Tybee Island in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Brown Family Home

Tybee Island Black History Trail

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. The Brown Family Home Marker

Inscription. Walter Brown Sr., owner of the Brown Cement Factory moved to Tybee from Daufuskie Island, South Carolina when he was a teenager. Over the years, Brown built up a successful cement business and eventually constructed a home for his growing family on First Street. They also lived in, owned and built additional homes in the vicinity throughout the years. Although Brown was a successful Tybee businessman, his son Walter Brown Jr., born on Tybee in 1948, recalled folks on the island trying to intimidate his father to prevent him from building their home in this specific location. They said, "No, you're not going to build a house here.' My dad said, 'Yes, I am."’

(caption) Walter Brown, Jr. in front of his family home in September of 2021. Photo by Joyah Mitchell

Erected 2024 by Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization. (Marker Number Stop 6.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical month for this entry is September 2021.

Location. 32° 0.995′ N, 80° 50.938′ W. Marker is on Tybee Island, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is on First Street (U.S.

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80) west of North Campbell Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 803 First Street, Tybee Island GA 31328, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain, on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles,

in Greater Savannah,

and on the Sea Islands.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Original Gilyard Cottage Site (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fort Screven (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Screven District (approx. 0.2 miles away); Brutus/Sarah Young (approx. ¼ mile away); Regular Army Values the Girl Scouts (approx. ¼ mile away); First Girl Scout Troop at Fort Screven Formed in 1933

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. The Brown Family Home Marker

(approx. ¼ mile away); Dorothy and Grace Jackson, Lighthouse Keepers Daughters (approx. ¼ mile away); Tybee Island Girl Scouts (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tybee Island.

Also see . . . Tybee Black History Trail Markers ‘We’re learning about the people who lived here’. (Submitted on July 20, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Additional commentary.
1. The Tybee Island Black History Trail
“The Tybee Island Black History Trail documents the arrival of enslaved Africans at Lazaretto Creek Quarantine Station and follows their ancestral journey to present-day Tybee. The trail uncovers parts of Tybee Island’s history and geographies that remain unfamiliar to most people and explores the legacies of enslavement, segregation and the Civil Rights Movement, including efforts to desegregate Tybee Island’s White beach. The trail also highlights the ongoing efforts of organizations such as Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization , whose volunteers work tirelessly to retain these histories and bring awareness to their importance in the present.”
Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization

— Submitted July 21, 2024.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 588 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 20, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.