View source for St. Simons, Georgia

{{Use American English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = May 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
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 | subdivision_name2        = [[Glynn County, Georgia|Glynn]]
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'''St. Simons Island''' (or simply '''St. Simons''') is a [[barrier island]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) located on St. Simons Island in [[Glynn County, Georgia|Glynn County]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States. The names of the community and the island are interchangeable, known simply as "St. Simons Island" or "SSI",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grisamore |first1=Ed |title=Gris: LBC all about giving back |url=https://www.macon.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/ed-grisamore/article30148989.html |publisher=Macon Telegraph |access-date=9 February 2019 |date=17 Oct 2014 |quote=They were oval-shaped with the three simple letters, similar to the popular decals touting vacation destinations &ndash; SSI for St. Simons Island, TYB for Tybee Island and PCB for Panama City Beach.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wolfe |first1=Wes |title=Local delegates join fight against offshore energy exploration |url=https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/local-delegates-join-fight-against-offshore-energy-exploration/article_21716146-3ce3-57b1-ba15-41433fc4fd60.html |publisher=The Brunswick News |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207073448/https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/local-delegates-join-fight-against-offshore-energy-exploration/article_21716146-3ce3-57b1-ba15-41433fc4fd60.html |archive-date=7 February 2019 |date=7 Feb 2019 |quote=State Rep. Don Hogan, R-St. Simons Island, said he's lived on SSI for 52 years...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chamberlain |first1=Chris |title=48 Hours in St. Simons Island |url=https://styleblueprint.com/everyday/48-hours-st-simons-island/ |website=[[StyleBlueprint]] |date=November 10, 2017 |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331133557/https://styleblueprint.com/everyday/48-hours-st-simons-island/ |archive-date=31 March 2018 |quote=No trip to SSI (as the locals refer to the island)...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Starr |first1=Mary |title=Garden walk is all about community |url=https://www.coastalillustrated.com/features/article_fcf59e76-2d05-5604-9d9a-df65b073146e.html |publisher=Coastal Illustrated |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025202247/https://www.coastalillustrated.com/features/article_fcf59e76-2d05-5604-9d9a-df65b073146e.html |archive-date=25 October 2017 |date=29 Mar 2017 |quote=...there will be members of the SSI Family Gardening Club...}}</ref> or locally as "The Island". St. Simons is part of the [[Brunswick metropolitan area|Brunswick metropolitan statistical area]], and according to the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], the CDP had a population of 14,982.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=2020 Race and Population Totals |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US1368040&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2021-12-18 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Located on the southeast [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] coast, midway between [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]] and [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], St. Simons Island is both a seaside resort and residential community. It is the largest of Georgia's [[Golden Isles of Georgia|Golden Isles]] (along with [[Sea Island, Georgia|Sea Island]], [[Jekyll Island]], and privately owned [[Little St. Simons Island]]). Visitors are drawn to the Island for its warm climate, beaches, variety of outdoor activities, shops and restaurants, historical sites, and natural environment.

In addition to its base of permanent residents, the island enjoys an influx of visitors and part-time residents throughout the year. The 2010 census noted that 26.8% of total housing units were for "seasonal, recreational, or occasional use".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url = http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1368040|title = Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010|access-date = 2015-12-18|website = American Factfinder|publisher = U.S. Census Bureau|archive-url = https://archive.today/20200213064300/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1368040|archive-date = 2020-02-13|url-status = dead}}</ref> The vast majority of commercial and residential development is located on the southern half of the island. Much of the northern half remains [[marsh]] or woodland. A large tract of land in the northeast has been converted to a [[nature preserve]] containing trails, historical ruins, and an undisturbed maritime forest. The tract, Cannon's Point Preserve, is open to the public on specified days and hours.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.sslt.org/pro_cpp_visit.php|title = St. Simons Land Trust|access-date = 2015-12-18|website = St. Simons Land Trust|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222091834/http://www.sslt.org/pro_cpp_visit.php|archive-date = 2015-12-22|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Originally inhabited by the [[Muscogee]], the Spanish, British and French contested the area of South Georgia which included St. Simons Island.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.nps.gov/fofr/learn/historyculture/index.htm|title = Fort Frederica National Monument - History & Culture|access-date = 2015-12-18|website = National Park Service}}</ref> After establishing the [[Province of Georgia]] in 1732, Anglo-American colonists established [[rice]] and [[cotton]] [[plantation]]s worked by African slaves, who created the unique [[Gullah]] culture that survives to this day.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Georgia: A State History|last = Sullivan|first = Buddy|publisher = Arcadia Publishing|year = 2003|location = Charleston, South Carolina|pages = 71}}</ref> The primary mode of travel to the island is by automobile via [[F.J. Torras Causeway]]. [[Malcolm McKinnon Airport]] ([[IATA]]: SSI) serves general aviation on the island.

==History==
===Pre-European contact===
[[File:St Simons Park marker, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|thumb|St. Simons Park marker]]
[[File:St. Simons Park, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|thumb|St. Simons Park]]

Cannon's Point, on the north end of St.{{nbsp}}Simons Island, is an archaeological site that includes a [[Archaic period (North America)|Late Archaic]] [[shell ring]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Russo|first=Michael|title=Archaic Shell Rings of the Southeast U. S.|url=http://www.nps.gov/nhl/themes/Archaic%20Shell%20Rings.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415124220/http://www.nps.gov/nhl/themes/Archaic%20Shell%20Rings.pdf|archive-date=April 15, 2012|publisher=National Park Service|pages=85–86|year=2006|access-date=April 25, 2019}}</ref> The Cannon's Point site has yielded evidence of occupation by Native Americans since at least as early as the appearance of [[Ceramics of indigenous peoples of the Americas#Southeastern Woodlands|ceramics]] in the southeastern United States. Milanich lists the succession of periods at Cannon's Point as: Sapelo Period (2500–1000{{nbsp}}BC); ceramics related to those of the [[Stallings Island|Stallings culture]] of the [[Savannah River]] valley and [[Orange period]] of northern Florida; Refuge Period (1000–500{{nbsp}}BC); [[Deptford culture|Deptford]] Periods (500{{nbsp}}BC to AD{{nbsp}}700); Wilmington Period (700–1000); St. Catherine's Period (1000–1250); Savannah Periods (1250–1540); Pine Harbor Period (1540–1625), where European artifacts appear in the archaeological record in this period; and Sutherland Bluff Period (1625–1680), where Native American occupation of Cannon's Point seems to have ended during this period.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Milanich|first=Jerald T.|author-link=Jerald T. Milanich|date=September 1997|title=A Chronology for the Aboriginal Cultures of Northern St. Simon's Island, Georgia|url=http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027829/00067/51j|journal=The Florida Anthropologist|volume=30|issue=3|pages=134–42|via=University of Florida Digital Collections}}</ref>

Many scholars in the early 20th century identified the people of St.{{nbsp}}Simons Island as [[Guale]]. Hann cites evidence that the people of St.{{nbsp}}Simons, at least as early as 1580, were part of the [[Mocama]] people.{{sfn|Hann|1996|pp=70, 176}} Ashley et al. suggest that St.{{nbsp}}Simons may have been occupied by the Guale people when Europeans arrived in southeastern Georgia in the 16th century and that the original Guale population on St.{{nbsp}}Simons was displaced from at least the southern part of the island after the [[Juanillo|Guale rebellion of 1597]], and replaced by Timucua speaking [[Mocama]] people.{{sfn|Ashley|Rolland|Thunen|2013|pp=397-400}}

===Spanish mission of San Buenaventura de Guadalquini===
The mission of [[San Buenaventura de Guadalquini]] was established on the southern end of St. Simons sometime between 1597 and 1609 (probably near the present-day [[St. Simons Island Light]]) and was the northernmost mission in the Mocama area. The [[Timucua language]] name for St. Simon's Island was ''Guadalquini''. The Spanish called it ''Isla de Ballenas'' (Isle of Whales). Some Spanish documents called the island {{em|Boadalquivi}}.{{sfn|Ashley|Rolland|Thunen|2013|pp=397, 421}}{{sfn|Hann|1996|p=175}}{{sfn|Milanich|1995|pp=115, 172}}

