Isle of Hope: Wormsloe and Bethesda (GA) (Images of America)

Isle of Hope, Georgia, nine miles south of Savannah, is a charming settlement with a story reaching back into the 1700s. Visitors to the area marvel at scenic views along the Skidaway River, grand homes built by early Savannahians, numerous historic sites, abundant wildlife, and water sports. This treasured lifestyle is one that islanders have waged heated battles to protect, and their collective experience is celebrated within the pages of this impressive pictorial volume. An original land grant from King George II of England, photographs of early families, streetcars, Barbee's Pavilion, the original Mysterious Santa Claus, sailboat racing, and more are among the many notable items included in Isle of Hope, Wormsloe, and Bethesda. Wormsloe Plantation, home of Noble Jones built on land leased from the trustees of the colony of Georgia in 1736, is highlighted here, as well as the nearby community of Dutch Island, where Matthew Batson conducted his legendary aero-yacht experiments in 1913. Bethesda, founded in 1740 by Rev. George Whitefield and now America's oldest existing home for boys, comes to life in vintage photographs and a touching poem written by an orphan in 1917. Images culled from both public and private collections evoke memories of a way of life almost extinct in today's frantic world-a way of life held steadfast by the residents of this singular Georgia community.