The Island’s residential development began in the 1950’s and 1960’s with Wilmington Park, a middle-class suburb of neat brick homes surrounding a 1920’s era Donald Ross golf course. That course is today part of the semi-private “Wilmington Island Club,” and while many of the homes are now older and being updated by new families, Wilmington Park has remained over the years as one of Savannah’s most desirable and sought-after communities.
During the 1980’s and 90’s, additional residential developments filled in much of the Island’s remaining areas. While the Island is now considered to be fully developed, it still retains much of its natural beauty, with large live oaks draped in Spanish Moss lining the roads, numerous varieties of palms being prevalent, and inland lagoons, lakes, and marshes acting as natural borders to many of the communities. Bike paths have been added along many of the main roads, with the commercial village of the Island being “Johnny Mercer Boulevard,” home to Kroger and Publix grocery stores, CVS and Walgreens, Ace Hardware, various restaurants, and branches of almost every bank doing business in the Savannah market. For that reason, residents often feel little need to leave the Island to do ordinary shopping or errands.
While Wilmington Island boasts some of Savannah’s finest and most expensive waterfront homes (including that of Savannah’s most famous resident, Paula Deen), most of its homes are still quite affordable to many homeowners, retirees, and young families. For that reason, its roots remain that of a small-town, suburban community where residents know and speak to each other at the restaurants and grocery stores.
Its status as an unincorporated community provides tax rates lower than those of Savannah and other adjacent towns. Whether you are looking for a single family home, townhome, or condominium, Wilmington Island may very well have something for you.
Its status as an unincorporated community provides tax rates lower than those of Savannah and other adjacent towns. Whether you are looking for a single family home, townhome, or condominium, Wilmington Island may very well have something for you.