Raiders from the Chichimecos (the Spanish name for [[Westo]]s), Uchise (the Spanish name for [[Muscogee]]), and Chiluque (a name the Spanish used for a faction of the Mocamo and for [[Yamassee]]) and possibly other nations, aided and supported by the English in the [[Province of Carolina]], attacked Colon (also called San Simon) a village of un-Christianized Yamasee to the north of San Buenaventura on St. Simon Island, in 1680.{{sfn|Ashley|Rolland|Thunen|2013|p=401}}{{sfn|Hann|1996|pp=269, 271-72}}{{sfn|Worth|2007|pp=19-20, 98}} A force of Spanish soldiers and Native Americans from San Buenaventura went to the aid of Colon, forcing the raiders to withdraw.{{sfn|Hann|1996|pp=268–69}}

In 1683, St. Augustine was attacked by a pirate fleet, and in 1684 missions along what is now the Georgia coast were attacked by Native American allies of the English. The mission of San Buenaventura was ordered to move south and merge with the mission of [[San Juan del Puerto, Florida|San Juan del Puerto]] on the [[St. Johns River]]. Before the mission could be moved, pirates returned to the area in the second half of 1684. On hearing of the presence of the pirates, Lorenzo de Santiago, chief of San Buenaventura, moved the people of his village, along with most of their property and stored maize, to the mainland. When the pirates landed at San Buenaventura, they found only ten men under a sub-chief who had been left to guard the village. The San Buenaventura men withdrew to the woods, and the pirates burned the village and mission.{{sfn|Hann|1996|pp=270-71}}{{sfn|Milanich|2006|p=174}} After the pirates burned the mission, the people of Guadalquini moved to a site about one league west of San Juan del Puerto on the St. Johns River, where a new mission named Santa Cruz de Guadalquini was established.{{sfn|Hann|1996|p=271}}

=== Fort Frederica ===
{{main|Fort Frederica National Monument}}
[[File:GA St Simons Fort Frederica NM fort02.jpg|thumb|Remains of Fort Frederica]]
Fort Frederica, now [[Fort Frederica National Monument]], was built beginning in 1736 as the military headquarters of the [[Province of Georgia]] during the early English [[Colonial America|colonial period]]. It served as a buffer against [[Spain|Spanish]] incursion from [[Florida]].

Nearby is the site of the [[Battle of Gully Hole Creek]] and [[Battle of Bloody Marsh]], where on July 7, 1742, the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] ambushed Spanish troops marching single file through the marsh and routed them from the island. This marked the end of the Spanish efforts to invade Georgia during the [[War of Jenkins' Ear]].<ref>[http://www.glynncounty.com/cgi-bin/oaktree.pl?dbf=data.txt&ID=00001260 Fort Frederica National Monument, 6515 Frederica Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, Historic_Places, http://www.nps.gov/fofr/<!-- Bot generated title -->], National Park Service</ref>

It was preserved in the 20th century and identified as a national historic site largely by the efforts of Margaret Davis Cates, a resident who contributed much to historic preservation. She helped raise more than $100,000 (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=100000|start_year=1941}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in 1941 to buy the site of the fort and conduct stabilization and some preservation. It was designated as a [[National Monument]] in 1947.<ref>[http://www.nps.gov/fofr/historyculture/.../cate.pdf nps.gov]{{dead link|date=June 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

=== Wesley brothers ===
[[File:Wesley Oak marker, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|thumb|Historical marker about the Wesley Oak]]
In the 1730s, St. Simons served as a sometime home to [[John Wesley]], the young minister of the colony at Savannah. He later returned to England, where in 1738, he founded the evangelical movement of [[Methodism]] within the Anglican Church. Wesley performed [[missionary]] work at St. Simons but was despondent about failing to bring about conversions. (He wrote that the local inhabitants had more tortures from their environment than he could describe for [[Hell]]). In the 1730s, John Wesley's brother [[Charles Wesley]] also did missionary work on St. Simons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glynncounty.com/cgi-bin/oaktree.pl?dbf=data.txt&ID=00012851|title=Wesley Oak (historic marker), Historical Markers|website=www.glynncounty.com}}</ref> In the late eighteenth century, Methodist preachers traveled throughout Georgia as part of the [[Great Awakening]], a religious revival movement led by Methodists and Baptists. A significant impact of the revival was to convert [[Slavery in the colonial history of the United States|enslaved African-Americans]] in Georgia (as well as those in the rest of the [[Thirteen Colonies]]) to Christianity.

On April 5, 1987, fifty-five St. Simons United Methodist Church members were commissioned, with Bishop Frank Robertson as the first pastor, to begin a new church on the north end of St. Simons Island. This was where John and Charles Wesley had preached and ministered to the people at [[Fort Frederica]]. The new church was named Wesley United Methodist Church at Frederica.

=== American Revolution ===
In 1778 Colonel [[Samuel Elbert]] commanded Georgia's Continental Army and Navy. On April 15, he learned that four British vessels (the naval vessels {{HMS|Galatea|1776|6}} and HMS Hinchinbrook, and the hired vessels ''Rebecca'', and ''Hatter'') from [[East Florida]] were sailing in St. Simons Sound. Elbert commanded about 360 troops from the Georgia Continental Battalions at Fort Howe <!-- not [[Fort Howe]] in Canada--> to march to [[Darien, Georgia]]. There they boarded three Georgia Navy galleys: ''Washington'', commanded by Captain John Hardy<!-- not the Brit [[John Hardy]]-->; ''Lee'', commanded by Captain John Cutler Braddock; and ''Bulloch'', commanded by Captain Archibald Hatcher.

On April 18, they entered Frederica River and anchored about {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} from [[Fort Frederica National Monument|Fort Frederica]]. The next day the galleys attacked the British vessels. The Colonial ships were armed with heavier cannons than the British, and the galleys also had a shallow [[draft (hull)|draft]] and could be rowed. When the wind died down, the British ships had difficulty maneuvering in the restricted waters of the river and sound. Two British ships ran aground, and the crews escaped to their other ships. The battle showed the effectiveness of the galleys in restricted waters over ships designed for the open sea. The victory in the [[Frederica naval action]] boosted the morale of the colonials in Georgia.

=== Cotton production ===
[[File:Tabby House, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|right|thumb|Slave cabin built in 1805, now called the Tabby House]]
During the [[plantation era]], Saint Simons became a center of [[cotton]] production, known for its long-fiber [[Sea Island Cotton]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=St. Simons Island |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/geography-environment/st-simons-island/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=New Georgia Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref> Nearly the entire island was cleared of trees to make way for several large cotton plantations worked by enslaved [[Geechee]] people and their descendants. The plantations of this and other Sea Islands were large, and often the owners stayed on the mainland in Darien and other towns, especially during the summers, because the Island was considered swamp lands. Still, enslaved Geechee people lived on the island and were not allowed to come to the mainland unless accompanied by an enslaver. This season was considered bad for diseases in the lowlands. These enslaved people were held in smaller groups and interacted more with whites. They were also confused with the [[Gullah]] tribe from South Carolina. An original slave cabin still stands at the intersection of Demere Rd. and Frederica Rd. at the roundabout.

