Little St. Simons Island History
Hooking around the northern end of St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons has for years been a private preserve. Purchased for its stand of cedar trees, the wood proved unsuitable for making pencils. However, president of Eagle Pencil Company, Philip Berolzheimer had fallen in love with the island’s beauty. In the early 1900s, he built a special retreat for family and friends. Soon some of New York City’s most prominent policymakers joined Berolzheimer for weeks at a time. Known as the “Eight Bandits,” the group came to enjoy hunting, fishing, parlor games, and each other’s company. A flag adopted for their residence on the island featured a line of eight ducks flowing over a running deer. Today a somewhat modified version serves as the island’s logo.
A commitment to the preservation of history and the island’s environment has maintained its special character. While the island’s flora and fauna mirror that of larger St. Simons Island, it is the tranquility of the place that speaks to visitors and enthralls them. Little St. Simons Island is home to the Center for Coastal Conservation, which facilitates the management and preservation of coastal ecosystems in Georgia through land and wildlife stewardship, research, education and outreach, and regional leadership.
The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island directly supports these conservation efforts and has accommodations that are elegantly rustic, both spacious and comfortable, and in keeping with the island’s character.
Nature experiences include access to seven miles of undeveloped beach. Shepherded and protected, the island functions as a special nature retreat, where only a room may be rented or the entire island. Guests come and go with a better knowledge of the uniqueness of this golden treasure thanks to the wisdom of its owners and their insistence that all visits encompass a return to nature. Reached only by boat from the north end of St. Simons Island, this 11,000 acres preserve offers a unique coastal experience.