Isle of Hope

Isle of Hope is located in Chatham County, Georgia.  The name alone is an invitation to stop in for  visit.  Isle of Hope is located just a few miles from Savannah.  When one pictures a beautiful old southern town, Bluff Drive in Isle of Hope fits the bill.  The elite in Savannah built their summer cottages in this historic community on the Skidaway River.  The oak trees lining Bluff Drive are massive with Spanish moss hanging off their limbs making it difficult for the sunshine to make its way to the road.  The front porches are as inviting as the people in this community. 

Isle of Hope is in fact, not an island.  Folk lore abounds that this area was used by pirates to hide their booty.  It is also been said that the French Huguenots used this area as a refuge from persecution.  One some early maps, the name of this peaceful location is L'Isle Desperance. 

Right around the bend in the road from Isle of Hope Marina is Wormsloe Historic Site.  The remains of the fort built by Noble Jones along the Skidaway Narrows.  Noble Jones was granted this tract of land in 1733  by James Oglethorpe who founded the colony of Georgia.  A visit to this site today is a must.  To visit by bike is an even better treat.  The descendants of Noble Jones still inhabit a home on this site.   There is a museum which houses artifacts from the early fort along with the story of its development through time. 

In the 1870's there was a daily train service form Savannah to Isle of Hope.  Where the railroad met the river was a place known as Barbee's Pavilion.  This pavilion become world renowned in the 1920's.  It housed at different times, a skating rink, a dance hall and a turtle soup factory.  The Barbee family ran a terrapin farm which supplied restaurants all over the country with the delicacy.  When the streetcars stopped running to Isle of Hope in the 1960's, business to Barbee's Pavilion waned and eventually the pavilion closed in 1968.  There is still a Barbee presence along Bluff Drive--look for the cottage with a "B" .

The pavilion at the marina--great place to meet people or enjoy the view of the Skidaway river.

 

Private docks lining the Skidaway rive--I saw dolphin swimming here but wasn't fast enough with the camera.

This little guy hangs out at our boat all day--he likes to walk along the line looking for fish

Steve checking out the barn -- could we build this at our house?

Tennis Anyone?

Interesting sculpture we spotted in front yard of this home.

A rising tide--the grass is eventually covered completely by water.