=== American Civil War and its aftermath ===
During the early stages of the war, Confederate troops occupied St. Simons Island to protect its strategic location at the entrance to Brunswick harbor. However, in 1862, [[Robert E. Lee]] ordered an evacuation of the island to relocate the soldiers for the defense of [[Savannah, Georgia]]. Before departing, they destroyed the lighthouse to prevent its use as a navigation aid by [[U.S. Navy]] forces. Most property owners then retreated inland with the people they enslaved, and the [[U.S. Army]] occupied the island for the remainder of the war.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Georgia's Land of the Golden Isles|last = Vanstory|first = Burnette|publisher = University of Georgia Press|year = 1981|location = Athens, GA|pages = 139}}</ref>

Postwar, the island plantations were in ruins, and landowners found it financially unfeasible to cultivate cotton or rice. Most moved inland to pursue other occupations, and the island's economy remained dormant for several years. Formerly enslaved people established a community in the center of the island known as Harrington.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Harrington Community, Communities|url = http://www.glynncounty.com/oaktree.pl?id=00008690|website = www.glynncounty.com|access-date = 2016-01-13}}</ref>

===Since Reconstruction===
Saint Simons' first exports of [[lumber]] occurred after the [[Naval Act of 1794]] when timber harvested from two thousand Southern live oak trees from Gascoigne Bluff was used to build the [[USS Constitution|USS ''Constitution'']] and five other [[frigate]]s (see [[six original United States frigates]]). The USS ''Constitution'' is known as "Old Ironsides", as cannonballs bounced off its hard live oak planking.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Roads Less Traveled: Exploring America's Past on Its Back Roads|last = Wilkerson|first = Lyn|publisher = Writers Club Press|year = 2000|pages = 311}}</ref>

The second phase of lumber production on the island began in the late 1870s when mills were constructed in the area surrounding Gascoigne Bluff. The mills supported a vibrant community that lasted until just after the turn of the twentieth century. During this time, lumber from St. Simons was shipped to New York City for use in the construction of the [[Brooklyn Bridge]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title = St. Simons Island: A Summary of Its History|last = Green|first = R. Edwin|publisher = The History Press|year = 2004|location = Charleston, South Carolina|pages = 61}}</ref>

In contrast to the post-Civil War era, the decline of lumber did not open a new period of economic hardship; for a new industry was taking hold on St. Simons Island. As early as the 1870s, summer cottages were being constructed on the island's south end, and a small village was forming to serve them. Construction of the pier in 1887 brought visitors by boat from Brunswick and south Georgia.<ref>{{Cite book|title = GLYNN COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY REPORT|publisher = Quatrefoil Historic Preservation Consulting|date = 2009|location = Savannah, GA|pages = 25}}</ref> The Hotel St. Simons, on the present site of Massengale Park, opened in 1888.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Images of America: St. Simons Island|last = Morris|first = Patricia|publisher = Arcadia Publishing|date= 2003|location = Charleston, South Carolina|pages = 104}}</ref> About a decade later, two hotels were built near the pier. The arrival of the automobile and the opening of the Torras Causeway in 1924 ensured the continued growth of tourism on St. Simons, the only one of the [[Golden Isles of Georgia|Golden Isles]] not privately held. New hotels were built. Roads were constructed, and tourism became the dominant force in the Island's economy.<ref>{{Cite web|title = History of Saint Simons Island, Georgia|url = http://www.glynncounty.com/History_and_Lore/Ed_Green/later_resort_days.shtml|website = www.glynncounty.com|access-date = 2016-01-13}}</ref>
[[File:GA St Simons King and Prince Hotel02.jpg|thumb|King and Prince Hotel]]
On April 8, 1942, [[World War II]] became a reality to residents of St. Simons Island when a German [[U-boat]] sank two [[oil tanker]]s in the middle of the night. The blasts shattered windows as far away as Brunswick, and unsubstantiated rumors spread about German soldiers landing on the beaches.<ref>{{Cite web|title = World War II: German U-Boat Attacks|url = http://www.todayingeorgiahistory.org/content/world-war-ii-german-u-boat-attacks|website = todayingeorgiahistory.org/|access-date = 2016-01-13}}</ref> Security measures were tightened after the sinkings, and anti-submarine patrols from Glynco Naval Air Station in Brunswick ultimately ended the U-boat threat. During the war, [[Malcolm McKinnon Airport|McKinnon Airport]] became Naval Air Station St. Simons, home to the Navy Radar Training School.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Coastal Georgia Historical Society|url = http://www.saintsimonslighthouse.org/cg.html|website = www.saintsimonslighthouse.org|access-date = 2016-01-13|archive-date = August 26, 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140826082818/http://www.saintsimonslighthouse.org/cg.html|url-status = usurped}}</ref> The [[King and Prince Hotel]], built in 1941, was used as a training facility and radar station. It was listed on the U.S. [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Georgia Historic Hotel, Historic Beach Resort {{!}} The King and Prince|url = http://www.kingandprince.com/history.aspx|website = www.kingandprince.com|access-date = 2016-01-13}}</ref>

President [[Jimmy Carter]] visited the island with his brother [[Billy Carter]] in 1977, arriving by [[Marine One]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/08/politics/jimmy-carter-obama-isis/index.html |title=Carter criticizes Obama on ISIS: 'We waited too long |first=Ashley |last=Killough |date=October 8, 2014 |website=[[CNN]]}} See photo 10.</ref>

During the postwar years, as resort and vacation travel increased, permanent residential development began to take place on St. Simons Island and surrounding mainland communities. The island's population grew from 1,706 in 1950 to 13,381 by 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|title = History of Saint Simons Island, Georgia, GA|url = http://www.glynncounty.com/History_and_Lore/Ed_Green/residential_era.shtml|website = www.glynncounty.com|access-date = 2016-01-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2016-01-13 |publisher=United States Census Bureau }}</ref>

==Geography==
{{climate chart
|St. Simons Island
|42.6|60.5 |3.22
|45.8|63.2 |3.47
|51.7|68.9 |3.88
|58.1|75.0 |2.49
|66.8|82.2 |1.86
|73.1|87.5 |4.84
|75.3|90.4 |4.08
|75.0|88.7 |6.27
|71.6|84.7 |5.76
|62.5|77.8 |4.46
|53.2|70.4 |2.03
|45.4|62.8 |2.64
|units = imperial|float = right|clear = both|source = [http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=jax/ NOAA]}}St. Simons Island is part of a cluster of [[barrier island]]s and [[marsh]] [[Hammock (ecology)|hammocks]] between the [[Altamaha River]] [[Delta (landform)|delta]] to the north, and St. Simons Sound to the south. Sea Island forms the eastern edge of this cluster, with Little St. Simons on the north and the marshes of Glynn plus the [[Intracoastal Waterway]] to the west.

St. Simons is located at {{Coord|31|9|40|N|81|23|13|W|type:city}} (31.161250, -81.386875),<ref name="GR12">{{cite web|url = https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date = 2011-04-23|date = 2011-02-12|title = US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> midway between Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida, and approximately {{convert|12|mi|km}} east of [[Brunswick, Georgia]], the sole [[municipality]] in Glynn County and the county government seat.

=== Climate ===
The [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen Climate Classification System]] rates the climate of St. Simons Island as humid subtropical.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 7(v) Climate Classification and Climatic Regions of the World|url = http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7v.html|website = www.physicalgeography.net|access-date = 2015-12-21}}</ref> Ocean breezes tend to moderate the island climate, as compared to the nearby mainland.<ref>{{Cite web|title = University Of Georgia|url = http://georgiaseagrant.uga.edu/article/georgia_coast_101/|website = georgiaseagrant.uga.edu|access-date = 2015-12-21}}</ref> Daytime mean highs in winter range from {{convert|61|to|68|F|C}}, with nighttime lows averaging {{convert|43|to|52|F|C}}. Summertime mean highs are {{convert|88|to|90|F|C}}, with average lows {{convert|73|to|75|F|C}}. The average rainfall is 45 inches per year. Rainfall is greatest in August and September when passing afternoon thunderstorms are typical. Accumulation of snow/ice is extremely rare. The last recorded snow on St. Simons was in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Christmas Coastal Snowstorm: December 22-24, 1989|url = http://www.weather.gov/ilm/ChristmasSnow1989|website = www.weather.gov|access-date = 2015-12-21|language = EN-US|first = US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather|last = Service}}</ref> The island is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9a.<ref>{{Cite web|title = USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map|url = https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/|website = planthardiness.ars.usda.gov|access-date = 2015-12-21|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/|archive-date = 2014-02-27|url-status = live}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|17.7|sqmi|km2}}, {{convert|15.9|sqmi|km2}} of which is land and {{convert|1.7|sqmi|km2}} of it (10 percent) is water.

