Golden Goodness

Golden Goodness - Oil Painting by Anne Harkness

The viewer in the painting is standing on the dyke at Shrimp Pond looking towards the north- north west. On the right, a curtain of trees hides houses located on Walker House Drive*.  Developers Jim Chaffin, Light, and LaMotte were way ahead of their time in deciding to reserve the best views on Spring Island for the community rather than clear the trees to the waterline to showcase grand houses.

Betsy Chaffin, in particular, insisted the inherent beauty and health of the land be respected. Jim and Betsy’s concept of preserving the rural and wild character of the island was so radical at the time that banks refused to loan them money. Most people were schooled to see land as a commodity from which to extract maximum wealth rather than considering the human residents as part of the environment.

The Chaffin’s held fast to their vision and were able to attract investors who committed to that dream. Thus the grand trees were safe-guarded and a public easement behind the grand houses allows the members of the community access to stroll along the shoreline. From the island causeway a nature curtain shields the manmade structures from view and showcases instead the beauty of the landscape.

Hidden Splendor is an alternate title for the painting…. The splendid houses are hidden from our view. Also a majority of the life teeming in the marsh is hidden from our view. Underneath the sea of spartina grass is a vast array of microbes, plants and animals. This hidden biodiversity invites us to take a deeper look and ponder the beauty and complexity beneath the surface.

Anne Pell Harkness, April 2026

*The original Walker house was constructed by Elisha and Lucile Walker, the couple who owned Spring Island in the 1960’s and 70’s and operated it as a hunting preserve. Written by Carla Vitez 2026