/1fc86c3b-7d76-49a8-acac-b24f141629ac/Maps17.png MapsPage This map shows James Richmond’s vision for his subdivision “Wymberley” and was included as a centerfold in the sales brochure for the development. The layout of the subdivision as built differs slightly from this early map. Note that only three streets are named at the is time, Noble Glen Drive, Avenue of Pines, and Richmond Drive. Richmond would later name the other streets after the prior owners of the Wymberley land (Col. Estill Avenue and Flinn Drive), his wife (Dorothy Drive), and his daughters (Nancy Place and Diana Drive). A few notable homes are illustrated along with a few jumping fish and some seagulls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/ff82570f-c65f-4abe-8644-c8fff1b99312/Maps18.jpg MapsPage This wartime photograph, labeled “SECRET”, provides a spy plane’s view of Isle of Hope. While there is no residential development in Wymberley or Paxton Heights in 1942, there is cleared land on north Isle of Hope that is the start of a new subdivision. Isle of Hope’s Skidaway River waterfront is lined with docks and looks very active. It does not appear to be a “No Wake Zone” in the 1940s. Barbee’s operations are clearly visible with the diving tower reaching skyward. The Skidaway Road and LaRoche Avenue causeways can be seen cutting through the surrounding marsh as well as the streetcar causeway reaching from Central Avenue towards Norwood. Roads and clearings on Wormsloe among its densely wooded forests. The rest of Isle of Hope is also densely wooded. Away from the Bluff, the greatest areas of clearing are on northern Isle of Hope. That will change in the coming years. (Special Thanks to Forrest Willoughby) This map is owned by IOHHA and protected by U.S.and international copyright laws. Reproduction and distribution without the written permission of IOHHA is prohibited and illegal. © Isle of Hope Historical Association 2026. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/bfaf7ff8-c33e-40b8-a05f-0d25ce275ad5/Maps6.jpg https://iohha.org/videospage-1 daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://iohha.org/noelsnotespage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://iohha.org/noelsnotespage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/f5c613ef-105c-4356-b985-99a05f8f932d/BarbeesZooNoisyBunch.jpg https://iohha.org/scenespage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/ab777e98-c6ee-4f82-b175-2728fb769bbc/men-10.8.jpg ScenesPage Mr. Lacey and Col. William L. Grayson (1870-1941) drink mint juleps on the front porch of #9 while dressed in white linen suits and white bucks. Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/99ee4827-78f4-463f-a530-ae0fc10c587c/Scenes_2.jpg ScenesPage Two Muellers, a Bell, and a Dog on the Grayson Dock With 9 Bluff Drive in the background, Bille and Lynne Mueller, granddaughters of the Graysons, and Betty Ann Bell pose for a photo taken with the Grayson’s Brownie camera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/e27151a8-f58d-41da-8c9f-05329a04a341/Scenes_3.jpg ScenesPage Mary Bell Grayson has sauntered across Bluff Drive to the family dock for a better view of the river. She does not look disappointed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/119efeae-19a1-459a-bf22-72882c7686da/Scenes_4.jpg ScenesPage Little Bille Mueller, Bathing Beauty With her bathing cap on, Grayson granddaughter Bille Mueller (1929-2016) leaves 9 Bluff Drive and heads across the street for a dip in the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/1c4f5bab-733e-40c4-a7b6-26a7c4a1a96d/Scenes_5.jpg ScenesPage Mary Julia Bell Grayson at 9 Bluff Drive A beaming Mary Bell Grayson (1909-2001) stands tall in front yard of the Grayson home at 9 Bluff Dr. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/748458c6-afdf-487f-a66d-81b28f47953d/Scenes_6.png ScenesPage The Waite Family Poses with a Porchfull of Lil’ Waites In 1912, Mrs. Frank Grimball Waite and six Waite children pause briefly for a family photograph. Frank Grimball Waite, nowhere to be seen in the picture, must be the photographer. We can’t help but wonder, “Why is there a ladder on their roof?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/4775bdd8-2ac2-4740-ab38-91c9114e0a4c/Scenes_7.png ScenesPage The Six Children of Frank Grimball Waite The four boys and two girls of Frank Grimball Waite pose in their Sunday best. None of the boys have any shoes on, although two do have on ties. All are squeaky-clean with freshly combed hair. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/fda33813-eae0-4758-bbfc-1ce7f0843dae/Scenes_8.png ScenesPage The Frank Grimball Waite House Post-Move The Frank Grimball Waite family home, now at 118 Hopecrest Avenue, was moved to this spot from the family settlement near the Herb River, where the Waites had lived for many years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/bc805d47-0a38-4df6-9c64-abc375787e38/Scenes_9.jpg ScenesPage The View from Pre-Barricaded Bluff Drive in 1939 Bluff Drive used to extend all the way to the end of the northern Bluff. This photograph shows the river view from Marshbanks in 1939 and captures a portion of the now barricaded Bluff Drive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/c6de7c27-e888-4b25-89dd-0fc6b28600b9/Scenes_10.jpg ScenesPage Carlton Theus on the Steps of Marshbanks in September 1927 A laughing Carlton Theus sits in his wicker baby carriage in front of Marshbanks. Life is good on Isle of Hope. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/22028cd6-4cfb-4255-9f9e-f4531c3682f5/Scenes_11.jpg ScenesPage Carlton Theus on the Marshbanks Lawn Carlton Theus basks and bakes in the summer sun in August of 1927. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/92c0c281-4572-469f-9fc5-e2eeabefe31f/Scenes_12.jpg ScenesPage Easter 1928 on the Lawn of Marshbanks Mrs. Theus and son, Carlton, enjoy the Easter morning sun on their front lawn at Marshbanks. The family automobile stands ready for a Sunday drive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/0f289669-3a5d-4ace-8137-48a2caddab77/Scenes_13.jpg ScenesPage Marshbanks Antique Shop Behind Marshbanks was a cottage that Mrs. Theus used to restore antiques. Here she recanes a seat for a chair. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/f685b6cc-6215-4c03-b15c-278b243497e6/Scenes_14.jpg ScenesPage Marshbanks, the Theus Family Home This is a photograph of Marshbanks, the Theus family home on the north end of the Bluff at Isle of Hope in July 1927. There never was a better named house than Marshbanks, which stood on the Skidaway River’s edge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/c3b91a0a-227a-4b7a-96ff-3174b5c659df/Scenes_15.jpeg ScenesPage A Schwalb Family Oyster Roast Fred “Pete” Schwalb enjoyed hosting oyster roasts on Sunday afternoons at Liberty Hall. This photograph was taken in the early 1940s. Note the man in uniform. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/7bb686a4-bcee-4221-b4e6-a30259adfe6c/Scenes_16.jpeg ScenesPage “Linda Lou”, the Schwalb Family Boat This 1938 photograph shows Fred Schwalb’s boat at the dock in front of Liberty Hall with Bluff Drive cottages visible in the background. Fred was an avid fisherman who piloted the Linda Lou on many an outing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/178a50a1-4232-4c19-9c2f-2989d7962966/Scenes_17.jpeg ScenesPage Liberty Hall, the Schwalb House, at 25 Bluff Drive Fred Schwalb purchased Liberty Hall from the estate of the late A.P. Solomon Sr. in the late 1930s. There once was a two-story dock in front and a large camelia garden in back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/9bd7b47e-9241-40b0-a1d6-30dc659a16c8/Scenes_18.jpeg ScenesPage Major John Frederick Schwalb Fred “Pete” Schwalb, 1899-1955. Owner of Liberty Hall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/a27a5754-0adc-41b9-81b9-e155ee75b5d0/Scenes_19.jpeg ScenesPage Little Miss Schwalb of Liberty Hall https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/1c59cadf-bd51-432c-b833-80546cfa0c7d/Scenes_20.jpeg ScenesPage Schwalb Family and Friends at Liberty Hall Enjoying a summer day at Isle of Hope are Palmer Sullivan, Charlotte Sullivan Schwalb, Mrs. Palmer Sullivan, and George Mercer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/a84f08d1-f171-4b39-b1b6-c8fd9e43330e/Scenes_21.jpeg ScenesPage Sunday Morning at the Schwalbs Little Ann Marie Schwalb is dressed in her Sunday best as she heads to church around the corner at Our Lady of Hope Chapel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/fb96ebc3-b24c-4501-a9e1-60f581b6dad3/Scenes_22.jpeg ScenesPage Liberty Hall at the Corner of Bluff Drive and Parkersburg Road in 1939 A screened-in porch at Liberty Hall overlooked a car in the front yard, an unpaved Bluff Drive, and a gorgeous view of the Skidaway River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/6a2e1592-aac3-4f70-a415-980c86592ed1/Scenes_23.jpeg ScenesPage Soldiers at Liberty Hall Fred Schwalb hosted a Sunday oyster roast at 25 Bluff Drive for Army Reserve soldiers after their weekend exercises. https://iohha.org/memoirspage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://iohha.org/postcardspage daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/0f4a8bda-f387-4609-a270-9f2e589ff973/5_Shell-Road-IOH-Savannah-GA.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/95195bbd-fad5-4ad7-a125-52a7f7f42883/WormsloePostcards.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/6a2fabe7-401d-467a-b712-a58f590a761d/SavannahRaces.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/eb2a3d7a-71ee-4ae7-a6df-8b3a60c84fd8/Barbees.jpg https://iohha.org/bluffdrivepostcards daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/02b8c6ab-6f43-4933-b249-bd2e3b74d40a/1_View-along-Shore-IOH-Savannah.jpg BluffDrivePostcards View along Shore, Isle of Hope, Savannah From Bluff Drive, one has a continuous view along the snaking Skidaway River, which is part of the 3,000-mile-long Intracoastal Waterway, an inland water route connecting the eastern and gulf coasts of the United States. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/51b7588a-1889-4dc5-83de-f2eeca967a08/2_Scene-at-IOH-Savannah-GA.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Scene at Isle of Hope, Savannah, GA The ‘Scene at Isle of Hope’ postcard captures a quintessential view of Bluff Drive at the turn of the 20th century, with young live oaks dotting its edges and giving a hint of the grand canopy to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/46d5b581-49f4-4153-9843-7143efa3f309/3_Midst-the-Oaks-and-Palms-IOH-Savannah.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Midst the Oaks and Palms, Isle of Hope, Savannah In the midst of the oaks and palms that border Bluff Drive, blossoming azaleas and camellias add bright bursts of color punctuating the view. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/70760c78-6295-4050-97c2-46521e6d9512/4_Driveway-at-IOH-Savannah-GA.