=== Ecology, vegetation, and wildlife ===
A diverse and complex [[ecology]] exists alongside residential and commercial development on St. Simons Island. The island shares many features common to the chain of [[Sea Islands|sea islands]] along the southeastern U.S. coast, such as sandy beaches on the ocean side, marshes to the west, and maritime forests inland. Despite centuries of agriculture and development, a canopy of [[live oak]]s and other hardwoods draped in [[Spanish moss]] continues to shade much of the island. The abundance of food provided by the marshes, [[Estuary|estuaries]], and vegetation attracts various wildlife on the land, sea, and in the air.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Sherpa Guides {{!}} Georgia {{!}} Coast {{!}} Southern Coast {{!}} St. Simons Island|url = http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/coast/southern_coast/st_simons_island.html|website = www.sherpaguides.com|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref>

Commonly sighted land and [[Amphibians|amphibious]] animals include [[white-tailed deer]], marsh [[rabbit]]s, [[raccoon]]s, [[mink]]s, [[alligator]]s, [[armadillo]]s, [[terrapin]]s and [[frog]]s. Overhead, along the shore, and in the marshes, a wide variety of native and migratory [[shorebirds]] can be seen year-round. Species include [[sandpiper]]s, [[plover]]s, [[tern]]s, [[gull]]s, [[heron]]s, [[egret]]s, [[hawk]]s, [[osprey]]s, [[cormorant]]s, [[American white ibis|white ibis]], [[brown pelican]]s, and the [[Bald eagle|southern bald eagle]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Gould's Inlet, St. Simons Island|url = http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/wildlife_viewing/colonial_coast/67.html|website = www.sherpaguides.com|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref>

The area surrounding St. Simons Island and the Altamaha River delta is an important stopover for migrating shorebirds traveling between [[South America]] and their spawning grounds in the [[Canadian Arctic Lands|Canadian arctic]]. As a result of all this avian activity, Gould's Inlet and East Beach on St. Simons Island have designated stops on the Colonial Coast Birding Trail.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Georgia's Colonial Coast Birding Trail {{!}} Georgia DNR - Wildlife Resources Division|url = http://georgiawildlife.com/node/1344|website = georgiawildlife.com|access-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref>

The waters off St. Simons Island are likewise home to a great variety of sea life, including [[dolphin]]s, [[right whale]]s, a wide diversity of [[Game fish|gamefish]], and the occasional [[manatee]]. On late spring and summer nights, [[loggerhead sea turtle]]s arrive on the beach to lay their eggs. Area naturalists monitor and protect nests, and guided turtle walks are available. Shrimping is still important to the region, and shrimp boats are often seen just off the beaches.

Like most barrier islands, St. Simons Island beaches constantly shift as tides, wind, and storms move tons of sand annually. Along with umbrellas and folding chairs, beach-goers can encounter fast-moving [[ghost crab]]s, [[sand dollar]]s, giant [[horseshoe crab]]s, and moving [[conch]] shells powered by resident [[hermit crab]]s. [[Sea oats]] and [[Morning glory|morning glories]] cover the [[dune]]s along East Beach. Jumping [[Mullet (fish)|mullet]] and tiny [[bait fish]] populate the coastal waters. [[Dolphin]] sightings are common, particularly off the island's south coast.

=== Cannon's Point Preserve ===

In September 2012, following an 18-month fund-raising effort, the St. Simons Land Trust acquired a 608-acre tract of undeveloped land in the northeast portion of the island. The acreage includes maritime forest, [[salt marsh]], tidal creek, and river shoreline, as well as ancient shell [[midden]]s and remains of the John Couper plantation of the early 19th century.

The Preserve is open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, 9 AM-3 PM, for hiking, bicycling, bird-watching, and picnicking. The Preserve also features a launch site for kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards and an observation tower at the north end.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.sslt.org/pro_cpp_visit.php|title = Visit Cannon's Point Preserve|access-date = 2016-01-02|website = St. Simons Land Trust|publisher = St. Simons Land Trust, Inc.|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222091834/http://www.sslt.org/pro_cpp_visit.php|archive-date = 2015-12-22|url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1950= 1706
|1960= 3199
|1970= 5346
|1980= 6566
|1990= 12026
|2000= 13381
|2010= 12743
|2020= 14982
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br> 1850-1870<ref name=1870CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1870 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1870|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf |accessdate=|page=}}</ref> 1870-1880<ref name=1880CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1880 Census of Population - Georgia - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1880|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1880/vol-01-population/1880_v1-09.pdf |accessdate=|page=}}</ref><br> 1890-1910<ref name=1910CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1910 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1910|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ga.pdf |accessdate=|page=}}</ref> 1920-1930<ref name=1930CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1930 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1930|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/03815512v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=|pages=251–256}}</ref><br> 1940<ref name=1940CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1940 Census of Population - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1940|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch04.pdf |accessdate=}}</ref> 1950<ref name=1950CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1950 Census of Population - Georgia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1950|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/37779083v2p11ch2.pdf |accessdate=}}</ref> 1960<ref name=1960CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1960 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1960|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-12-c.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref><br> 1970<ref name=1970CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1970 Census of Population - Population of County Subdivisions - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1970|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ga-01.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref> 1980<ref name=1980CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1980|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_gaABC-01.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref> 1990<ref name=1990CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 1990 Census of Population - Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics - Georgia |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 1990|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-5/cph-5-12.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref><br> 2000<ref name=2000CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2000 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 2000|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-12.pdf |accessdate=}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusGA>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= 2010 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Georgia  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date= 2010|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-12.pdf|accessdate=}}</ref> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

St. Simons was first listed as an unincorporated place in the [[1950 U.S. census]]<ref name=1950CensusGA/> and then designated a [[census designated place]] in [[1980 United States census]].<ref name=1980CensusGA/>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''St. Simons, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – St. Simons CDP, Georgia|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US1368040|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Simons CDP, Georgia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US1368040&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Simons CDP, Georgia |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US1368040&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|14,426
|11,889
|style='background: #ffffe6; |13,709
|92.86%
|93.30%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |91.50%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|486
|338
|style='background: #ffffe6; |288
|3.63%
|2.66%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.92%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|16
|17
|style='background: #ffffe6; |19
|0.12%
|0.13%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.13%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|123
|117
|style='background: #ffffe6; |112
|0.92%
|0.92%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.75%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|2
|2
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4
|0.01%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.03%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|3
|18
|style='background: #ffffe6; |54
|0.02%
|0.14%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.36%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|72
|77
|style='background: #ffffe6; |346
|0.54%
|0.60%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.31%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|253
|284
|style='background: #ffffe6; |450
|1.89%
|2.23%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.00%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''13,381'''
|'''12,743'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''14,982'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

According to the [[census]] of 2010,<ref>{{Cite web|title = American FactFinder - Results|url = http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/cf/1.0/en/place/St.|website = factfinder.census.gov|access-date = 2015-12-21|first = U.S. Census|last = Bureau}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> there were 12,743 people, 6,117 households, and 3,637 families residing in the CDP, occupying a land area of {{convert|15.94|sqmi|km2|abbr=off}}. The population density was {{convert|799.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 9,931 housing units at an average density of {{convert|623.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.8 percent White, 2.8 percent African American, 0.1 percent Native American, 1.0 percent Asian, 1.53 percent from other races, and 0.7 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2 percent of the population. By the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name=":2" /> there were 14,982 people, 6,836 households, and 4,346 families in the CDP. The racial and ethnic makeup of the CDP by 2020 was 91.5% non-Hispanic white, 1.92% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.67% multiracial, and 3.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2010, the median income for a household in the CDP was $77,694, and the median income for a family was $104,044. Males had a median income of $52,536 versus $39,881 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $50,043. About 1.9 percent of families and 3.7 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4 percent of those under age 18 and 2.9 percent of those age 65 or over. In the 2020 [[American Community Survey]], the median household income increased to $90,408 with a mean of $120,362.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 ACS Income Statistics |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=St.%20Simons%20CDP,%20Georgia%20median%20income&g=1600000US1368040 |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> Families had a median household income of $117,466; married-couple families $125,652; and non-family households $52,607.

