Folly Beach South Carolina
THE CITY OF FOLLY BEACH is a barrier island, six miles long and the closest beach to historical Charleston, South Carolina, 15 minutes via the Connector. Folly Beach is the home of sea, sand, and surfing, historical and cultural sites; a maritime forest; Morris Island Lighthouse; gourmet food, endangered species of birds; and southern hospitality. Folly Beach is a "must see - must visit - must live at" place.
Folly Beach has always been a part of coastal South Carolina’s history and charm. Nestled between the Folly River and the Atlantic Ocean, just fifteen minutes from downtown Charleston, the barrier island of Folly Beach truly offers you the best of both worlds.
Locals refer to our little corner of the world as the "Edge of America".
When you wake up in the morning you'll enjoy the sunrise on the beach and finish your day watching a spectacular sunset on the Folly River.
On the eastern tip of our Island you'll find an outstanding view of the Morris Island Lighthouse from one of our three county parks. The Fishing Pier, which extends more than 1,045 feet into the Atlantic Ocean, hosts fishing tournaments...and if you want to fish, you can rent everything you need at the shop on the Pier.
You'll catch sight of loggerhead turtles nesting, dolphins playing and see bald eagles soaring in the sky. Folly is home to many endangered species and we do our part in protecting and encouraging their continued success.
Accommodations range from quaint cottages, ultra modern beach houses, to sleek condominiums and a luxury hotel. So no matter what your budget needs, Folly is sure to fit into it.
You’ll also find some of the finest food on the coast here in Folly Beach. Whether you’re looking for a gourmet meal, a seafood feast or a tasty sandwich, you'll find it here. If you prefer to cook at home, you can shop one of our local markets and prepare fresh local fish in your own kitchen.
Folly’s local shops offer a variety of goods and services. Everything from bathing suits, surf boards and surfing gear, to souvenirs, local art, sea shells and gifts …all within minutes in our quaint little town.
No matter what your interests – tennis, fishing, kayaking, surfing, theater, arts or beach combing, Folly Beach offers it all year long. In fact our surfing is some of the best on the east coast and Folly hosts a number of surf events throughout the year.
There is simply no place like Folly Beach…and our web site is dedicated to providing all the information you need to have a wonderful time here on Folly Beach....the "Edge of America". Source: Folly Beach NC
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Folly Beach South Carolina
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Mount Pleasant South Carolina
Mount Pleasant South Carolina
Mount Pleasant is located on South Carolina's central coast, just east of Charleston and North Charleston. It was founded in 1680 and is the home of Shem Creek (known for its shrimp boats and seafood restaurants) ... and the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. A mild climate, excellent public schools, low crime rates, abundant housing in a wide price range, ample opportunities for spousal employment, and access to artistic and cultural amenities.
A mild climate, excellent public schools, low crime rates, abundant housing in a wide price range, ample opportunities for spousal employment, and access to artistic and cultural amenities are fueling the region’s rapid growth. These strong regional factors and the amenities found in the Town of Mount Pleasant make it one of the premier communities to be found in the United States, just ask our residents.
Mount Pleasant is the premier housing destination for new residents. With a population of more than 56,000, Mount Pleasant is now the sixth largest municipality in South Carolina. The rapid growth of the Town of Mount Pleasant has fueled the construction of a wealth of housing in new residential developments and planned communities. The spectrum of housing in the Town ranges from exclusive golf, swim, and racquet oriented “gated” communities with custom homes in the $300,000-plus range, to a large number of homes in more traditional developments priced in the $150,000-200,000 range, to a large stock of entry-level homes in the $90,000-120,000 category. Townhouses, cluster homes and apartment complexes provide substantial permanent, transient and temporary housing options. Lower property taxes and a very reasonable cost of living provide more housing options than other urban areas.
In 2003, the median selling price for an existing home in the region was $165,000 (with an average selling price of approximately $230,064). However, housing costs vary greatly by community.