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Driveway at Isle of Hope, Savannah, GA The Good Roads Movement of the late 1800s was greatly expanded in the early 20th century with the advent of the automobile; it brought with it, a new impetus for improving rural roads, like Bluff Drive, and providing a faster, safer and more enjoyable driving experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/66161fa2-d6af-4931-8aca-c929b2181c16/5_Shell-Road-IOH-Savannah-GA.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Shell Road, Isle of Hope, Savannah, GA With an abundance of oyster shells available during the mid-19th and early 20th centuries, came an inexpensive, visually attractive and much less dusty alternative to replace the sandy roads of the past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/63c9172e-dfa0-4eb3-9584-7908c99cc7ed/6_Savannah-GA-Shell-Road-IOH.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Savannah, GA, Shell Road, Isle of Hope Driving or walking along the shell road that was Bluff Drive in the early 1900s, one would have seen a variety of picturesque homes nestled amongst the oak trees, including those featured in this postcard: 63 Bluff Drive in the background and 67 Bluff Drive in the foreground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/b226d1ea-5fe5-4c77-9bc7-3ed14b561572/7_Oaks-at-IOH-Savannah-GA.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Oaks at Isle of Hope, Savannah, GA Bluff Drive has gone through several transformations and name changes over the centuries. Originally referred to as ‘the road along the bluff’, it was eventually given the apt name of River Road in the early 1900s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/a317e12b-6be0-4b5a-9bdf-7495fcd5545f/8_Isle-of-Hope-located-on-the-Skidaway-River.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Isle of Hope located on the Skidaway River, Savannah, GA Venturing along Bluff Drive, whether by foot, bike or car, one is certain to be mesmerized by its canopy of great oaks laden with Spanish moss and its bright splashes of flowering azaleas and camellias that beckon one to explore what lies ahead. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/344f371c-56cc-4b6c-baa5-958dd075f3f9/9_IOH-Savannah-GA.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Isle of Hope, Savannah, GA There was a time when the entire stretch of Bluff Drive wasn’t always accessible to take in the views by horse drawn carriage or motor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/108f77a9-07f2-471b-a91e-d9e4db77d38a/10_IOH-River-Front-Savannah-GA.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Isle of Hope, River front, Savannah, GA The riverfront stretch of land resting between Bluff Drive and the Skidaway River was an important hub of recreational and commercial activity, attracting many a fisherman, oysterman and crabber to its abundant waters full of local catch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/83f5d117-c782-4ed4-9eaf-a996902da4da/11_Along-the-Road-IOH-Savannah-GA.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Along the Road, Isle of Hope, Savannah, GA Bluff Drive offered an unparalleled vista for taking in the graceful rowers coasting along the Skidaway River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/3dfb4f6e-e28b-44ca-9567-16b56dded9ac/12_IOH-GA-Looking-South-from-Barbee-and-Sons-Restaurant.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Views from Barbee and Sons Restaurant https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/66ac5f5d-90e3-4ac0-82b8-2f4b20da5285/13_Waterfront-View-IOH-Savannah-1.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Waterfront View Isle of Hope Savannah Whether enjoyed by a meandering stroll, through the lowered window of a car or in the open air of a bateau, a sunrise, a sunset, or a moonrise along Bluff Drive is magical. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/1b3859ca-e220-450a-9a42-079908994ea8/14_IOH-GA-Looking-North-from-Barbee-and-Sons-Restaurant.jpg BluffDrivePostcards Views from Barbee and Sons Restaurant https://iohha.org/postcardspage-1 daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/f06f0dda-c8b4-49e8-865d-9a74c3631e59/LifeAtWormsloe.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/95195bbd-fad5-4ad7-a125-52a7f7f42883/WormsloePostcards.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/04f0394b-fd68-4ff5-932e-590e369995bf/EyesOfAnArtist.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/558dccb9-a3bd-4a9d-83b5-3960e5bf3649/PerservingHistory.jpg https://iohha.org/lifeatwormsloepostcards daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/2097673d-b418-4655-bc30-e3fec239d366/1_Wormsloe-The-Mansion-at-Wormsloe1.jpg LifeAtWormsloePostcards Views from the Wormsloe House Views from the Wormsloe House On certain occasions, the main residence of the DeRennes was included as part of the public walking tours of Wormsloe during the 1930s. Visitors were allowed to tour the first floor of the mansion and, as an added bonus, to venture to the roof for a sweeping view of the expansive grounds and the river beyond. