With a family of eight Charles Stewart Maurice quickly decided accommodations of the Club House would not suffice. In 1890 he built Hollybourne, with plenty of large open, informal spaces, a home away from home during their winter stays here on the island.
Mr. Maurice was a bridge-builder and Hollybourne makes use of these innovative structural techniques. In the attic is a truss system similar to that found on bridges. This allows large open interior spaces without apparent support; the building hangs from its upper stories.
Hollybourne is architecturally the most unusual structure in the Club compound. It was constructed of tabby, a local building material dating from colonial times. No other structure in the compound makes use of this ancient material, a mixture of oyster shells, lyme, water and sand.
(sidebar)
Indispensable
Charlie Hill worked for the Maurice family for decades. He was employed early on by the family as their carriage driver, but through the years became their chauffeur. With his wife Angie, he was an integral part of the life on Jekyll Island. He and his family lived in their own house just east of Hollybourne.
The Maurice family enjoyed their cottage here for over 50 years, and Charlie Hill helped make their winter visits a tradition. He was also present and assisted the Maurice daughters in packing the house up for its final season in 1942.
Comments 0 comments