A Piece of Presidential Past Preserved
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
Only one small piece now remains of Solterra Cottage, which was at one time a sizable structure with several detached outbuildings and an enviable location beside the Clubhouse. Once the largest cottage on Jekyll Island, it entertained President William McKinley and his party as guests, 110 years ago this March.
“Jekyl Island has had the greatest crow in its history for the past few days,” newspapers reported that March of 1899, as President McKinley holidayed at the small coastal community known in its heyday as an exclusive retreat frequented by the nation’s top financiers, merchants, socialites, and diplomats.
“Every room in the clubhouse and every cottage has been occupied by millionaire guests. The president and vice-president of the United States, and the speaker of the house, have been guests of the club. The eyes of the world have been on Jekyl,” printed the Brunswick Call on March 22, 1899.
McKinley came to Jekyll Island at the invitation of Cornelius Bliss, his former Secretary of the Interior and a long-standing Club Member.
Frederic and Frances Baker, who owned Solterra Cottage, were abroad that season visiting Europe and North Africa. They graciously made their 12-room Queen Anne shingle-style cottage available to President McKinley and his party, which also included Mrs. McKinley, Vice President Garrett A. Hobart, and Mrs. Hobart.
The simultaneous presence of Thomas Reed, Speaker of the House, on the island created a stir in the papers. Reed had run against McKinley for the 1896 Republican Party nomination. Speculations ran rampant that the serene island setting would help settle a long-standing feud between the two party leaders, and that Jekyll Island would be an ideal place to propose nominees for the next national election. Those who would comment stated “there is no politics whatever in their present visit South” and that the trip was undertaken “solely for rest and recuperation.”
Reporters were disappointed to discover that they were banned from the island. But when Joseph Pulitzer, the owner of the New York World, abused his privileges as a Jekyll Island Club Member by inviting journalists onto the island as guests to capture the story, other reporters were allowed entry.
On occasions when the President and the Speaker did meet on Jekyll Island, the New York Times reported the tipping of hats, smiles exchanged, low bows, handshakes, and other polite exchanges. A local reporter considered it a sign of reconciliation when Reed was seen arm-in arm with Senator Hanna, the President’s campaign manager, commenting, “The future is alright.”
During the trip, McKinley enjoyed an informal afternoon reception at Solterra Cottage, “at which the members of the island colony were presented to the President and to Mrs. McKinley.” Club Members mingling at the reception included James Scrymser, Joseph Stickney, N.K. Fairbank, H.K. Porter, and Charles Stewart Maurice, among others.
During his stay, the President enjoyed several “pretty drives” around the island and attended an “old-fashioned cake walk” at the Clubhouse sponsored by the island’s African American employees. He departed the island on March 22, calling his stay on Jekyll Island “simply delightful.”
McKinley went on to win his re-election easily, with Theodore Roosevelt as his running mate. McKinley was known for his support of high tariffs on imports as a means of prosperity. As president, he presided over the Spanish-American War. He annexed the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Hawaii into the United States and set up a protectorate over Cuba. He was succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt after his assassination.
Solterra Cottage was destroyed by fire on March 9, 1914. Today, a single, small architectural remnant remains of the beautiful sprawling structure where the President once stayed and greeted the Jekyll Island Club Members who had the wealth and connections to substantially influence his presidential prospects in the 1900 elections.
Only a dovecote, used to raise pigeons or doves in Solterra’s backyard, survived the blaze. The small outbuilding was relocated several times around the National Historic Landmark District to serve assorted needs and keep it out of harm’s way from various improvement projects.
Recently the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island funded the stabilization and relocation of the dovecote, allowing this small building to be placed closer to its original location. The last piece of a splendid structure, the dovecote has now been preserved near where Solterra once stood. A simple interpretive panel will be installed nearby to share the stirring story of Solterra Cottage’s history with the visiting public.
John Hunter, the Director of the Jekyll Island Museum, termed the preservation project, “a small but satisfying connection to Jekyll’s Island’s presidential past.
See the schedule below for Jekyll Island Museum tour information to find out more about our Club Era residents.
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island, the Solterra Cottage dovecote will be stabilized and moved closer to its original location. Solterra Cottage, built by Frederic and Frances Baker in 1890, was destroyed by fire on March 9, 1914, but the small dovecote in the cottage’s back yard survived. Today it is the only remaining remnant of the 12-room Queen Annestyle Solterra Cottage. The dovecote was used to raise pigeons or doves to be served at the table. Solterra Cottage was known for a site for lavish entertaining. Important guests such as Andrew Carnegie, Joseph Pulitzer and J.P. Morgan dined at the Bakers’ island residence. Perhaps their most prestigious guests, however, stayed at Solterra in 1899, when the Bakers offered the cottage to President William McKinley, Vice President Garrett Hobart, and their wives. This island landmark was destroyed on the morning of March 9, 1914 when Solterra caught fire from a faulty fireplace flue. Efforts were made to save the building, but it continued to burn until only its chimneys remained standing. Island employees managed to save some of the valuable furnishings and pictures before the house was incinerated. The dovecote was also spared. Gretchen Greminger, the curator of the Jekyll Island Museum, said that the recent fundraising efforts would help to stabilize the small structure. In addition, the Museum hopes to move the small dovecote, provide it with a new foundation near its original resting place, and install an interpretive panel about its history. Greminger believes that the dovecote, as the last architectural remnant of Solterra, is well worth saving. “I think the dovecote is very reflective of the original intent of the Jekyll Island Club and its architectural philosophy,” she said. Stabilizing the dovecote will entail patching openings in the door, replacing any rotten wood on the wood cladding, and replacing the windows as needed. The preservation of the dovecote will be contracted out, and the work on the building should be completed within the next few months. After the stabilization is complete, the structure will be moved closer to its original placement near the Chichota ruins. Over the years, the dovecote has migrated around the historic district to serve assorted needs. Until now, it has never found a lasting resting place. Soon the migratory building will be returned to the approximate location of its original home. An interpretive panel focusing on Solterra Cottage and the Baker family will also be installed nearby. Greminger said that this panel will probably be similar in style and appearance to the interpretive panels recently placed throughout the historic district. “It is our last visible link with Solterra, and I think the Bakers were a very interesting family. It will be great to tell their story,” Greminger reflected. “This dovecote is also our last remaining link with the only American President known to have visited the island during the Jekyll Island Club era. This little building has a big story to tell.”