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 330] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/bd76fe93-9f49-4685-9d66-7e0f0035f4d8/2_A-Restored-Slave-Cabin.jpg LifeAtWormsloePostcards A Restored Slave Cabin A ticket to Wormsloe Gardens not only included access to its formal gardens, it also allowed visitors to view the historic ruins of Noble Jones tabby structures and a restored slave cabin. As one of the original eight frame slave houses built during the 1850s at Wormsloe, it was surrounded by a paling fence to protect the small enclosed kitchen garden from unwanted foragers. [DeRenne Family Papers, https://crew.uga.edu/files/PlacesinTime13.pdf] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/4a189ca4-db77-4ac9-af93-2ed182ee6487/3_Liza-in-Front-of-the-Cabin.jpg LifeAtWormsloePostcards Liza in Front of the Cabin With the opening of Wormsloe Gardens to the public in 1927, the DeRennes hired Liza to provide visitors with a glimpse into the interior life and domestic responsibilities of those who once lived in the former slave cabin. “Old South” food staples, including coffee and hoecakes, were prepared and made available to visitors. [Swanson, Wormsloe’s Belly] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/d43e5d1c-584d-4ef7-bef7-1aee35150b6b/4_A-View-Inside-the-Kitchen.jpg LifeAtWormsloePostcards A View Inside the Kitchen Outfitted with a variety of 19th century cooking and laundering tools, the restored slave cabin displayed a butter churn, waffle irons, batter cake irons, pots, cranes (used for hanging pots over the fire), spiders (three legged stands designed to support kettles and pans) and a plethora of other useful utensils. Also on view were a “fanner” basket and pestle used for the laborious tasks of separating rice from the chaff and removing the husk, along with flat irons and fluting irons used for smoothing and ruffling fabric. [Cooking Tools of the Trade, https://www.nps.gov/fosc/learn/education/cooktools.htm] [Sunday Magazine, Marcy 24, 1929, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/56798289-d4f2-49fd-afbd-f403cf75c574/5_Wormsloe-Fort-Wymberly.jpg LifeAtWormsloePostcards The Ruins of Fort Wymberly Fort Wymberly, Noble Jones’ colonial era military outpost at Wormsloe, protected the river route to the south of Savannah against an invading army and acted as the country residence for the family. Constructed of tabby, a combination of lime, water, sand, ash and oyster shells, the fortified ruins have attracted visitors and artists alike throughout the years. Starting in 1933, visitors had the added opportunity to view artifacts excavated from the ruins, including glass bottles, ceramics and metal objects, on display at the library. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 330-331] https://iohha.org/gardensandgroundspostcards daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/9940d2d1-3d9c-4645-87e7-b1508df2373b/1_The-Historic-Treasures-of-Wormsloe-Gardens.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards The Historic Treasures of Wormsloe Gardens The formal Wormsloe gardens featured old flagstones that originated from England and were once used as ballast to enhance a ship’s stability. They were arranged to create a series of pathways connecting the gardens and leading visitors to explore its historic treasures. A few of these unique pieces included bronze statues sculpted by artist Louise Allen, an ancient iron fountain with metal water lilies, and a round well-head made of stone and supported by cobbles from the streets of historic Savannah. [Catron and Eaddy, Seeking Eden, 350] [The Junior League Magazine, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/0f9d215f-1557-40d2-9744-c6458e8d8d60/2_The-Italian-Marble-Columns-of-Wormsloe-Gardens.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards The Italian Marble Columns of Wormsloe Gardens Augusta DeRenne was the visionary behind the unique design of Wormsloe’s Colonial Revival style gardens. Visualized from a second-floor window of the main house, she put idea to paper and drafted her own plans for its construction. She was a known expert in ornamental garden design and historic southern garden plants through her connections with horticulturalists, botanists and gardeners. The first, and largest, of the three interconnected gardens of Augusta DeRenne’s Colonial Revival garden was rectangular in shape and featured a prominent row of stately freestanding Italian marble columns. Their carved Ionic capitals served as supports for twining Lady Banks’ rose vines, and it is rumored that the columns once adorned the main entry of the famed Spalding House of Sapelo Island. [The Macon Telegraph, March 24, 1929, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/ab82438a-efd6-4ab3-a9e8-41e40da917c7/3_A-View-Fit-for-Fireworks.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards A View Fit for Fireworks Where were the first firecrackers fired in Georgia? It is believed that the first firecrackers brought to Georgia were launched from the sweeping branches of one of the old oak trees of Wormsloe, providing a curated group of guests with a spectacular view. They were gifted to Wymberley Jones DeRenne by his good friend John Elliott Ward, Ambassador to China, on his return trip home to Savannah in 1861. [Early County News, March 21, 1929, https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/123315e5-2383-469b-8ae3-f5bd4d604c6c/4_Mulberry-Trees-and-Silk-Production-at-Wormsloe.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards Mulberry Trees and Silk Production at Wormsloe Among the seemingly endless bright bursts of azaleas and Spanish moss, visitors might chance upon a mulberry tree while exploring the grounds. Soon after establishing Wormsloe as the family’s country estate, Noble Jones joined the new colony’s experiment to become a center of silk production by planting white mulberry trees on the grounds. These trees provided the leaves necessary to feed the silkworms, allowing them to grow and to spin raw silk. Ultimately, the silk experiment proved unsuccessful for both the greater colony of Georgia and the efforts put forth at Wormsloe. [Catron and Eaddy, Seeking Eden, 346] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/33e1a1d9-a776-423b-851b-c06b86fd6f6a/5_Traveling-by-Train-to-View-Wormsloe-Gardens.