The primary housing units on St. Simons Island are single-family homes and condominiums. Prices vary with market trends, but housing is generally available in a wide range of prices, depending on location. In 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 9,931 housing units on the island, 6,117 of which were occupied either by the owners (74%) or renters (26%); and 2,662 were held for "seasonal, recreational, or occasional use." Most of the remainder were for rent (6%) or for sale (4%).<ref>{{Cite web|title = American FactFinder - Results|url = http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1368040|website = factfinder.census.gov|access-date = 2016-01-21|first = U.S. Census|last = Bureau|archive-url = https://archive.today/20200213064300/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US1368040|archive-date = 2020-02-13|url-status = dead}}</ref> In 2020, the median value of owner-occupied housing units was $386,000 with a monthly cost of $2,010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 ACS Financial Estimates Households W/Mortgages |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=St.%20Simons%20CDP,%20Georgia%20median%20income&g=1600000US1368040&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S2506 |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

== Government and infrastructure==
[[File:Post Office, St. Sumons, GA, US.jpg|thumb|Post office]]
The [[U.S. Postal Service]] operates a post office on St. Simons.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tools.usps.com/find-location.htm?location=1436135|title=SAINT SIMONS ISLAND — Post Office™|publisher=[[U.S. Postal Service]]|accessdate=2023-03-01}}</ref>

== Economy ==
[[File:Sea Island Golf Clubhouse, Sea Island, near St. Simon's Island, Ga. (8343878378).jpg|thumb|Early 20th century postcard of the Sea Island Golf Club]]
Tourism is the primary economic driver in the St. Simons Island economy. Major industries include hospitality, food services, retail, service businesses, and the professions.<ref>{{Cite web|title = American FactFinder - Results|url = http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ECN_2012_US_00A1&prodType=table|website = factfinder.census.gov|access-date = 2016-01-21|first = U.S. Census|last = Bureau|archive-url = https://archive.today/20200214011226/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ECN_2012_US_00A1&prodType=table|archive-date = 2020-02-14|url-status = dead}}</ref> The largest employers are the Sea Island Company, King & Prince Resort and [[Rich Products]] Consumer Brands Division.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Glynn County's Top Employers|url = http://www.georgiasgoldenopportunity.com/glynn-county/top-employers/|website = Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority|access-date = 2016-01-21|language = en-US}}</ref>
[[File:The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort.jpg|thumb|The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort]]
Visitors have been coming to St. Simons Island since the late 19th century, first by boat, disembarking at the pier on its south shore, and later by car via the [[F.J. Torras Causeway|F. J. Torras Causeway]].<ref name=":1" /> In 1938, the [[Malcolm McKinnon Airport|McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport]] opened, serving general aviation. Commercial air travelers arrive via the nearby [[Brunswick Golden Isles Airport]] (BQK). Three island marinas accommodate pleasure boaters.

Today, the island is marketed as one of Georgia's "[[Golden Isles of Georgia|Golden Isles]]", and visitation occurs throughout the year but is heaviest in the spring and summer months. Accommodations consist primarily of hotels, private rental homes, and condominium apartments along the beach and inland. Transportation is provided via taxis and vehicle rentals, including golf carts. Bicycle rentals are also available.

Visitors come to St. Simons Island for its beaches, scenic vistas, water sports, fishing, sailing, golf, historical sites, and laid-back lifestyle. The PGA Tour's [[RSM Classic]] (formerly McGladrey Classic) is held annually in November at the Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island. In 2013 The Sea Island Golf Club was ranked by [[Golf Digest]] as one of America's top 50 golf courses for women.

Ecotourists come to enjoy the natural surroundings, bird-watching, and Cannon's Point Preserve. Hiking and bicycling are popular year-round activities. St. Simons Island is also a magnet for photographers and painters. Its selection of scenic and historic venues, such as the St. Simons Lighthouse and [[Christ Church (St. Simons, Georgia)|Christ Church]], have made the island a popular wedding site.

As a travel destination, St. Simons Island has received recommendations from several travel publications and websites, including [[Condé Nast Traveler]], [[Travel + Leisure|Travel+Leisure]], [[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian Magazine]], Coastal Living, [[Country Living]], and [[TripAdvisor]].

== Arts and culture ==
Many creative artists are drawn to St. Simons Island as residents and visitors. Painters and photographers work to capture the scenic landscape, and their work is on display in several island galleries. Glynn Visual Arts is a non-profit organization serving local artists with exhibits, festivals, and classes in several media, including [[painting]] and [[drawing]], [[pottery]], [[photography]], [[mixed media]], [[Jewelry design|jewelry]], and many others.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Home|url = http://www.glynnvisualarts.org/home.html|website = Glynn Visual Arts|access-date = 2016-01-14|archive-date = March 4, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074006/http://www.glynnvisualarts.org/home.html|url-status = dead}}</ref> The Literary Guild of St. Simons Island supports writers with literary and cultural events.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Literary Guild of St. Simons Island|url = http://litguildssi.org/|website = Literary Guild of St. Simons Island|access-date = 2016-01-14}}</ref> A non-profit theater group, The Island Players, schedules productions in the Pier Village Casino Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|title = theislandplayers|url = http://www.theislandplayers.com/|website = theislandplayers|access-date = 2016-01-14}}</ref> Craft shows are held throughout the year in Postell Park in front of the Casino Building at the Pier Village.

There is a vibrant music scene on St. Simons Island, with local bands and musicians appearing in several venues, including summertime concerts on the oceanfront lawn by the lighthouse and classical music concerts sponsored by the Island Concert Association.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Home|url = http://islandconcertassociation.org/|website = islandconcertassociation.org|access-date = 2016-01-14}}</ref>

Novelist [[Eugenia Price]] visited St. Simons Island while driving from Chicago to Jacksonville in 1961. Fascinated by the island, she spent the next few years researching, eventually resulting in three novels known as the "St. Simons Trilogy." She lived on St. Simons from 1965 until she died in 1996.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Eugenia Price, 79, Romance Novelist, Dies|url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/30/arts/eugenia-price-79-romance-novelist-dies.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 1996-05-30|access-date = 2016-01-14|issn = 0362-4331|first = Robert McG. Jr|last = Thomas}}</ref>

The film ''[[Conrack (1974 film)|Conrack]]'' (1974) was partly filmed on Saint Simons Island.<ref>Barth, Jack (1991). ''Roadside Hollywood: The Movie Lover's State-By-State Guide to Film Locations, Celebrity Hangouts, Celluloid Tourist Attractions, and More''. Contemporary Books. Page 157. {{ISBN|9780809243266}}.</ref>

=== Black American heritage ===
After the [[American Civil War]], many Geechee people who had been enslaved remained on St. Simons Island, subsisting on whatever they could harvest from their gardens and the surrounding waters. Many later found jobs with the lumber mills starting in the 1870s.<ref name=":1" /> They attended the First African Baptist Church, completed in 1869 by formerly enslaved people from St. Simons Island plantations. Regular services are still held today at the original site on Frederica Road, which has been diligently cared for and renovated through the years.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Our History|url = http://www.fabsaintsimons.org/Our-History|website = www.fabsaintsimons.org|access-date = 2016-01-14|archive-date = February 7, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160207044230/http://www.fabsaintsimons.org/Our-History|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Brian |date=2020-03-09 |title=First African Baptist Church, 1869, St. Simons Island |url=https://vanishinggeorgia.com/2020/03/09/first-african-baptist-church-1869-st-simons-island/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2000, at the First African Baptist Church, a group of island residents and property owners formed the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition to protect and preserve the history and heritage of African-Americans on St. Simons Island. Today, the coalition conducts tours of historic sites and produces the annual Georgia Sea Islands Festival to celebrate traditional Geechee African-American music, food, and crafts. More recently, the coalition, together with Friends of Harrington School, has organized a successful fund-raising effort to restore the historic Harrington School House, which was initially built in the 1920s to serve the island's Geechee or African-American children.<ref>{{Cite web|title = SSAAHC {{!}} St. Simons African-American Heritage Coalition - History of SSAAHC|url = http://www.ssiheritagecoalition.org/our-history.html|website = www.ssiheritagecoalition.org|access-date = 2016-01-14|archive-date = February 7, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160207001034/http://ssiheritagecoalition.org/our-history.html|url-status = dead}}</ref>

== Sports and activities ==
The climate on St. Simons Island is conducive to various outdoor sports and activities year-round. Golfing is one of the most popular, with seven golf courses on the island.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Saint Simons Island, Georgia Golf Courses|url = http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Saint+Simons+Island+GA|website = www.golflink.com|access-date = 2016-01-14|archive-date = May 31, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160531151423/http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Saint+Simons+Island+GA|url-status = dead}}</ref> Public tennis courts are located at Epworth Park and Mallery Park, each with lines marked for [[pickleball]], a fast-growing paddle sport. Several island resorts also offer tennis facilities.

