The Millionaire’s Club That Owned an Entire Island in Georgia Until WWII Shut It Down

Jekyll Island Club, Georgia

The Great Depression and World War II finally killed the Jekyll Island Club in 1942. But for 56 years before that, it was the ultimate rich people’s playground where Vanderbilts and Rockefellers escaped northern winters.

Here’s the story of their Georgia island kingdom, now a public resort that welcomes everyone.

A Playground for the Nation’s Elite

Newton Finney and John Eugene du Bignon worked seven years to create this private retreat. Their plan drew fifty-three of America’s richest business leaders as founding members.

Lloyd Aspinwall became the first president in 1886, with Judge Henry Elias Howland as vice president. Sadly, Aspinwall died after just five months, and Howland took over. Chicago architect Charles Alexander designed the clubhouse while Horace William Shaler Cleveland laid out the grounds.

The Iconic Clubhouse Opens

The Jekyll Island Clubhouse opened in January 1888. It featured a distinctive turret that became the club’s most famous feature. Construction started in August 1886 and finished by November 1.

The club officially opened when the executive committee arrived on January 21, 1888. Inside, members gathered in formal clothes for dinner in elegant dining rooms. They enjoyed fine wines and meals made from local ingredients and fresh game.

The clubhouse became the heart of all social activities throughout the club’s history.

Lavish “Cottages” of the Wealthy

William Rockefeller started building “Indian Mound” in 1892, one of the first private homes on the island. Architect Gordon McKay spent almost ten years on this project, finishing in 1904.

Though called “cottages,” these buildings were actually mansions. Members built eighteen of them across the island. Richard Teller Crane Jr., who inherited the Crane plumbing fortune, built Crane Cottage in 1917.

With its sunken garden, fountains, and upper terrace, it was the largest and most lavish home on the property.

Sans Souci – America’s First Condominium

J.P. Morgan and five other members built Sans Souci in 1896, creating one of America’s first condominium buildings. The three-story structure had six luxury apartments. “Sans Souci” means “without worries” in French, reflecting the carefree lifestyle members wanted.

The floors, stained glass, stairway, and skylight are still original today. This shared living arrangement appealed to members who visited less often or preferred apartment living while still keeping their privacy and sharing building costs.

Leisure Activities of the Millionaires

Club members filled their days with many outdoor activities away from business pressures. They hunted wildlife that was specially imported for them, including pheasant, quail, turkey, and deer.

In the 1890s, they formed bicycle clubs and raced on the beach. They also played croquet, lawn bowling, and tennis on well-kept grounds. Members rode horses through island forests and along beaches.

As time passed, golf replaced hunting as the favorite activity, and hunting grounds were turned into golf courses and tennis courts.

The Secret Federal Reserve Meeting

In November 1910, Senator Nelson Aldrich organized a secret meeting at Jekyll Island. Six men gathered to create plans for America’s banking system reform.

The group included Aldrich, Treasury official A. Piatt Andrew, banker Henry Davison, Aldrich’s secretary Arthur Shelton, National City Bank president Frank Vanderlip, and banking expert Paul Warburg.

They called themselves the “First-Name Club” to stay anonymous during travel. Their work formed the basis for the Federal Reserve System in 1913. The meeting stayed secret until the 1930s.

The First Transcontinental Phone Call

In 1915, Jekyll Island hosted America’s first coast-to-coast phone call. AT&T President Theodore Newton Vail made this historic call from the Jekyll Island Club. Vail connected with Alexander Graham Bell in New York, Thomas Watson in San Francisco, Henry Higginson in Boston, and President Woodrow Wilson in Washington, DC.

Before this, people could only communicate across such distances by telegraph or mail. This breakthrough changed how Americans talked to each other and did business across the country.

The Golden Age of the Club

Jekyll Island Club thrived from 1919 to 1927 after World War I. Despite growing competition from Florida resorts, the club remained popular and exclusive. Membership stayed strong, and social activities reached their peak during these years.

The wealthy continued their yearly trips to Jekyll Island, arriving in private transportation for the winter season. Frank Gould built Villa Marianna in 1928, the last of the eighteen cottages built during the club era.

Walter Jennings, Standard Oil’s Vice President, built Villa Ospo during this same wealthy period.

Golf Transforms at Jekyll Island

In 1924, the United States Golf Association used Jekyll Island to test new golf equipment. These tests changed the sport forever. Experiments led to replacing wooden hickory shafts with steel clubs. They also tested balls and found that lighter ones flew better.

Walter J. Travis designed Great Dunes Golf Course for Jekyll Island Club in 1926. He used the coastal land to create a beautiful and challenging course that became known as one of Georgia’s best.

The Club’s Decline and Final Days

The 1929 stock market crash started the club’s downfall. Membership dropped as even the richest Americans changed their spending during the Great Depression. The club lowered membership costs in the 1930s to attract new members, but these efforts failed.

World War II dealt the final blow in 1942 when most male staff left to join the military. In March 1942, the club announced an early end to the season due to money problems and worker shortages.

Despite hopes to reopen after the war, 1942 marked the end of Jekyll Island Club.

Visiting Jekyll Island Club

You’ll find Jekyll Island on Georgia’s coast, midway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida. The island is a state park with 5,700 acres of natural beauty, including 10 miles of beaches and the historic Jekyll Island Club district.

The Jekyll Island Historic District includes the Jekyll Island Club Resort at 371 Riverview Drive. The 240-acre National Historic Landmark district contains 33 structures from the millionaire’s club era.

Read More from WhenInYourState.com:

• Georgia’s Mysterious Island Where Wild Horses Roam Among Carnegie Mansion Ruins
• The Savannah Church That Helped America’s First Black Baptist Congregation Survive Slavery
• The Battle That Almost Won the War for the Confederacy Happened in This Georgia Forest Near Chattanooga