MOUNT PLEASANT SC RESIDENTIAL HOME SALES
(SELLING PRICE BY SUB-MARKET)
Submarket Price - 2003 Median Selling Price/2003 Average Selling Price
Berkeley County - $139,292/ $166,267
Dorchester County - $148,900/ $162,429
Charleston County - $190,000/ $286,200
Mount Pleasant/East Cooper Area - $228,000/ $304,298
Kiawah & Seabrook Islands - $316,500/ $422,093
North Charleston - $103,000/ $102,934
Peninsula Charleston (above Crosstown Expway) - $155,000/ $197,642
Peninsula Charleston (below Crosstown Expway) - $420,000/ $601,879
West Islands - $192,000/ $260,544
West of the Ashley River - $160,000/ $177,113
Wild Dunes - $572,500/ $650,775
Charleston Region - $165,000/ $230,064
Historical Summary of Mount Pleasant
Originally occupied by the Sewee Indians, Mount Pleasant’s first white settlers arrived from England on July 6, 1680 under the leadership of Captain Florentia O’Sullivan.
Captain O’Sullivan had been granted 2,340 acres which included not only the island that bears his name, but also the land that was to become Mount Pleasant. On the earliest map of the time this area was called “North Point.”
In 1696 fifty-one new settlers arrived. Each family was allotted several hundred acres in the area that became known as Christ Church parish. In 1706 the Province of Carolina withstood several attacks by the Spanish and the French and were victorious in defeating French invaders in an area known as “Abcaw.”
The area of “Abcaw” was Hobcaw Plantation, located between Shem Creek and the Wando River. Later, it was also known as shipyard Plantation because its deep water and abundance of good timber made it ideal for a prosperous shipbuilding enterprise. Lands adjacent to Hobcaw Point were owned at different times by several different families, many of which maintained ferries which served Mount Pleasant.
In 1770 Andrew Hibben obtained a ferry charter and bought land from Jacob Motte on the south side of Shem Creek. Hibben’s ferry was the first to connect Haddrell’s Point with the city of Charleston.
Mount Pleasant played a leading role in the first major military engagement – and victory – of the Revolutionary War. When Charleston finally fell to the British on November 12, 1775 Cornwallis crossed the Cooper River with 2,500 troops and took possession of Haddrell’s Point. The British headquarters is said to have been the home of Jacob Motte, later known as Hibben House.
The first small settlement to become a village was Greenwich. It was adjacent to Jacob Motte’s “Mount Pleasant” estate and was the home plot of 100 acres belonging to Jonathon Scott. James Hibben (son of Andrew Hibben), who owned the waterfront property adjacent to Motte’s, purchased “Mount Pleasant” in 1803 and divided it into 35 large lots. On December 20, 1837 the village of Greenwich was merged with Mount Pleasant and incorporated by an act of the Assembly. In 1858 the limits of the town were extended to embrace Hilliardsville, an area acquired in 1847 by Charles Jugnot and Oliver Hilliard for a picnic ground. Hilliardsville included a grove of live oaks called Hort’s Grove (now known as Alhambra Park). Lucasville, a settlement on Shem Creek, was merged with Mount Pleasant in 1872.
On September 24, 1860 a public meeting was held in Mount Pleasant that produced the first secession resolution of the state. The secession convention met in Charleston December 20, 1860 and seven southern states formed the Confederate States of America. With the advent of the Civil War, Battery Gary and an adjacent floating battery between Mount Pleasant and Sullivan’s Island were instrumental in defense of the town, as well as attacks on Fort Sumter. The Town was also defended by a line of fortifications from Elliot’s Creek at Boone Hall to Copahee Sound. Mount Pleasant was also the secret training ground for the nine-man crew of the Confederate submarine CSS Hunley. It was from Breach Inlet in 1864 that this small vessel was launched to attack and sink the Housitanic.
