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Sea Island Company records
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The Sea Island Company, now Sea Island Acquisition, LLC owns luxury resort properties on Sea Island and St. Simons Island, Georgia. In 1911, Howard Coffin purchased Sapelo Island on the Georgia Coast, seeking to return it to the self-sufficient plantation land it had been when owned by Thomas Spalding prior to the Civil War. With the assistance of Alfred William 'Bill' Jones, Coffin rebuilt and worked the land into the 1920s. While he was working on Sapelo, he began to explore possibilities on the other sea islands to the south, including St. Simons and what was known at the time as 'Long Island'. Howard saw great possibility in the expanding web of highways and these islands as possible resort alternatives to Miami. Coffin began with purchased land on St. Simons known as 'Retreat Plantation' and transformed it into golf courses. He also began building and paving roads across the island marshland to make an accessible route from the mainland town of Brunswick to St. Simons. All of these roads were meant to lead to one main destination - a resort hotel. The spot chosen was a small piece of land on the fledgling development, Long Island. He purchased the island from the Saint Simon-Long Island Company in 1926 and renamed it Sea Island, simultaneously founding the Sea Island Company. The resort began as a minor day-trip vacation spot with a few cottages. Miami resort architect, Addison Mizner, designed the Spanish motif of the hotel, and may have suggested the name of The Cloister. Construction began in 1927 and by October of 1928 the Cloister Resort Hotel was open to the public. When The Cloister opened, Howard Coffin turned over the management of the Sea Island Company to Bill Jones I, who then took over leadership after Coffin's death in 1937, starting the tradition of a family run organization. His grandson, Bill Jones III, took over as CEO in 1992.
Over time, Sea Island Company expanded its resort facilities to locations on St. Simons and Little St. Simons Islands, which include yacht clubs, golf clubs, tennis and spa facilities. These locations attract golf tournaments such as the McGaudrey Classic and UBS Warburg Cup, hosted by The Lodge and Retreat Golf Course and Resort. Renovations to The Cloister in 2006 left the company with $500 million in debt; Chapter 11 bankruptcy was filed in 2010. The company was acquired the same year for $212.4 million by four firms: Oaktree Capital Management LP, Avenue Capital Group, Anschutz Corp and Starwood Capital Group Globaland. Sea Island still features The Cloister at Sea Island and The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club, as well as the Golf Learning Center, three championship golf courses, the Georgian Room restaurant, Sea Island Beach Club, Camp Cloister, the Tennis Club, Yacht Club, Shooting School and the Cloister Spa. Sea Island is also home to the private clubs: Sea Island Club and Ocean Forest golf club.
The Sea Island Company has a long-standing tradition of providing land for public uses such as roads, parks, schools, churches, and health facilities. The Sea Island Company has a commitment to the preservation of historic sites, from the declaration of Fort Frederica as a national monument, to partnering with the National Science Foundation to fund both archaeological studies of Cannon's Point Plantation on St. Simons Island in the 1970s and the restoration of plantation era tabby ruins on the island. The company has also demonstrated a commitment to the preservation of Georgia's natural resources.
In 2004, Sea Island hosted the thirtieth G8 Summit, the annual meeting of the heads of the industrial world - United States, France, Italy, Russia, Japan, Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It was chosen for its exclusivity and nearly inaccessible location. The event showcased the state of Georgia and Sea Island.
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This collection contains architectural drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, artifacts including natural history specimens, merchandise, and memorabilia. There are also records including financial documents, correspondence, publications, and administrative records. These materials cover a wide range of topics including the history, evolution, and operations of Sea Island and its resorts, the natural history of the area including slides by Margaret Davis Cate, numerous golf tournaments held at the resort, and the G8 Summit held on the island in 2004.This collection has been separated into four series:
Series 1: Documents
Series 2: Photographs
Series 3: Architectural drawings and maps
Series 4: Artifacts
Portions of this collection had been previously organized by Sea Island Acquisitions, LLC.
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242 boxes, 13 oversize folders, 125 rolls
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The Georgia Historical Society does not have the necessary playback equipment to view all media in this collection. The collection contains audiocassettes, compact discs, long-playing records, reel-to-reel audio, videocassettes, and 16mm film. Consult Research Center staff for further information.
Restricted item: Letter from President George Bush to Bill Jones, March 22, 1995. Viewable by appointment.
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Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
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GHS 2486, Sea Island Company records, 1769-2012. Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.
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