The Cloister at Sea Island was built in 1928 by automobile magnate Howard Earle Coffin, who envisioned it as a luxurious, yet laid-back resort, designed by architect Addison Mizner in a Spanish-Revival style whose previous work on other luxurious properties in Palm Beach, Florida helped establish the Spanish-Revival architecture that defines The Cloister.  Despite local skepticism about the "swampy, mosquito-infested" land, The Cloister was an immediate success attracting guests from the entire Eastern seaboard. The hotel gained national attention when President Calvin Coolidge visited in December 1928. 

Despite initial doubts about the location, the hotel quickly became a popular destination, hosting numerous dignitaries and U.S. Presidents having hosted the G8 Summit in 2004.  It has undergone significant redevelopment, including a $350 million rebuild in 2006 and continues to operate as a Forbes Five-Star hotel known for its authentic Southern hospitality.

In 1926, Automobile magnate Howard Coffin purchased Sea Island, intending to develop it into a vacation spot.  In 1928, Coffin, along with Bill Jones, opened The Cloister, initially as a modest inn.

Howard Earle Coffin

(1873-1937)

Coffin was an American automobile engineer and industrialist.  He was one of the founders of the Hudson Motor Car Company with Roy D. Chapin on May 25 1909. He retired from the Hudson Motor Car Company in 1930 though acted as a consultant.

On July 4, 1954 the Hudson Motor Car Company ended its car production though many fine vehicles were produced and came off its assembly line.