Isle of Hope, Census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia
Isle of Hope is a residential community southeast of Savannah that sits along the Intracoastal Waterway, bordered by Moon River and Skidaway Narrows. The settlement contains a mixture of older historic homes and newer constructions spread across waterfront properties.
The area took shape in 1733 when General James Oglethorpe granted land to Noble Jones, a tract known as Wormsloe that would later develop into this settlement. French Huguenot families established themselves in the region during this early period of Georgia's founding.
The Isle of Hope United Methodist Church features wooden pews carved with initials left by soldiers who sheltered there during the Civil War as a hospital. These marks reveal how deeply the conflict touched everyday life in this waterfront settlement.
The settlement is best explored by car since it spreads across waterfront areas bounded by rivers and waterways. Visitors should plan to explore at their own pace, as most points of interest sit along or near the water.
In the early 1900s, a terrapin farm called Barbee's Pavilion operated here and shipped turtle meat to restaurants across the nation. This unusual business represents a forgotten chapter in the settlement's past that reflects changing tastes and ways of life.
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