As a result of the Civil War, slaves who worked the area plantations were free to seek their own enterprise. Of special note is Scanlonville, one of the first African-American communities to be formed in Charleston after the Civil War which still exists today in Mount Pleasant. Robert Scanlon, a former slave and freedman carpenter, purchased the 614 acre property known as Remley’s Plantation bordering Charleston Harbor along the Wando River in Mount Pleasant. Robert Scanlon was the president and founder of the Charleston Land Company, formed by 100 poor African-American men of Charleston who paid $10 per share to purchase large tracts of land in the area. The Charleston Land Company then divided it up for possession by freed slaves seeking to own their own land. Remley’s Plantation was divided into farm lots and town lots (which were smaller) to form the community of Scanlonville. The Charleston Land Company and Scanlonville are one of the only four known cooperative ventures among African-American freedmen after the Civil War.
West of Scanlonville was Riverside, the largest and oldest of five black beaches in Charleston County. Riverside “officially” opened in 1930 and featured a dance pavilion, athletics field, bathhouse, playground and a boardwalk along the Wando River. Riverside Pavilion was the only venue for black Charlestonians to see musical legends like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louie Armstrong, B.B. King, and Ivory Joe Hunter. Music performances at the Pavilion spawned Juke Joints, or night clubs, in Scanlonville and eventually a hotel called White’s Paradise – where James Brown was known to have frequented. After the original park owner died in 1975, operations of the Riverside property were taken over by Charleston County who eventually sold it to a company that developed it into a gated community.
In 1883 Charleston County was divided and Mount Pleasant was placed in Berkeley County and named the county seat. Six years later, it was decided that Moncks Corner would be the county seat and Mount Pleasant reverted to its former boundaries in Charleston County.
Twenty years after the war, Mount Pleasant was populated by 783 residents. Four miles of street were laid with shells and the town was known as a pleasure and health resort for the planters of Christ Church parish and people of Charleston. Stores and dwellings rented for ten and twenty dollars a month. Truck farming was a major occupation and Mount Pleasant was the site of a sawmill and brick factory. There were nine stores, mostly owned by residents of German origin. A steam ferry provided transportation between Charleston and the Village until the first Cooper River Bridge was built in 1929
A newspaper article in 1889 reported, “The health of Mount Pleasant has been unprecedently fine for the past year. The town council expends about $2,000 on the streets and other necessary improvement, and the money is so judiciously applied that Mount Pleasant, in regard to general appearance, is one of the model towns of the state.”
Mount Pleasant continues to stand as a model town, not only in South Carolina, but also in the nation.
(Summary adapted from the History of Mount Pleasant article in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Sesquicentennial Souvenir Program and Scanlonville, Charleston County, South Carolina: the community and the cemetery, prepared by Michael Trinkley and the Chicora Foundation, 2001) Source: Mount Pleasant SC
James Island South Carolina
James Island South Carolina
James Island is a large triangular sea island that is framed by Wappoo Creek and Charleston Harbor on the north, Morris Island and Folly Beach on the east, and the Stono River and Johns Island on the west. Affectionately nicknamed "Jim Isle," it is laced with creeks and sounds ... and well known for its farming, fishing and shrimping, ancient live oaks, and more recently, its Holiday Festival of Lights.
The Civil War began on James Island on the morning of April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces at Fort Johnson fired on Union-occupied Fort Sumter. Both forts were located on the island's northern shore.
Most of the fighting in the Charleston area during the rest of the Civil War also occurred on James Island and Morris Island, as Union troops tried to invade Charleston from the south, from their base on Folly Beach. All of these efforts, including notable assaults on Fort Lamar and Battery Wagner, were defeated.
James Island is a large triangular barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the historic downtown of Charleston, South Carolina. Located on the south of Charleston Harbor, it shares an historic and military importance with Sullivan's Island on the north. The island is separated from the peninsula and downtown Charleston by the Ashley River, and from the mainland by Wappoo Creek and the Stono River.
Fort Sumter is located on an island just off the northern shore and was the site of the first battle of the Civil War. Several battles and skirmishes of that war were fought on the island (as seen in the movie Glory).