Eight public parks are on the island, with picnic tables, sports fields, and playgrounds. Demere Park features a skate park, and Gascoigne Park offers a disc golf course and a waterfront picnic area. The Neptune Park Fun Zone, on the south end of the island, near the Pier Village, includes a public swimming pool, miniature golf, two playgrounds, picnic tables, and restrooms.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Glynn County, GA - Official Website - Parks|url = http://www.glynncounty.org/index.aspx?NID=1322|website = www.glynncounty.org|access-date = 2016-01-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenisles.com/listing/neptune-park-fun-zone|title=Neptune Park Fun Zone|website=www.goldenisles.com}}</ref> The adjacent St. Simons Casino Building hosts weddings, parties, meetings, and is home to the St. Simons Library.

Beach access points are along the island's Atlantic shoreline, but the most popular are Coast Guard Beach and Massengale Park. Both have restrooms and ADA-accessible beach access. Massengale Park also includes picnic tables and a playground.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Glynn County, GA - Official Website - Beaches and Pools|url = http://glynncounty.org/index.aspx?nid=1498|website = glynncounty.org|access-date = 2016-01-14}}</ref>

Hikers, walkers, and bikers can enjoy the St. Simons Island-wide Trail System that stretches from the Village area to East Beach and Hampton Point at the north end.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Island-Wide Trail System {{!}} PATH Foundation|url = https://pathfoundation.org/trails/island-wide-trail-system/|website = pathfoundation.org|access-date = 2016-01-14|archive-date = March 24, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160324124046/http://pathfoundation.org/trails/island-wide-trail-system/|url-status = dead}}</ref> Other options include the Alice Richards Botanical Trail in Frederica Park, the John Gilbert Nature Trail just off Frederica Road, the Southeast Georgia Health System Fitness Trail near Gascoigne Bluff, and Cannon's Point Preserve (appropriate clothing and provisions for a wilderness area are recommended). Additional outdoor activities include [[kayaking]], [[paddleboarding]], and horseback riding. Boating and sailing excursions are also available.

===Neptune Park===
Neptune Park includes the Neptune Park Fun Zone and is in the "village" area and adjacent to the pier. Neptune Park was named after Neptune Small, a man enslaved by Retreat Plantation owner Henry King. King and his brothers fought for the Confederacy in the [[American Civil War]], with Small going with him. King was killed at the [[Battle of Fredericksburg]]. When night fell and King had not returned from the battlefield, Small went to look for him. Small found King's body and personally brought it back from Virginia to St. Simons for burial (at Christ Church). Legend has it that the King family gave Neptune Small 8 acres of their plantation, part of which is now Neptune Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/neptune-small-1831-1907|title=Neptune Small (1831-1907)|website=New Georgia Encyclopedia}}</ref>  However, there is no evidence of Small owning that area or of the King family giving him any land. He did own several acres of land a little west of the current Neptune Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/a-new-twist-in-neptune-smalls-story/article_f50ba7a9-0290-5c45-8e50-a2a2cabd3452.html|title=A new twist in Neptune Small's story|website=The Brunswick News|date=June 23, 2018 }}</ref>

<gallery>
File:The pier in Neptune Park, St. Simons Island, GA, US.jpg|The pier at Neptune Park
File:The Casino, Neptune Park, St. Simons Island, GA, US.jpg|The Casino at Neptune Park (the third so-named building)
File:Casino inside, Neptune Park, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|Inside the Casino
File:Neptune Park, St. Simons Island, GA, US.jpg|Neptune Park
File:Old Casino, 1930, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|Old Casino (demolished)
File:Neptune Small plaque, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|Neptune Small plaque<ref>Inscription: '''NEPTUNE SMALL''' For generations, residents and visitors have enjoyed Neptune Park, named for Neptune Small, a faithful servant of the Thomas Butler King family at Retreat Plantation, now the home of the Sea Island Golf Club. Born into slavery in 1831, Neptune accompanied one of the King sons, Henry Lord Page King, as manservant when he enlisted in the Confederate Army. During the battle of Fredericksburg in 1862, Captain King was killed. When night fell, Neptune retrieved King's body and brought it home for burial in the family burial ground at Christ Church, Frederica, St. Simons. Although he could have chosen to remain at home, Neptune returned to the war as a manservant to the youngest King son, R. Guyler King. After the war the King family gave this portion of Retreat Plantation to Neptune who, as a freedman, had chosen "Small" as his last name for his slight stature. Neptune died in 1907 and is buried in the Retreat burial ground. This marker and live oak tree are given and dedicated by Sea Island Company to his memory.</ref>
</gallery>

== Points of interest ==

=== A. W. Jones Heritage Center ===
[[file:A. W. Jones Heritage Center, St, Simons, GA, US.jpg|right|thumb|A. W. Jones Heritage Center]]
Opened in 2008, the A.W. Jones Heritage Center at 610 Beachview Drive is the headquarters facility for the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. The 10,000 sq. ft. building contains an entrance gallery featuring exhibits, an executive board room, a gift shop, a 1,400 sq. ft. event hall available for rent, a research library, and the Society's vast collection of objects, artifacts, and archival materials from hundreds of years of coastal Georgia history.

=== Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum and Library ===
Dedicated in June 1966, the Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum and Library is on the grounds of [[Epworth by the Sea]]. It houses a collection of books and historical artifacts related to the early history of St. Simons Island and [[Wesley brothers|John and Charles Wesley]], founders of the [[Methodist movement]], who arrived on the island with [[James Oglethorpe]]. The Moore Museum is the official repository of the archives of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and is open to the public Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.[[File:Avenue of Oaks, St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA.JPG|right|thumb|Avenue of oaks, St. Simons]]

=== Avenue of the Oaks ===
Initially planted in 1850 by Anne Page King as the carriage entrance to Retreat Plantation, two rows of live oaks grace the Sea Island Golf Club entry at the south end of St. Simons Island on Retreat Avenue, off Kings Way. Visitors can view the oaks by driving toward the entrance to the Golf Club, then circling back.

=== Bloody Marsh Battle Site ===
{{Main|Battle of Bloody Marsh}}At the [[Battle of Bloody Marsh]] on July 7, 1742, an outnumbered force of British soldiers ambushed and defeated Spanish troops, halting a planned attack on Fort Frederica. Markers and information panels at this outdoor observation site explain the battle, which permanently ended Spain's claims to the Georgia territory. Located off Old Demere Road, the site is managed by the [[National Park Service]] as a unit of [[Fort Frederica National Monument]].

=== Cannon's Point Preserve ===
A 600-acre [[wilderness]] tract on the northeast corner of St. Simons Island, Cannon's Point is the last remaining undisturbed [[maritime forest]] on the island. Owned by the St. Simons Land Trust, the Preserve includes a salt marsh, tidal creek, river shoreline, 4,000-year-old shell middens, and ruins of a 17th-century [[Plantation complexes in the Southeastern United States#Plantation house|plantation house]] and slave quarters. [[The Nature Conservancy]] holds a conservation easement on the property to ensure its preservation for future generations. The Preserve is open to the public during specified days and hours. Visitors should wear clothing appropriate for a wilderness outing and bring bug spray.