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards Traveling by Train to View Wormsloe Gardens The Central of Georgia Railway advertisement read, “The beautiful historic Wormsloe Gardens of the DeRenne family are fast growing in popularity with lovers of beautiful flowers. The famous W. G. DeRenne Georgia Library now open to the public daily has become a haven for those interested in things of historical value.” For just $14.54 round trip, Blakely, Georgia residents could take advantage of this not-to-miss offer to travel comfortably by train across the state to Savannah to enjoy the abundant flowers of the newly opened Wormsloe Gardens. [Early County News, March 20, 1930, https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/07bddce5-06a5-4512-b73b-5eb9929e1ce0/6_43-1-scaled.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards The Gnome Garden The gnome garden, sometimes called the “brownie garden”, was designed as the final of the three interconnecting gardens and was situated to the southwest of the original formal garden. It featured a central pool with an iron fountain, a collection of jugs and jars, and imported German gnome statues. From the iron water lilies decorating the pool to the blooming Calla lilies of the garden, visiting children most preferred the fanciful gnomes. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 328] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/b0d9f47c-db96-4930-8fcb-5483b4e2f9ec/7_Beautiful-and-Functional-Spanish-Moss.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards Beautiful and Functional Spanish Moss Wormsloe is famous for its abundance of Spanish moss that drapes from the branches of its oak trees, from the never-ending arched canopy welcoming visitors, to its faithful appearance at nearly every turn of the grounds. Its Latin name is Tillandsia usneoides, and rather than a moss, it is an epiphyte (air plant) that originates from the pineapple family. Aside from its beauty, it has served many functional uses throughout history, from being spun and woven into cloth, to being used as a binding ingredient in plaster, to being used as stuffing for the cushions of Henry Ford’s Model-T cars. [Ogeechee Riverkeeper, https://www.ogeecheeriverkeeper.org/tag/spanish-moss/] [When Money Grew on Trees, https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/341940] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/2f4755bd-c0af-4eed-b218-718c00af5725/8_Wormsloe-Gardens-Lawn.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards Wormsloe Gardens In Bloom As a popular tourist attraction in the 1930s, it was the brilliant colors and abundance of Wormsloe’s blooming azalea bushes set under a canopy of oak trees and Spanish moss that were often most advertised to entice visitors. Much of the grounds were covered in Algerian ivy, creating the sense of a lush wilderness in contrast to the cultivated formal gardens. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 328-329] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/6f69790e-f47c-4d44-a26c-41923a53531f/9_Flowering-Dogwood-Avenue.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards Flowering Dogwood Avenue Aptly named Dogwood Avenue, this postcard captures the unpaved drive at Wormsloe coming alive with beautiful flowering dogwood trees in the spring. Its Latin name, Cornus florida, translates to “horn,” referring to the hardness of its wood, and “full of flowers,” referring to its abundant white or pink blooms. Throughout history, the density of its wood proved extremely useful to indigenous tribes for making toothbrushes, daggers and arrows, and to settlers for making hay forks, mallets, cogwheels, crochet hooks, knitting needles, and even printing blocks. [Taylor, Plants of Colonial Days, 37] [History of the Dogwood Tree, https://www.gardenguides.com/93373-history-dogwood-tree.html] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/e1d3c60e-f230-4ee8-ba1a-3690eaaa0f3e/10_Wormsloe-Gardens-and-the-Ladies-Garden-Club.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards Wormsloe Gardens and the Ladies Garden Club The first garden club in America was founded in January 1891 as The Ladies Garden Club of Athens, Georgia. Garden clubs provided knowledge and support for women like Augusta DeRenne to transform domestic, urban, and suburban sites into purposeful and aesthetically-appealing landscapes. Serving as a successful model, DeRenne’s creation of Wormsloe’s Gardens helped to encourage women in Georgia and beyond to engage in the practices of landscape design and management [National Garden Clubs, https://gardenclub.org/history-and-mission] [Swanson, Remaking Wormsloe Plantation, 148] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/1c750bbb-1662-4f40-9b6b-6e4f6d63cae4/11_A-Place-for-Reflection-at-Wormsloe.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards A Place for Reflection at Wormsloe Acting as an accompaniment to the formal gardens, much of Wormsloe’s landscape resembled a lush wilderness of flowering azaleas and camellias spread beneath the oaks for as far as the eye could see. Visitors could wander the oyster-shell paths that meandered throughout the flowered masses of vegetation and rest on one of the many stone benches to enjoy the peacefulness of the reflecting pools. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 328-329] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/ca83a412-3101-48f3-8021-21ba0f7f775b/12_Azalea-Gardens-and-The-Tea-Room.jpg GardensAndGroundsPostcards Azalea Gardens and The Tea Room A trip to Wormsloe Gardens during the winter and spring months afforded visitors the opportunity to enjoy lunch at the Junior League-operated Tea Room, while spending the day leisurely exploring the gardens. Containing thousands of brightly-colored flowers including azaleas, camellias and hydrangea, along with a wide collection of native shrubs, evergreens and trees laden with Spanish moss, visitors were sure to find beauty and peacefulness meandering the grounds regardless of the season. [Early County News, March 12, 1931, https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/] [Visit Wormsloe Garden pamphlet, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://iohha.org/throughtheeyespostcards daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/79ec779f-984d-4c2a-893a-6c113a0978f4/1_The-Wormsloe-House-and-its-Victorian-Improvements.jpg ThroughTheEyesPostcards The Wormsloe House and its Victorian Improvements Christopher Murphy, Jr. was known for having a keen interest in architecture and, while living in New York City, took classes at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design modeled on the teachings of the French École des Beaux-Arts. His captivating drawing of the Wormsloe House, with its Victorian-style improvements added by W. J. DeRenne during the late 1800s, exemplifies his appreciation and knowledge of architecture through his acute attention to detail. [Bragg, Wormsloe Plantation, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/wormsloe-plantation/] [Klacsmann, Christopher Murphy Jr.”, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/christopher-murphy-jr-1902-1973/] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/1e795f32-bc0d-4c24-9b4b-74f5bf0d81fd/2_The-Tabby-Ruins-of-Fort-Wymberly.jpg ThroughTheEyesPostcards The Tabby Ruins of Fort Wymberly The Tabby Ruins of Fort Wymberly Drawing and painting outdoor scenes in and around Savannah appealed to Christopher Murphy, Jr. who enjoyed capturing the daily life of the bustling downtown as much as the quietude of the waterfront and rural areas. In Ruins of Fort Wymberly, his careful layering of foreground, middle ground and background create an illusion of space that makes the viewer feel as if they can step into the tabby ruins of Noble Jones former home. [Klacsmann, Christopher Murphy Jr, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/christopher-murphy-jr-1902-1973/] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/90f5cf84-83a6-4e2f-b84a-4acff3094e35/3_The-Classic-Lines-of-the-DeRenne-Library.png ThroughTheEyesPostcards The Classic Lines of the DeRenne Library Artistically framing the W. J. DeRenne Library in a forward-looking position, gazing towards its marsh front setting, Christopher Murphy, Jr. shows off its stately classic lines in a powerful stance. Softened by the moss-draped oaks and palm trees, a cannon believed to be used against the British in 1812 sits out front guarding the marble-stepped entrance leading to the spacious library chamber beyond. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 284] [Savannah Morning News, 80th Anniversary Edition, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/95c0e65e-6028-4980-a756-797231245d2f/4_A-Glimpse-Inside-the-DeRenne-Library.jpg ThroughTheEyesPostcards A Glimpse Inside the DeRenne Library Bookcases filled to capacity, stretching from floor to ceiling, family portraits on prominent display, a stack of firewood at the ready and a roaring fire set the cozy scene of Christopher Murphy, Jr.’s rendering of the W. J. DeRenne Library. Centered on the intricately carved Gothic-style fireplace emblazoned with the Wormsloe name, the artist’s strokes come together to evoke a feeling of pride and show the importance placed on the pursuits of art and learning by the DeRennes. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 284] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/9b5bf4ec-c625-4c67-a6c5-102f4b2ca3c5/5_The-Entrance-Gates-in-Light-and-Shadow.jpg ThroughTheEyesPostcards The Entrance Gates in Light and Shadow It’s easy to imagine that Wormsloe would be attractive to artists and photographers eager to capture its gardens, lush landscape, architectural structures and crumbling ruins. One of these artists was Christopher Murphy, Jr., a Savannah native and son of two well-known artists, whose drawings and etchings of Wormsloe were exhibited throughout the United States. His adept drawing skills, developed under the tutelage of his parents and honed at the Art Students League of New York City, can be seen through his careful rendering of light, shadow and texture in The Entrance Gates. