Historic St. Andrews Beach

The St. Andrews Beach Corporation formed in early 1956 to build a motel and restaurant here on Jekyll Island's once segregated South End. The company included many successful black business owners from Brunswick. In partnership with the Jekyll Island Authority, it created a notable resort destination for African Americans on Jekyll Island.

The St. Andrews Beach Corporation began building the Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel at this location in 1958. By August 1959, the motel was open for business. The enterprise was short lived due to financial difficulties, and the Jekyll Island Authority soon bought the resort for $299,000.

In 1960, the Jekyll Island Authority leased the Dolphin Club property to Dave Jackson, a prosperous and respected black farmer, banker, and businessman from Adel, Georgia.

Jackson relied on his family to help run the Dolphin Club resort. His two sisters, Annabelle Robinson and Betty Chandler, managed the Dolphin Club's hotel, while his nephew, James Chandler, oversaw the restaurant and lounge.

Under the Jackson family, the Dolphin Club became a popular vacation destination for African Americans. The Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel offered 58 rooms, available for $8.50 per night, at one of the prettiest beaches on the island. However, the segregated beach resort was eventually



declared unprofitable following integration. The property reverted back to the Jekyll Island Authority after Jackson's lease expired.

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New Life for the Dolphin

The life of the facility as the Dolphin Club and Motor Hotel was short lived due to the integration of the island's amenities. Dave Jackson closed the operation in June of 1966, due to lack of business.

The Jekyll Island Authority reinvented the site as a Group Camp and Youth Center in 1968. The buildings hosted church groups and youth oriented organizations. By 1970, sports fields were added to the northern side of the complex.

The Georgia 4-H first leased the site in 1983, beginning with limited courses for youth groups and schools. By 1987, the organization offered a successful year-round environmental education program that continues to this day.

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Show me all markers in:  Jekyll Island, GA  |  Glynn County  |  31527  |  Georgia  |  United States of America

The Beach Pavilion
The Dolphin Club Lounge
Beach Access
St. Andrews Beach
Separate But Equal?
What Was Here Before?
Jekyll Island Boat House Site , Shipshape for the Season
The Boat House Site
M.E. Thompson and the Purchase of Jekyll Island
All Work and No Play

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