=== Cassina Garden Club Tabby Slave Cabins ===
[[File:Hamilton Plantation slave houses, St. Simons, GA, USA.jpg|right|thumb|Slave cabins]]
Located on [[Gascoigne Bluff]], Hamilton Plantation was one of the most prosperous plantations on St. Simons Island, growing high-quality Sea Island cotton. Of the several [[Slave quarters in the United States|slave cabins]] built on the plantation, two remain today. These slave cabins were constructed of tabby, a concrete-like mixture of lime, sand, water, and oyster shells. Owned and operated by the Cassina Garden Club, the cabins are open to the public on Wednesdays in June, July, and August. Private tours can be arranged at other times.

===Christ Church===
{{Main|Christ Church (St. Simons, Georgia)}}
[[File:Christ Episcopal Church, St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA, 2015.jpg|thumb|Christ Church]]
In 1808 the state of Georgia gave {{convert|100|acres|abbr=off}} of land on St. Simons to be used for an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] church and its support. Called [[Christ Church (St. Simons, Georgia)|Christ Church]], the structure was finished in 1820. During the Civil War, invading U.S. troops commandeered the small building to stable horses and virtually destroyed it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gatewaytothegoldenisles.com/article/id/1393/page/2|title=Gateway to the Golden Isles}}</ref> The church was restored in 1884 by lumber magnate [[Anson Dodge#Anson Greene Phelps Dodge Jr.|Anson Phelps Dodge]], whose son became the new church's first rector. Located at 6329 Frederica Road, just south of Fort Frederica National Monument, this historic building is home to an active Episcopal congregation.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Christ Church, Brunswick, Georgia, Saint Simons Island, Jekyll Island, GA|url = http://www.glynncounty.com/History_and_Lore/Christ_Church/|website = www.glynncounty.com|access-date = 2016-01-13}}</ref> The adjacent cemetery contains gravesites dating as far back as 1803.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Christ Church and Cemetery - St. Simons Island, Georgia|url = http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/christchurch.html|website = www.exploresouthernhistory.com|access-date = 2016-01-13}}</ref>

=== Epworth By The Sea ===
{{Main|Epworth by the Sea}}[[Epworth by the Sea|Epworth By The Sea]] is a 100-acre conference and retreat center owned by the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. The property at Gascoigne Bluff includes six motels, 12 family apartments, 13 youth cabins, auditoriums, classrooms, and meeting rooms. Four dining rooms and a preschool/nursery building with a fenced playground exist. An in-season swimming pool, athletic field, covered basketball courts, tennis courts, bicycle rentals, and fishing piers provide activities for all ages. Lovely Lane Chapel, constructed in 1880, hosts Sunday services and is available for weddings.

=== Fort Frederica National Monument ===
{{Main|Fort Frederica National Monument}}[[Fort Frederica National Monument|Fort Frederica]] was established in 1736 by British General James Oglethorpe to defend the southern border of his [[Georgia colony]]. The facility was a fortress and a small town on the Frederica River. In 1742, troops from the fort defeated invading Spanish forces at the Battle of Bloody Marsh, which was decisive in ending Spanish influence and securing the Georgia colony under British rule. By mid-century, the troops were withdrawn, and the colonists abandoned the town, which then fell into disrepair. In 1945, Fort Frederica was established as a national monument and is currently operated by the National Park Service.

=== Gascoigne Bluff ===
{{Main|Gascoigne Bluff}} Gascoigne Bluff has been a focal point for almost the entire history of St. Simons Island. Long before the arrival of Europeans, [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] and Aborigines lived and camped on the site. The Spanish also built a mission on or near the area. When General Oglethorpe and the British arrived in 1736, they established a naval facility at the bluff and granted {{convert|500|acres|abbr=off}} of its land to Captain James Gascoigne, of the sloop-of-war ''Hawk'', and the name persists to this day. In 1794, lumber from the area was used to construct the frigate, "Old Ironsides." During the antebellum period of cotton farming, the bluff was the site of the Hamilton plantation, of which two slave cabins remain standing today. In the late 19th century, lumber mills thrived at the scene. Today, the bluff is occupied by Epworth By The Sea and Gascoigne Bluff Park at its southern end, with picnic tables, restrooms, and a fishing pier.

=== Lovely Lane Chapel ===
[[File:Epworth by the Sea, Lovely Lane Chapel.jpg|right|thumb|120px|Lovely Lane Chapel at [[Epworth by the Sea]] ]]
In 1880, Norman W. Dodge built St. James Union Church at Gascoigne Bluff to serve the lumber mill community. After the mills shut down, the building was [[Deconsecration|deconsecrated]] in the 1920s and became a social hall. When the Methodists acquired the property in 1949, they renamed it Lovely Lane Chapel. The chapel is open to the public for Sunday worship services and wedding ceremonies. It is located at 100 Arthur J. Moore Drive.

=== World War II Home Front Museum at the Historic Coast Guard Station ===
[[File:GA St Simons US Coast Guard Station02.jpg|thumb|U.S. Coast Guard Station]]
{{main|East Beach Station}}
The Coastal Georgia Historical Society operates the World War II Home Front Museum. The Museum is housed in the Historic St. Simons Coast Guard Station, built in 1936. Step back to April 8, 1942, when the crew from this station rescued survivors of two American ships torpedoed by a German U-boat 13 miles off St. Simons Island. The museum focuses on the contributions of Georgia and other states in production and home defense during the Second World War.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://michellealtenberg.com/what-to-do-in-st-simons-island/ | title=What to do in St Simons Island: 8 Great Activities | date=August 29, 2024 }}</ref>

=== St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum ===
{{main|St. Simons Island Light}}The original [[St. Simons Island Light]], built in 1811, was destroyed by Confederate troops in 1861 to prevent its use by U.S. Navy sailors. Rebuilt in 1872, it continues to operate today, owned by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society and maintained by the [[United States Coast Guard Auxiliary]]. The adjacent keeper's residence Is now a museum operated by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, featuring lighthouse exhibits and a restored keeper's dwelling. Visitors may climb the 129 steps to the observatory for panoramic views of the ocean, nearby islands, and the mainland.

== Education ==
[[File:St. Simons Elementary School, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|thumb|St. Simons Elementary School]]
[[File:Oglethorpe Point Elementary School, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|thumb|Oglethorpe Point Elementary School]]
St. Simons Island is part of the [[Glynn County School District]].<ref>"[https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st13_ga/place/p1368040_st_simons/DC10BLK_P1368040_000.pdf 2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): St. Simons CDP, GA]." [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved on March 13, 2019. Pages: [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st13_ga/place/p1368040_st_simons/DC10BLK_P1368040_001.pdf 1], [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st13_ga/place/p1368040_st_simons/DC10BLK_P1368040_002.pdf 2], and [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/GUBlock/st13_ga/place/p1368040_st_simons/DC10BLK_P1368040_003.pdf 3].</ref> There are two public schools on the Island: Oglethorpe Point Elementary and St. Simons Elementary, serving grades PK to 5.