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 333] [Klacsmann, Christopher Murphy Jr.”, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/christopher-murphy-jr-1902-1973/] https://iohha.org/perservinghistorypostcards daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/ac76393e-355b-4af3-90e0-04216fb6e2f9/1_Unrivalled-View-and-Collection-at-the-Library.jpg PerservingHistoryPostcards Unrivalled View and Collection at the Library Completed in 1908, the grand architecture of the Wormsloe library proudly stands with a beautiful view of the marsh overlooking the river and sits just a short distance away from the main house. Its unrivalled collection of books, manuscripts and original letters attracted well-known historians U.B. Phillips and Charles and Mary Beard to come calling to Wormsloe to explore its trove of materials and enjoy its lush grounds. [Greenberg, Collecting Georgia History: Five DeRennes and Their Books, 465] [Wormsloe Tour document, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/74c4e6eb-9781-4745-b0e3-36753f9178d2/2_The-DeRenne-Library-Family-Portraits.jpg PerservingHistoryPostcards The DeRenne Library Family Portraits In addition to the W. J. DeRenne Library housing one of the country’s most valuable and expansive private collections of Georgiana, it provided a stately backdrop to showcase a series of family portraits painted by notable artists of the time. These paintings included: Noble Wymberly Jones by Charles Willson Peale, George Wymberley Jones DeRenne by Carl Brandt, and Wymberley Jones DeRenne by Gari Melchers. Artists Carl Brandt and Gari Melchers both held highly prestigious roles at Savannah’s Telfair Academy, with Brandt serving as its first Director, and Melchers serving as its Fine Arts Advisor. [Telfair Museum website, www.telfair.org] [Wormsloe Gardens pamphlet, Savannah Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/9d1bec79-b60b-4167-a5f2-54b3588ae55c/3_The-DeRenne-Library-and-the-Wormsloe-Press.jpg PerservingHistoryPostcards The DeRenne Library and the Wormsloe Press A bibliophile and historian, George Wymberley Jones DeRenne not only collected books, but also established the Wormsloe Press which printed many rare and interesting items in limited editions. Among its publications was the first book edition of Ik Marvel’s “The Reveries of a Bachelor,” a collection of musings on adolescence, marriage, home life, and leisure that became one of the most popular books of the 1850s. [Spiro, Reading with a Tender Rapture: Reveries of a Bachelor and the Rhetoric of Detached Intimacy] [Wormsloe Gardens pamphlet, Savannah Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Historical Society Vertical Files] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/f4a5aac7-9878-4b37-a6cf-e0ed766d1135/4_Wormsloe-Library.jpg PerservingHistoryPostcards Wormsloe Library Designed by Savannah architects Henrik Wallin and Edward Warren Young, the library at Wormsloe features Ionic columns and wide marble steps, resembling a dignified Greek temple. Perhaps, most importantly, in order to alleviate W. J. DeRenne’s growing concern over the safety of his valuable collection, the architects utilized concrete, marble and tile construction to create a completely fireproof structure. [Bragg, DeRenne Three Generations of a Georgia Family, 283] https://iohha.org/savannahracespostcards daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/23bb8804-8769-42ae-abd9-08cbe0c4947a/1_Savannah-Races-IOH-Causeway.jpg SavannahRacesPostcards Isle of Hope Causeway During The Great Savannah Races The racers in the 1908 Great Savannah Race made 16 laps of the 25 mile course. The Isle of Hope causeway led the racers to Bluff Drive before they headed back into Savannah, only to turn and come back again and again…. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/6c668697-16e5-4707-86d2-6f14a73bdde2/2_Savannah-Races-Bluff-Drive-Course.jpg SavannahRacesPostcards Banked Curve On Bluff Drive During The Great Savannah Races The 1908 Great Savannah Race course had 32 “scientifically constructed curves,” this one along Bluff Drive. The banked curves helped the racers maintain maximum speed and avoid a trip in the river! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/94155dfa-a7e7-469c-be0c-8c97487c9a81/3_Race-Bluff-Drive-With-Mile-8-Marker-1-scaled.jpg SavannahRacesPostcards Great Savannah Race Mile Marker 8 This stretch of the 1908 American Grand Prize Race had automobile racers dodging trees and a telephone pole. A little farther along Bluff Drive, you can still see the 8 mile marker for the original race course. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/13c85938-588f-4174-8230-993186acd850/4_Convicts-Grading-Laroche-Curve-scaled.jpg SavannahRacesPostcards Convicts Grading A Curve On La Roche A massive amount of work on the race course was done before race day in 1908. Some roads were widened, some were banked, some roads were constructed from scratch. Four miles of new flat, straight road were constructed on Norwood and Ferguson Avenues. Most of the work was done with convict labor. Here convicts prepare La Roche Avenue for the racers while a guard oversees their work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/2057ea9f-cc01-475e-9656-e4ec483a26cc/5_Bluff-Drive-Car-and-Telephone-Pole-BW.jpg SavannahRacesPostcards Grand Prize Automobile Course Approaching Isle of Hope Before the Great Savannah Races, ordinary automobiles were allowed to drive over the race course. Here along Bluff Drive, a regular roadster creeps along the course heading toward the hard left turn at La Roche Avenue. At this speed, there is no danger of overturning. https://iohha.org/barbeepostcards daily 0.75 2025-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/8ff6cc7a-bc6a-41c4-83c7-4cd3ec3d4e37/1_20-scaled.jpg BarbeePostcards Bogging for Terrapin Terrapins live in the coastal marshes and swamps of the South Atlantic. Alex Barbee would travel as far as south as Fernandina to gather the terrapins from local fisherman. Some were caught by “bogging” in the wetlands, while others were caught in the water using seine nets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/d1a5aa00-6ba6-4b1e-be21-98371a50a11a/2_BarbeesZooNoisyBunch.jpg BarbeePostcards The Noisy Bunch at Barbee’s Zoo You would think that a terrapin farm would be quite quiet, but not Barbee & Son’s Diamondback Terrapin Farm, where the concession stand was home to three parrots, two cockatoos, a pair of terriers, a pack of pugs, and a random assortment of dogs of undetermined breed. Unleashed dogs are a longstanding tradition at Isle of Hope. