This hall-and-parlor house is a wonderful surviving example of a once-common type in Hog Hammock, which has been nicely preserved by its present owners. The identification is from the late Cornelia Bailey, whom I had the pleasure of visiting on several of my Sapelo trips during the mid-2010s.
Hog Hammock Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
This view of the Mud River, near the edge of Sapelo Sound, was made from inside the historic tabby barn at Chocolate.
This well-maintained cottage was built around the time R. J. Reynolds, Jr., acquired the island. The area around the Chocolate Plantation ruins was still being farmed at the time.
It’s presently owned by the Department of Natural Resources.
The late Cornelia Bailey identified this as the home of Jessie Mae Banks (1918-1999).
Hog Hammock Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Hog Hammock Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Penny Butler Rossiter writes: This was the home of Ronster Johnson (1913-1994). It is in Johnson Hammock. He was the famous “storyteller” of Sapelo Island. Hopefully it will be restored one day. It is a “supporting structure” in Hog Hammock and is on The National Register. It is my understanding that, though it’s a separate neighborhood, Johnson Hammock is included in the National Register historic district.
Hog Hammock Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
The Katie Underwood is the main ferry serving Sapelo Island. Its namesake, Katie Hall Underwood (1884-1977), was born on Sapelo and began working as a midwife in the 1920s. She assisted almost every birth on the island until retiring in 1968 and was among its most beloved citizens. She was the last in a long line of midwives who served Sapelo from slavery days onward. Mrs. Underwood lived in the north end at Raccoon Bluff but carried her black bag all over the island, to the scattered communities of Hog Hammock, Shell Hammock, and others. A story is told of her delivering a baby on the north end one morning and walking seven miles to the south end to deliver another in the evening. She is said to have never lost a child during delivery.
The ferry was dedicated on 28 October 2006. It was built by Geo Shipyard in New Iberia, Louisiana.
The interior has seating for 102 passengers.
The boat is 70’9 3/4″ in length and has a maximum speed of 26.6 knots. It’s powered by two Caterpillar C-18 engines rated 700 hp.
A covered upper deck provides open-air seating for 48. 10 additional seats are located on the bow.
Like all roads on Sapelo, the road to Cabretta Beach is devoid of even a stop sign and it’s usually a rough ride.
One of the prettiest views on the island is Blackbeard Creek as seen from the wooden bridge, built by the Department of Natural Resources.
Blackbeard Creek separates Cabretta Beach from Blackbeard Island, which is visible in the distance from the bridge.
At the north end of Sapelo Island is Cabretta Beach, sometimes referred to as Cabretta Island for its isolation at high tide. If you can imagine a place more isolated than Nanny Goat Beach, Cabretta might come to mind.
The only land-based point of access is the Cabretta Campground, which requires reservations. It’s a pristine natural area with a small comfort station and a canopy of Live Oaks.
A short walk through the dunes provides access to one of the most undisturbed beaches in Coastal Georgia.
Sea Oats are dominant here, as they are on all of Georgia’s Sea Islands.
Like Nanny Goat Beach, Cabretta is a prime example of a barrier island environment that has never been developed.
It remains a favored fishing and crabbing spot for the Gullah-Geechee people who call the island home.