Tybee Island Strand Cottages Historic District

Tybee Island Strand Cottages Historic District contains 18 cottages positioned between Butler Avenue and the Atlantic Ocean, displaying traditional coastal architecture with deep porches and raised foundations to handle moisture and storm surge. The buildings occupy the area roughly between 12th and 14th Streets and remain in use as vacation homes today.

The Tybee Improvement Company purchased the island in 1873 and subdivided it into lots to establish a seaside resort, with most cottages built during that era or shortly after. This early resort layout remains recognizable in the street patterns and building arrangement today.

The district shows how coastal resorts took shape in the late 1800s as places where people gathered for seaside getaways. The houses and streets reflect the patterns of leisure travel that shaped American beach communities.

The cottages are connected by walking paths and sit close to the beach, making waterfront strolls easy from this location. Most buildings are private residences, so entry inside the homes is not available to the general public but the exteriors and surrounding streets are freely viewable.

The narrow connecting paths between the cottages were designed from the start as part of the original resort plan and created a hidden network linking all buildings together. These walkways still follow their original routes and reveal how early planners envisioned movement and connection within the community.