The Jekyll Island Cottage Colony

Rating:
Summary: Days of wealth and leisure, gone forever
Review: A meticulously researched and highly engaging book detailing some of the remaining "cottages" (if you consider a 16 room house with 5 bathrooms a cottage) at the Jekyll Island colony. If you're familiar with the subject, you'll already know that some of the wealthiest men of the late 19th and early 20th century made Jekyll (off the southern coast of Georgia, near the Florida border) their getaway of choice; some going to the extent of building elaborate residences for their brief sojourns South. This book details the histories of some of the remaining houses; who built them, who enjoyed them, and how eventually death and financial decline caught up with just about all of them. It's loaded with photos, and not just boring old architects' shots of the finished products- we are treated to casual snaps of the families having tea outside, playing with the kids in the pool, or going for a ride in the pony cart. Add to this the aforementioned well-researched history of the families and houses themselves, and you have a book that you won't be able to put down. I'm a dedicated remainder-and-used book buyer, but I'm going to gladly play Amazon for a new copy of this. It's absolutely worth it. Enjoy!