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/3c94be56-b497-4601-9991-fa020f764f6d/3_BarbeesBirdandFowlAviary.jpg BarbeePostcards Barbee’s Bird and Water Fowl Aviary Barbee’s had two pools, one for people and one for his birds. His bird pool, located across the street from his restaurant and pavilion, was the focal point of his aviary, where peacocks pranced and all manner of water fowl waddled. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/605dbbc5-dde2-4e1a-873f-35364475c155/4_BarbeesOstrichPenbyRailroadDepot.jpg BarbeePostcards View at Barbee’s Location, Location, location. Alex Barbee certainly took advantage of a perfect site for his business. The front of his pavilion and restaurant was at the terminus of the streetcar line, across from the depot. Here the conductor and motorman pose before making the return trip into town. The back of the pavilion and restaurant extended over the Skidway River. Bluff Drive passed in front of Barbee’s, allowing automobiles to pull right up front. And few businesses overlook an ostrich pen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/b75220e2-b9ea-490a-89a8-d38379197f5b/5_10-scaled.jpg BarbeePostcards Terrapin Farm Alex Barbee’s night watchman, Dan the dog, stands guard over one of the eighteen terrapin crawls. Note the tree trunk support posts. Running through the center of the terrapin “stockade” is a water trough that was flooded several times a week. In the foreground is a small nesting mound where cows laid their eggs before Barbee collected them for incubation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/c60b36ba-7de3-4b91-bc05-549e843d26a5/6_6-scaled.jpg BarbeePostcards A Good Catch With fancy restaurants paying Alex Barbee $3 a terrapin, it is clear there was a strong economic incentive for his turtle wranglers to wade into marshes looking for their own big pay day. It is not clear why they would go on a muddy turtle roundup in white shirts, ties, and fedoras. A good catch will pay for laundry bills. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/b1ff0587-a11a-4573-882b-c73991c91700/7_4-scaled.jpg BarbeePostcards A Good Catch, Colorized This is an example of a black and white postcard that had been colorized. As colorized, these terrapin boggers certainly love pastel shirts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/071f551c-5da5-4ec2-83e0-61414215e2d7/8_5-scaled.jpg BarbeePostcards Barbee’s Pavilion Alexander Barbee opened a new improved pavilion on May 6, 1903, to replace the old pavilion that burned to the pilings in an accidental fire on February 6, 1903. The new operation sold refreshments on the first floor and had a dining room on the second. Vaudeville entertainment was given on the large pavilion with dancing also available when the floor was cleared. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/9574e64a-1709-44db-9315-5b3d810af54a/9_18-1-scaled.jpg BarbeePostcards Isle of Hope’s Pavilion All is quiet at Barbee’s pavilion during the daytime at dead low tide. The pavilion is deserted, the river water pool is dry, the diving tower is empty, and bateaus for hire sit unused. This scene will soon change. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/539d1729-67cf-4db6-95fa-099ba8e64930/10_11.jpg BarbeePostcards Alex Barbee and His Terrapin Farm A terrapin farm is different from other farms. Instead of open outdoor fields, there are covered pens with tin roofs. Instead of dark, fertile soil, there is fine, gray sand. Instead of beaming sunshine, there is dense shade. And the harvest at a terrapin farm will crawl away if you do not watch out! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/955dfc92-7993-44f3-a835-870a6b36f392/11_13-2-scaled.jpg BarbeePostcards How to Care for a Baby Terrapin In this postcard, “How to Care For a Baby Terrapin,” Alex Barbee describes the proper way to feed and raise a pet turtle. Guests could purchase a turtle at Barbee’s Terrapin Farm for $1.50. Note that the care of a terrapin is so complicated that Barbee had to change to a smaller font in order to make his instructions fit on the front of postcard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/85e3dec6-1793-4779-a89f-adabff930fff/12_3.jpg BarbeePostcards Alex Barbee’s Musical Room with Toby the Terrapin at the Piano In addition to the terrapin farm, pavilion, zoo, and carousel, Alex Barbee also had a special music room next to his restaurant. In it, every piece of furniture, fixture, or tchotchke made a musical sound. Laying on the bed, sitting in a chair, and picking up a knickknack all caused a tune to play. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/dcc22458-e528-4576-b727-29baffbbe1bd/13_Barbees114.jpg BarbeePostcards Doctoring Terrapin Barbee & Son’s was a full-service terrapin farm and even had a “hospital department,” one of the terrapin crawls set aside for the care and convalescence of crippled turtles. There Barbee cared for terrapins with scars and corns until they were healthy enough to be used as soup stock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dc58567c07858b53e57c1/19e7dd6d-f7f8-40a9-97d6-f365e279712e/14_21.jpg BarbeePostcards Souvenir of Isle of Hope During the heyday of Barbee & Son’s, Isle of Hope was a nationally known tourist destination. 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