The heritage and history of Sapelo Island have been under dispute for several years, with descendants of enslaved people who created a vibrant community for themselves on Sapelo struggling to maintain their homes and sense of place.
A dock accident that left seven people dead and more injured Saturday when a ferry gangplank collapsed on Sapelo has only added to the sense of loss for the Gullah Geechee who have called the island home for more than a century and a half.
Founded after the Civil War by former enslaved people of Thomas Spalding’s cotton plantation, the island now is being eyed by developers and potential buyers because of its natural beauty and beach access. A year-old ordinance opened the Gullah Geechee community, known as Hog Hammock, to larger dwellings, allowing homes more than double the former maximum size.
In September 2023, local elected officials altered Sapelo’s zoning law, more than doubling the maximum size of homes from 1,400 square feet to 3,000 square feet. Residents have expressed worries of remodeling amid recent high-dollar sales of two homes — a 1,518-square-foot residence sold for $800,000 in April and a 900-square-foot dwelling went for $500,000 last December. At least four applications for new residences have been approved since the zoning ordinance change.
The 1,400-square-foot zoning mandate was aimed to protect the island’s 434 private acres from development and preserve the way of life of the Gullah Geechee.
The Gullah Geechee fought the 2023 zoning law, filing a lawsuit trying to prevent the construction of larger homes on the historic island. McIntosh County, which includes Sapelo, filed a lawsuit in July 2024 to challenge a referendum on the matter.
But just three weeks before Saturday’s tragedy, Superior Court Judge Gary McCorvey sided with McIntosh County on Sept. 25, halting the voter referendum championed by the community of Black slave descendants. McCorvey argued that the referendum was illegal under the state constitution and that the county should not expend funds to run the vote.
On Saturday, island residents, family members and tourists gathered for Cultural Day to celebrate community on the island, home to about 35 Gullah Geechee residents who still live there full time. Though nondescendants now own several of the 83 housing units on the island and undeveloped properties, property records show. About 40 people were on the gangway as the dock collapsed, sending them plunging into the water.
When officials altered the zoning law last September, the commission’s chairman, David Stevens, blamed the Gullah Geechee for necessitating the change by selling Hog Hammock properties to nondescendants. He said that the current generation of Gullah Geechee lack the cultural appreciation shown by their ancestors.
But some residents said they would keep fighting.
“It’s going to be a long fight; they hope to wear us out, for us to get tired of worrying about what happens if we lose,” said Maurice Bailey, whose family has called the island home for nine generations. “Me, I’m not afraid of losing something, so I’ll keep right on fighting.”
— Staff writer Adam Van Brimmer contributed to this article
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