Isle of Hope is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

(CDP) in Chatham County,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, United States. It is part of the

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

Metropolitan Statistical Area, 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.

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 ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

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

James Oglethorpe Lieutenant-General James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British Army officer, Tory politician and colonial administrator best known for founding the Province of Georgia in British North America. As a social refo ...

founded the Georgia colony, a surveyor named Noble Jones was granted a tract on the island that was eventually named

Wormsloe The Wormsloe Historic Site, originally known as Wormsloe Plantation, 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 est ...

, 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 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate ...

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

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

industry. A Colonial-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 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 The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a Navigability, 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, 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 a group of several species of small turtle (order Testudines) living in freshwater, fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydid ...

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 (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and to the Czar of

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. 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 is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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 policies.J ...

, 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. Thirty-three 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 ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

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) * Hollywood ...

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. An adaptation of the Forrest Gump (novel), 1986 novel by Winston Groom, the screenplay of the film is written by Eric Roth. It stars Tom Hanks in the title rol ...

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

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 The Herb River is an tidal river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located in Chatham County, near the southeastern edge of Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem charact ...

to the northwest, Grimball Creek to the northeast, and the

Skidaway River The Skidaway River is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 26, 2011 tidal river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is located in Chatham County southeast of Savannah. ...

and Skidaway Narrows, part of the

, to the southeast. The CDP is bordered by the Dutch 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, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Demographics

Isle of Hope first appeared as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 counte ...

in the 1990 U.S. Census. As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.84%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

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

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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.

Education

It is in the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. Schools include: * Isle of Hope K-8 School - Despite having a Savannah postal address, it is in th
Isle of Hope CDP

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, a ...

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is a Justice (title), justice 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 J ...

Clarence Thomas Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served since 1991 as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. President George H. W. Bush nominated him to succeed Thurgood Marshall. Afte ...

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