Rockefeller Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rockefeller Cottage
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
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| Location | 331 Riverview Dr., Jekyll Island, Georgia |
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| Area | 2.7 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style, Rural American |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000279 |
| Added to NRHP | July 14, 1971 |
The Rockefeller Cottage is a famous house on Jekyll Island, Georgia. It is also known as Indian Mound Cottage. This large home sits right next to the Jekyll Island Club. It has three floors and a total of 25 rooms. Imagine, it has nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and seven rooms for staff!
The house has some really cool features. There's an elevator to help you get around. It also has a special safe room lined with cedar wood. In the main bedroom's bathroom, the bathtub even has taps for both hot and cold salt water! Today, you can take tours of this amazing mansion. The Jekyll Island Museum offers these tours.
Contents
History of Rockefeller Cottage
Who Built the House?
The Rockefeller Cottage was built in 1892. A man named Gordon McKay had it constructed. He was the first owner of this grand house.
The Rockefeller Family Home
Gordon McKay passed away in 1903. Two years later, in 1905, William Rockefeller bought the house. He used it as a cozy winter home for his family. They enjoyed many winters there.
Becoming a Museum
In 1942, everyone on Jekyll Island had to leave. This included the Rockefeller family. The house stayed with the Rockefeller family until 1947. That year, the Jekyll Island Authority bought the property. It was then opened as a museum in 1950. Visitors could explore its rooms and learn about its past.
However, the museum closed in 1968. It needed a lot of important repairs. After the repairs, it reopened to the public. The Rockefeller Cottage was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. This means it is a very important historical building.
The Indian Mound
What is the Indian Mound?
The house got its first name, Indian Mound Cottage, from a mound in its front yard. For a long time, people thought this mound was a burial ground. They believed it was where the Guale Indians buried their dead. The Guale were the first people to live on Jekyll Island.
Discovering the Mound's True Nature
Later, experts studied the mound more closely. They found out it was not a burial ground after all. Instead, it was a shell midden. A shell midden is a pile of shells and other waste. It is left behind by people who ate shellfish a long time ago. This discovery helped us learn more about the Guale Indians' daily lives.
