Isle of Hope, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Isle of Hope is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Chatham County
, Georgia
, United States
. It is part of the Savannah
Metropolitan Statistical Area
, and at the 2010 census, its population was 2,402. The island is one of the most affluent communities in the state and is well-known for its historic plantations and exclusive waterfront properties.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), of which, 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (9.95%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,605 people, 1,001 households, and 783 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,373.2 people per square mile (529.4/km²). There were 1,038 housing units at an average density of 547.2 per square mile (210.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.27% White, 0.84% African American, 0.35% Asian, 0.27% from other races
, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 1,001 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $75,274, and the median income for a family was $79,586. Males had a median income of $52,175 versus $38,468 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $34,067. None of the families and 0.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
In 1733, when General James Edward Ogelthorpe founded the Georgia colony
, a surveyor named Noble Jones was granted a tract on the island that was eventually named Wormsloe
, possibly after an English estate but more probably due to the mulberry trees that were grown there, the worms of which, it was hoped, would form the basis for a silk industry. A revolutionary-era earthwork fort was built at the Skidaway Narrows and today can be visited as part of Wormsloe Historic Site.
Jones, along with James Fallowfield and Henry Parker, settled permanently on the island. During nearby Savannah's
not-infrequent yellow fever
epidemics, the island was host to Savannahians fleeing the miasma of the city's fevers. As greater numbers of people discovered the island, the former plantation lands were subdivided and the lots sold, and it became a fashionable summer retreat. Several homes from the antebellum period remain, including the 1820 former caretaker's cottage of Carsten Hall plantation. Although the plantation itself burned in the early 20th century, the family moved into the caretaker's cottage overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway
.
In the early 20th century, with better transportation options, the summer resort became the year-round home of many, and the terrapin
farm at Barbee's Pavilion became world famous for the export of terrapins for stew, including to the major restaurants of New York City
and to the Czar of Russia
. It was also the destination of dashing race car drivers from around the world for the International Grand Prix races.
The Isle of Hope United Methodist Church
is another historic location on the island. Built before the Civil War
, the Confederates
used the property as an encampment and the church building as a hospital. During their recuperation, soldiers carved their initials into the pews, which they used for makeshift beds. When the old church burned down during its 1984 renovation, the pews had been removed and were saved. Thirty-three Confederate soldiers are buried in the churchyard. In 2000, the church finished construction of trancepts to the main Sanctuary structure.
The island's beauty and history has attracted a number of Hollywood
film productions, including the Oscar-winning Glory, the original Cape Fear
, The Last of the Belles, Forrest Gump
, and The Last Song
.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Chatham County
Chatham County, Georgia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Savannah metropolitan area
The Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Georgia, anchored by the city of Savannah. As of the 2010 census, the Savannah MSA had a population of 347,611, an 18.6 percent increase from the 2000 population of ...
, and at the 2010 census, its population was 2,402. The island is one of the most affluent communities in the state and is well-known for its historic plantations and exclusive waterfront properties.
Geography
Isle of Hope is located at 31°59′0"N 81°3′20"W (31.983380, -81.055686).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), of which, 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (9.95%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,605 people, 1,001 households, and 783 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,373.2 people per square mile (529.4/km²). There were 1,038 housing units at an average density of 547.2 per square mile (210.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.27% White, 0.84% African American, 0.35% Asian, 0.27% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 1,001 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.7% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $75,274, and the median income for a family was $79,586. Males had a median income of $52,175 versus $38,468 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $34,067. None of the families and 0.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
History
Early maps refer to Isle of Hope in French as L'Isle Desperance (modern French: L'Île d'Espérance). Legends abound of pirates using the island to hide their booty, and generations of children have gone digging for this treasure. Legend also says that French Huguenots used the island as a place of refuge for fleeing persecution.In 1733, when General James Edward Ogelthorpe founded the Georgia colony
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...
, a surveyor named Noble Jones was granted a tract on the island that was eventually named Wormsloe
Wormsloe Historic Site
The Wormsloe Historic Site is a state historic site near Savannah, Georgia, in the southeastern United States. The site consists of protecting part of what was once the Wormsloe Plantation, a large estate established by one of Georgia's colonial founders, Noble Jones...
, possibly after an English estate but more probably due to the mulberry trees that were grown there, the worms of which, it was hoped, would form the basis for a silk industry. A revolutionary-era earthwork fort was built at the Skidaway Narrows and today can be visited as part of Wormsloe Historic Site.
Jones, along with James Fallowfield and Henry Parker, settled permanently on the island. During nearby Savannah's
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
not-infrequent yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemics, the island was host to Savannahians fleeing the miasma of the city's fevers. As greater numbers of people discovered the island, the former plantation lands were subdivided and the lots sold, and it became a fashionable summer retreat. Several homes from the antebellum period remain, including the 1820 former caretaker's cottage of Carsten Hall plantation. Although the plantation itself burned in the early 20th century, the family moved into the caretaker's cottage overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
.
In the early 20th century, with better transportation options, the summer resort became the year-round home of many, and the terrapin
Terrapin
A terrapin is a turtle living in fresh or brackish water.Terrapin may also refer to:* Terrapin , a transport vehicle used for amphibious assault by the Allies during the Second World War...
farm at Barbee's Pavilion became world famous for the export of terrapins for stew, including to the major restaurants of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and to the Czar of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It was also the destination of dashing race car drivers from around the world for the International Grand Prix races.
The Isle of Hope United Methodist Church
Isle of Hope United Methodist Church
Isle of Hope United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church in Savannah, Georgia, United States.Founded in 1851, this church has grown to have more than 2,800 members...
is another historic location on the island. Built before the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Confederates
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
used the property as an encampment and the church building as a hospital. During their recuperation, soldiers carved their initials into the pews, which they used for makeshift beds. When the old church burned down during its 1984 renovation, the pews had been removed and were saved. Thirty-three Confederate soldiers are buried in the churchyard. In 2000, the church finished construction of trancepts to the main Sanctuary structure.
The island's beauty and history has attracted a number of Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
film productions, including the Oscar-winning Glory, the original Cape Fear
Cape Fear (1962 film)
Cape Fear is a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen. It was adapted by James R. Webb from the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson, and released on April 12, 1962...
, The Last of the Belles, Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
, and The Last Song
The Last Song (film)
The Last Song is a 2010 American coming of age drama film developed alongside Nicholas Sparks novel by the same name. The film was directed by Julie Anne Robinson in her feature film directorial debut and co-written by Sparks and Jeff Van Wie...
.
Famous residents
- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
Clarence ThomasClarence ThomasClarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Succeeding Thurgood Marshall, Thomas is the second African American to serve on the Court....
attended St. John Vianney's Minor Seminary on the Isle of Hope in the 1960s.
- Jack KingstonJack KingstonOne of the counties he represents is Wheeler County.John Heddens "Jack" Kingston is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.- Early life, education and career:...
- Congressman from the 1st District of Georgia