Zoned schools include:
* Oglethorpe Point Elementary School (OPES) and St. Simons Elementary School (SSES)<ref>"[http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/2010-11%20Elementary%20Zones%20Map.pdf Elementary School Zones Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312204349/http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/2010-11%20Elementary%20Zones%20Map.pdf |date=March 12, 2019 }}." [[Glynn County School District|Glynn County School System]]. Retrieved on March 13, 2019.</ref>
* Glynn Middle School (GMS)<ref>"[http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/Middle%20Schools%20Zones%20Map%20(Revised%20January%202012).pdf Middle School Zones Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312204344/http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/Middle%20Schools%20Zones%20Map%20(Revised%20January%202012).pdf |date=March 12, 2019 }}." [[Glynn County School District|Glynn County School System]]. Retrieved on March 13, 2019. [http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/Glynn%20Middle%20School%20Zone%20Map%20(Revised%20January%202012).pdf Detail of Glynn MS Zone Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312204323/http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/Glynn%20Middle%20School%20Zone%20Map%20(Revised%20January%202012).pdf |date=March 12, 2019 }}</ref>
* [[Glynn Academy]] (GA)<ref>"[http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/2010-11%20High%20School%20Zones%20Map.pdf High School Zones Map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312204049/http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/files/filesystem/2010-11%20High%20School%20Zones%20Map.pdf |date=March 12, 2019 }}." [[Glynn County School District|Glynn County School System]]. Retrieved on March 13, 2019.</ref>

Private schools:
* [[Frederica Academy]] – grades PK-12
* St. Simons Christian School – grades PK-8

<gallery>
File:Fredrica Academy, St. Simons, GA, US.jpg|[[Frederica Academy]]
</gallery>

==Notable people==
{{div col}}
*[[Tina McElroy Ansa]] — novelist, journalist, essayist, and short-story writer
*[[Griffin Bell]] — former [[U.S. Attorney General]]
*[[Iris Faircloth Blitch]] — former [[United States Representative]] to congress
*[[Morgan Brian]] — member of the [[United States women's national soccer team]], World Cup Champion, Olympian
*[[Alton Brown]] — [[Food Network]] Personality
*[[Jim Brown]] — Hall of Fame NFL player and actor
*[[Kwame Brown]] — former NBA player, Glynn Academy High School
*[[Jonathan Byrd (golfer)|Jonathan Byrd]] — professional golfer 
*[[Buddy Carter]] — [[U.S. House of Representatives|U.S. representative]]<ref name="wabe-ng-ssi-25">{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Craig |last2=Gibbs |first2=Jabari |title=US Rep. Buddy Carter holds telephone town hall amid growing unease in his Coastal Georgia backyard |url=https://www.wabe.org/us-rep-buddy-carter-holds-telephone-town-hall-amid-growing-unease-in-his-coastal-georgia-backyard/ |access-date=20 May 2025 |work=WABE |date=2025-03-25 |quote=The five-term lawmaker from St. Simons held a telephone town hall from Washington instead, fielding 11 questions in about 50 minutes.}}</ref>
*[[Jack Davis (cartoonist)|Jack Davis]] — cartoonist.
*[[William Diehl]] — award-winning novelist, [[New York Times Best Seller list]]
*[[Morgan Gautrat]] — soccer player<ref>{{cite web |title=Orlando Pride signs midfielder Morgan Gautrat to new contract through 2025 season |url=https://www.orlandocitysc.com/pride/news/orlando-pride-signs-midfielder-morgan-gautrat-to-new-contract-through-2025-season |website=[[Orlando Pride]] |access-date=August 6, 2025 |date=September 12, 2024}}</ref>
*[[Brian Harman]] — professional golfer
*[[Sam Hunt]] — part-time resident, country singer
*[[Anna Jay]] — professional wrestler competing at [[All Elite Wrestling|AEW]]
*[[Zach Johnson]] — professional golfer
*[[Bessie Jones (American singer)|Bessie Jones]] — gospel singer
*[[Matt Kuchar]] — professional golfer
*[[Davis Love III]] — professional golfer
*[[Mack Mattingly]] — former U.S. Senator
*[[Laura Morelli]] — art historian, historical novelist
*[[J. Reginald Murphy]] — former editor of [[Atlanta Constitution]], [[San Francisco Chronicle]], and former president of [[National Geographic Society]]
*[[Sam Nunn]] — former [[U.S. Senator]]
*[[Eugenia Price]] — author of the Georgia Trilogy and St. Simons Trilogy, among other historical novels
*[[Bob Schieffer]] — television journalist and former anchor of the ''[[CBS Evening News]]''
*[[John Smoltz]] — part-time resident, retired [[MLB]] pitcher, formerly with the [[Atlanta Braves]]
*[[Adam Wainwright]] — former [[MLB]] pitcher for the [[St. Louis Cardinals]]
*[[Heather Whitestone]] — Miss America 1995, first disabled Miss America
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{Cite conference |title=Life among the tides: recent archaeology on the Georgia Bight: proceedings of the Sixth Caldwell Conference, St. Catherines Island, Georgia, May 20-22, 2011. (Downloadable PDF) |chapter=Chapter Fifteen: Mission San Buenaventura and Santa Cruz de Gualdalquini: Retreat from the Georgia Coast|last1=Ashley|first1=Keith H.|last2=Rolland|first2=Vicky L.|last3=Thunen|first3=Robert L.|publisher=American Museum of Natural History|year=2013|editor-last=Thomas|editor-first=David Hurst|editor-last2=Thompson|editor-first2=Victor D.|editor2-link=Victor D. Thompson|editor-last3=Alexander|editor-first3=Clark R.|editor-last4=Ashley|editor-first4=Keith H.|editor-last5=Blair|editor-first5=Elliot|editor-last6=Cordell|editor-first6=Ann S.|editor-last7=Deagan|editor-first7=Kathleen A.|editor-last8=DePratter|editor-first8=Chester B.|editor9-link=Scott M. Fitzpatrick|editor-last9=Fitzpatrick|editor-first9=Scott M.|location=New York|doi=10.5531/sp.anth.0098|journal=Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History|pages=395–422|issn=0065-9452|hdl = 2246/6435|isbn=9780985201616|hdl-access=free}}
*{{cite book|last=Hann|first=John H.|title=A History of the Timucua Indians and Missions|year=1996|publisher=University Press of Florida|location=Gainesville, Florida|isbn=978-0-8130-1424-1|pages=70, 175–177, 270–271}}
*{{cite book|last=Milanich|first=Jerald T.|title=Florida Indians and the Invasion of Europe|year=1995|publisher=University Press of Florida|location=Gainesville, Florida|isbn=978-0-8130-1636-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Milanich|first=Jerald T.|title=Laboring in the Fields of the Lord|date=2006|publisher=University Press of Florida|location=Gainesville, Florida|isbn=978-0-8130-2966-5|edition=Paperback}}
*{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U5gWyZbNRaoC&dq=Santa+Cruz+y+San+Buenaventura+de+Guadalquini&pg=PA198|title=The Struggle for the Georgia Coast|last=Worth|first=John E.|date=2007|publisher=University of Alabama Press|isbn=9780817354114|language=en}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Georgia (U.S. state)|Islands}}
{{commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Saint Simons Island}}
* [http://www.goldenisles.com/ Golden Isles Visitors Bureau], Golden Isles Visitors Bureau
* [http://www.glynncounty.org/ Glynn County Government]
* [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2633&sug=y History of St. Simons Island] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926224020/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2633&sug=y |date=September 26, 2007 }}, ''New Georgia Encyclopedia''
* [http://sherpaguides.com/georgia/coast/southern_coast/st_simons_island.html St. Simons Island], Sherpa Guides
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130615003805/http://saintsimonslighthouse.org/ Coastal Georgia Historical Society]}}
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/stsimon.htm St. Simon's Light Station] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050909224152/http://www.cr.nps.gov/MARITIME/light/stsimon.htm |date=September 9, 2005 }}, National Park Service
* [http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=328 More about the St. Simons Lighthouse]
* [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Landsea/history/ List of historical hurricanes], 1565 to 1899, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
* [http://www.sar.org/gassar/gassar_hev_010.htm Frederica Naval Action] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222204/https://www.sar.org/gassar/gassar_hev_010.htm |date=December 15, 2018 }}
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/glynn/st.-simons-island St. Simons Island] historical marker
* [http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/historical_markers/county/glynn/st.-simons-trolley-stop St. Simons Trolley Stop] historical marker

{{Glynn County, Georgia}}

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[[Category:St. Simons, Georgia| ]]
[[Category:Barrier islands of Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Brunswick metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Glynn County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Georgia (U.S. state) Sea Islands]]
[[Category:Islands of Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Islands of Glynn County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Slave cabins and quarters in the United States]]
[[Category:Marshes of Georgia (U.S. state)]]