Isle of Hope is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

(CDP) in Chatham County,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, United States. It is part of the

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, and at the 2020 U.S. census its population was 2,357. 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 southeast of Savannah at (31.983380, -81.055686). It consists of the northern half of the physical Isle of Hope, a body of land surrounded by tidal inlets: the Moon River and Herb River to the northwest, Grimball Creek to the northeast, and the Skidaway River and Skidaway Narrows, part of the

Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following t ...

, to the southeast. The CDP is bordered by the

Dutch Island Dutch Island may refer to a location in the United States: *Dutch Island, Georgia, a census-designated place *Dutch Island (Rhode Island) Dutch Island is an island lying west of Conanicut Island at an entrance to Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island ...

CDP to the northeast and the Skidaway Island CDP to the southeast. The Isle of Hope CDP includes the communities of Parkersburg and Wymberley. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 20.61%, is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 2,605 people, 1,001 households, and 783 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,038 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.27%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.84%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.35% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.27% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

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, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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 (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $34,067. None of the families and 0.2% of the population were living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

History

Isle of Hope is an island surrounded on all sides by water at high tide. Early maps referred to 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 states that French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s used the island as a place of refuge for fleeing persecution. In 1733, when General

James Oglethorpe James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to r ...

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 tree ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of diverse species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 ide ...

s that were grown there, the worms of which, it was hoped, would form the basis for a

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...

industry. A

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

-era fortified home made of tabby was built at the Skidaway Narrows (now Jones' 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 frequent

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

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

. In the early 20th century, with better transportation options, the summer resort became the year-round home of many, and the

terrapin Terrapins are one of several small species of turtle (order Testudines) living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydidae. The name ...

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, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and to the Czar of

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. It was also the destination of 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 A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, the property was used by the Confederates 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. 33 Confederate soldiers are buried in the churchyard. In 2000, the church finished construction of

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

s to the main sanctuary structure. The island's beauty and history has attracted a number of

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

film productions, including the Oscar-winning '' Glory'', the original '' Cape Fear'', '' The Last of the Belles'', ''

Forrest Gump ''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson ...

'', and '' The Last Song''.

Notable people

* Anna Davenport Raines, founding vice president of the

United Daughters of the Confederacy The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is an American neo-Confederate hereditary association for female descendants of Confederate Civil War soldiers engaging in the commemoration of these ancestors, the funding of monuments to them, ...

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of ...

Clarence Thomas Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and has served since 1 ...

attended St. John Vianney's Minor Seminary on the Isle of Hope in the 1960s. *

Jack Kingston John Heddens Kingston (born April 24, 1955) is an American politician who served as U.S. representative for in southeast Georgia, serving from 1993 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party and was part of the House leadership (2002–06) ...

, former congressman from the 1st District of Georgia

Gallery

File:Isle of Hope United Methodist Church.jpg, Isle of Hope United Methodist Church File:Georgia20131014 389 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District File:Georgia20131014 391 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District File:Georgia20131014 392 Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Chapel.jpg, Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Chapel File:Georgia20131014 397 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District File:Georgia20131014 398 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District File:Georgia20131014 399 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District File:Georgia20131014 400 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District File:Georgia20131014 402 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District File:Georgia20131014 403 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Marina, 1926 File:Georgia20131014 408 Isle of Hope Historic District.jpg, Isle of Hope Historic District

References

External links

Isle of Hope National Historic District
historical marker {{authority control Census-designated places in Chatham County, Georgia Census-designated places in Georgia (U.S. state) Savannah metropolitan area Populated coastal places in Georgia (U.S. state)