Category Archives: St. Simons Island GA

St. Ignatius Episcopal Church, 1898, St. Simons Island

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This lovely chapel is one of the most beautiful churches on St. Simons Island, like its mother church, Christ Church, Frederica. The following history comes from the Christ Church, Frederica website: St. Ignatius Church was built in 1886 for the former slaves on St. Simons Island. After a hurricane in 1898 it was rebuilt and rotated 90°. The wood has never been stained but it looks this way due to the process of aging. It was made with heart of pine and oak. The Altar rail is hand carved. The Lectern, the Bishop’s chair, Priest’s chair, and Baptismal font were all donated by Lovely Lane Chapel. The stained glass windows behind the Altar were made in Philadelphia by the Willet Company. The Hand depicts God the Father, the Lamb depicts God the Son, and the Dove depicts the Holy Spirit.

The candlesticks on the Altar were brought from England in 1858. The bell was installed in the 1980’s and is from the WWII Liberty Ship Henry Wynkoop. The reed organ was built circa 1900 and installed at Christ Church Frederica in 1933. The original hand pump is still intact. The pipes are merely decorative. For years, the windows in the Church were translucent, jalousie-panel glass. But beginning in the year 2000 ten new stained glass windows were designed by M.B. Keys, a parishioner of Christ Church Frederica, and made by the Wippell Company of Exeter, England. The Rt. Rev. Henry I. Louttit, Bishop of Georgia, blessed the new windows April 29, 2001.

The grounds here are beautiful and if you’re looking for a place for quite reflection, just pull into the parking lot and have a look around.

Live Oak, Gascoigne Bluff

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Spanish-moss-draped Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) are emblematic of the Southern coastal region and a great place to see them is Gascoigne Bluff, adjacent to Epworth By The Sea. There’s a public park here with ample free parking. The oak grove is quite impressive, but perhaps not nearly as impressive as what a visitor would have seen 200 years or more in the past. The timber used in the construction of the famed USS Constitution, better known as Old Ironsides, was cut at this bluff.

Hazel’s Cafe, Circa 1947, St. Simons Island

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Hazel’s Cafe is as much a symbol of the island’s history as the lighthouse or Fort Frederica. Located in the historically Black South End comunity, Hazel’s was owned by Hazel and Thomas Floyd. Thomas, a direct descendant of Wanderer survivor Tom Floyd, was a veteran of World War II. He settled here with his wife shortly after World War II and soon thereafter they started this business, which would be a staple of St. Simons life until it closed in 1978. They lived in the house next door, which is still standing.

With new homes and condos dotting the island today, it’s a nice step back to a time when St. Simons, like all of the Georgia coast, was anchored by small but thriving communities who looked to family and friends as well as the rich coastal waters surrounding them for sustenance and survival. Hazel was known to go crabbing in season and bring back her catch for the night’s special of deviled crab. I’m sure they were legendary dishes in their time.

 

Southern Soul Barbeque, St. Simons Island

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I rarely endorse businesses on any of my websites, but some places are so extraordinary they deserve a mention. One such place is the unlikely St. Simons landmark, Southern Soul Barbeque. You might have read about it in Garden & Gun, Southern Living, or The New  York Times, or seen it on the Travel Channel, or the popular Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. But none of those outlets can compare to a visit in the flesh. Owners Griffin Bufkin and Harrison Sapp transformed this 1940s gas station into a mecca for barbeque and soul food lovers and their fans are legion. There’s a great beer selection and a good variety of sauces for different tastes. (I prefer the mustard/vinegar-based Carolina style sauces, none of the sweet stuff for me).

Everyone probably has his own favorite dish. Mine is the first meal I ever ate here. The pulled pork with mac & cheese and collard greens was truly heaven on a plate. The white bread was a fitting accompaniment to this pinnacle of Southern cuisine.

You know it’s going to be good when the employees who work in the heat and smoke all day still have smiles on their faces.

Books like the Southern Foodways Alliance’s classic series, Cornbread Nation, take up shelf space with modern culinary classics ranging from The Whole Hog Cookbook and Southern Belly to  Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey and Smoke and Pickles.

 

J. C. Strother Company, St. Simons Island

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If you’re familiar at all with St. Simons Island and its downtown, which locals call the Village, you’ve no doubt seen this structure while strolling down Mallery Street. J. C. Strother opened this hardware store here in 1930 and it remains in business, the oldest on St. Simons. The family is still involved in promoting and protecting the island today.

St. Simons Lighthouse, 1872

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The present St. Simons Lighthouse was built in 1872 by Charles Cluskey to replace James Gould’s octagonal tower of 1810. Confederate troops burned that structure to make coastal navigation more difficult for the Union navy. If you’ve never been, you should put it on your Georgia “bucket list” and make sure you climb the spiral staircase to the top for awesome views of the island and Atlantic Ocean. The keeper’s house is presently being renovated, but the lighthouse is still open.

National Register of Historic Places

Willet, Gould’s Inlet

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The Willet (Tringa semipalmata) is one of numerous shorebirds you’re likely to encounter at Gould’s Inlet. It’s a great place to look for fall migrants.

Gould’s Inlet, St. Simons Island

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Located north of the Coast Guard Station at the end of Bruce Drive, Gould’s Inlet is to me the most beautiful remaining beach on St. Simons Island. It is the opening of Postell Creek, which divides St. Simons and Sea Island. It is primarily known as a wildlife viewing area and is easiest to visit in the fall and winter, due to limited parking at the public access point. Currents and undertow here are known to be quite dangerous, so it’s not generally favorable for swimming. When I visited on a cool December day, it was as if the beach were reinventing itself through ribbons of sand, racing over the shore and changing shape in real time.

Fort Frederica, 1736, St. Simons Island

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Fort Frederica is just three years younger than Georgia itself. It represents a time when the colony was a buffer between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida, and was headquarters to Georgia’s founder, General James Oglethorpe during the War of Jenkins’ Ear. The small section of the tabby fort that remains contained the magazine, and is in relatively good condition. It’s maintained by the National Park Service as Fort Frederica National Monument. If you come in summer bring bug spray and lots of water, though the fountain at the interpretive office has the coldest and best water on St. Simons.

The view above shows Fort Frederica from the riverside, with a 29-pound English cannon of the period.

The view above shows the magazine and the two below show the interior.

This bronze plaque was placed in memory of James Oglethorpe by the Georgia Society of Colonial Dames in 1904. The supporting text reads: This remnant is all that time has spared of the citadel of the town of Frederica built by General Oglethorpe A. D. 1736 as an outpost against the Spaniards in Florida.

National Register of Historic Places + Fort Frederica National Monument

Frederica River, St. Simons Island

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This is the view of the Frederica River from the fort.

National Register of Historic Places + Fort Frederica National Monument