Written by Ed Mixson
Photography courtesy of Rita Hester

ntoinette Bailey, “Miss Annette”, as she was called, was born on November 15th, 1892 on her father’s plantation near Forsythe, Georgia to Sara Battle and R.H Bailey.

Early on she was recognized as having a great talent for both music and voice. She attended Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia to further her education in these related fields of study. While attending Wesleyan, she and a group of close friends formed a sorority, A. D. Pi. She participated in local plays and operettas and had offers to perform professionally, but when she mentioned this to her mother, she emphatically responded, “No, a lady such as you does not accept payment expressing her God given talents to others.”

Miss Annette met Harry Walton All through mutual friends. After college, he soon became her husband. Mr. All was a graduate of Clemson College where he starred as a gifted football player. He was so good that he went on to play professional ball until he returned to his home in Allendale, South Carolina. In Allendale he joined his father in extensive farming and agricultural ventures. Later, he opened his own grocery store named “Alls,” and remained in this business until his death. Together, Miss Annette and Harry had five children; Harriet, Sara, Antoinette, J.H.C and Bailey.

The summers in Allendale were extremely hot and the Alls discovered the Bluffton area, where so many planters and their families came to relax and enjoy the cool summer breezes from the May River. So in the summer of 1921, “Miss Annette” decided to bring her children on a vacation there. She spent the summers of 1921 and 1922 in a large tent on a site that is now referred to as Estill Beach. In the summer of 1923, she rented a home from Thomas Lawton and subsequently purchased a tract of land from him and acquired plans to build a small hotel. She then contracted with the local Ulmer family to provide lumber and materials to erect it.

Originally, it was a building with 12 bedrooms and a large main kitchen and dining area overlooking Brighton Beach and the May River. It had six guest rooms upstairs and another six on the first floor and had huge screened in porches with rows of rocking chairs so the guests could enjoy the breezes and watch their children frolic and swim in the May River.

One of the many JOYS of the hotel was the large dining room where “Miss Annette” served her guests a bounty of local seafood caught by her son. The vegetables were bought locally and prepared by cooks brought down from Allendale, who cooked them to perfection. Imagine, “All you can eat for 50 cents.”

“Miss Annette” quickly realized that in order to fill the many requests of her guests at the hotel, she would need a much larger facility. Soon a similar structure with 12 guest rooms and another large kitchen and dining room was added.

Amazingly, this was accomplished at a time of America’s greatest recession. The hotel managed to thrive and prosper until 1935 when a fire destroyed both hotels and two additional homes. Unfortunately, she was unable to rebuild them, but she did return every summer, staying at her brother-in-law’s home until she was able to build a home of her own.

Former guests who became familiar with the area gradually purchased properties and constructed their own homes in the All Joy Circle. Some of these original families were the McKenzies, Rhodes, McSweeneys, Sanders, Lawtons, Sextons, Causeys, Gohagans, Chisolms, Pattersons and Boones. Martha Crapse currently resides on or about the site of the former All Joy Hotel.

With only a few exceptions, these original homes are still owned by the descendants who are still yet enjoying the “Great Joy” that exists in the All Joy Community.

The following is an exerpt from Angela Herbert Straight’s book, “Is It High Tide Yet?”

The best place to be for the summer was visiting Bluffton and staying on All Joy, right on the beach. Aunt Annette had the first house on the front corner of the loop. It was a white, two-story that opened to the breezes. Outside, ironrails made great footrests as we sat and watched the May River and the people swimming.

The upstairs bedroom, where we stayed, opened to the front and the breezes from the river would drift in as we slept. We would always use bath powder after showers and the smell of it reminds me of All Joy.