On the north end of Jekyll Island, Georgia, you will find one of only two remaining Georgia pre-revolutionary structures made of tabby. Originally the house was the residence of Major William Horton, one of General James Oglethorpe's most trusted military aides.
Major Horton was the first English resident of Jekyll Island. His two story home was built on the north end of Jekyll Island along with a barn. The residents of neighboring Saint Simons Island depended on crops in his fields. Major Horton cut a road across the north end of Jekyll from his home to the beach which is to this day named Horton Road.
A Georgia historical marker, on the subject of "Tabby," is positioned at the Horton House site explaining the building material used in the original homes. Used in Georgia during the Military and Plantation Eras, tabby was used as a building material for walls, floors and roofs. Its composition was equal parts of sand, lime, oyster shell and water missed into a mortar mix and then poured into forms.
According to this historical marker, the word tabby is African in origin, with an Arabic background, and means "a wall made of earth or masonry." Originally, the Spanish brought this building style to America.
Part of the original site remains looking over to the Jekyll Island Bridge.
For more information about the Jekyll Island experience, visit http://www.jekyllisland.com.
Brunswick Georgia Real Estate Information
Julie E. Chapman, REALTOR®, Broker
Chapman Realty
Brunswick, Georgia 31520
912-280-0088 Office
912-270-6767 Cell
Web: http://www.juliechapman.com
eMail: chapmanrealty@yahoo.com
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Hi Julie,
This is a very fascinating history lesson....beautiful pictures too. I've never heard of 'tabby' before and now...thank you for explaining what this is made of. It sounds like a very sturdy and colourful type of mortar.
Jo
Jo-Anne,
Thanks.....this beautiful area is filled with history.
Thanks for sharing that history with us. I love to learn about places! They are beautiful pictures also!
Tony and Darcy,
I am going to share some more history of our area....there is so much to share....the beautiful photos were taken by my office manager, Tracey MacDonald on an afternoon outing with her family on Jekyll Island.....
Julie, this is one of my wife's favorite places to visit. She absolutely love Jekyll...peronally I care more for Mr. Hyde.
Jeremy,
It is amazing that this is the place that so many visit....you can live here...then a vacation can last a lifetime.....(Hyde and I are on a first name basis as I am sure you are aware).
Julie, I already live at the beach....What I like is how it is so relaxed and quiet...I am not sure I could live there though...I don't know if I would ever get used to the water...