As of the 2000 census, the United States Census Bureau reported that 33,781 people lived on the island. The northern and western parts of island are part of the city of Charleston as well as some southern parts. The majority of the southern section of the island is more rural and includes the town of James Island, South Carolina, but the town has failed in its previous attempts to incorporate. A most recent attempt, with a June 2006 vote, was successful, but its incorporation is again being contested. The most southern parts of the island are in the City of Folly Beach, South Carolina. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of James Island is included within the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area and the larger Charleston-North Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Samuel Smalls, the man that the novel Porgy and subsequent opera Porgy and Bess are based on, is buried in the cemetery beside James Island Presbyterian Church.
Comedian Stephen Colbert spent some of his childhood on James Island.
James Island SC remained predominantly rural until the 1960s. It has since become a residential suburb, and much of its beauty is sought after factor by those looking to live in the area
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Thursday, August 16, 2007
Greenville County SC
Greenville County South Carolina
Greenville County is the economic engine of the Upstate region; it is a county on the move. As we grow, we are committed to being a vibrant, diverse community, with abundant opportunities for unmatched quality of life, one that blends innovation with respect for tradition.
Greenville County is a county located in the state of South Carolina, United States. As of 2006, the population is 417,166, making it the most populous county in the state. It is included in the Greenville, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Greenville
While the low country of South Carolina had been settled for many years, Greenville County, once the stronghold of the Cherokee Indians, was not ceded until 1777. The Greenville District was created in 1786, but was known as Pleasantburg until 1831. The origins of the name Greenville County are uncertain. The county was either named for an early resident, Isaac Green or Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene.
The first settler in present Greenville County was Richard Pearis. He married a Cherokee woman and records indicate that the Cherokee tribe thought so highly of him that he was given several tracts of land by the Cherokee Indian tribe. On part of this estate now stands the City of Greenville and Paris Mountain, it's name a derivative of Pearis.
The city of Greenville was founded in 1770 at the site of the Reedy River Falls Park in downtown Greenville. The falls were once the source of power for early industries. The land around Greenville became a village centered around a trading post and grist mill.
Greenville evolved at the vision of Vardry McBee, whom some call the "Father of Greenville". He was instrumental in moving Furman University from Edgefield to Greenville in 1851 and in securing Greenville's first railroad. McBee encouraged the construction of mills to take advantage of Greenville's proximity to fast-flowing water, the Reedy River. Soon the town was the home to a number of grist, textile and paper mills and the largest carriage factory east of the Mississippi. By the end of the 19th century and into the next, Greenville industry was expanding up and down the banks of the Reedy River.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,059 km² (795 mi²). 2,046 km² (790 mi²) of it is land and 13 km² (5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.61% water.
Adjacent Counties
Henderson County, North Carolina - north
Polk County, North Carolina - northeast
Spartanburg County, South Carolina - east
Laurens County, South Carolina - southeast
Abbeville County, South Carolina - south
Anderson County, South Carolina - southwest
Pickens County, South Carolina - west
Transylvania County, North Carolina - northwest
Demographics
As of the census2estimate of 2003, there are 395,357 people thus making this the most populous county in the state. There are 149,556 households, and 101,997 families residing in the county. The population density is 186/km² (480/mi²). There are 162,803 housing units at an average density of 80/km² (206/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 77.53% White, 18.30% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 1.38% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 3.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 149,556 households out of which 31.90% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% are married couples living together, 12.30% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% are non-families. 26.80% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.50% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the county, the population is spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $41,149, and the median income for a family is $50,332. Males have a median income of $37,313 versus $26,034 for females. The per capita income for the county is $22,081. 10.50% of the population and 7.90% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.20% of those under the age of 18 and 10.60% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and Towns
(population figures are from the 2000 census)
Fountain Inn (pop. 6,017)
Greenville (pop. 56,002)
Greer (pop. 16,843)
Mauldin (pop. 15,224)
Simpsonville (pop. 14,352)
Travelers Rest (pop. 4,099)
Unincorporated Communities
Berea
City View
Dunean
Five Forks
Gantt
Golden Grove
Highlands
Jackson Grove
Judson
Parker
Sans Souci
Slater-Marietta
Taylors
Tigerville
Wade Hampton
Welcome
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Abbeville County SC
Abbeville County SC
Located in Region 2 of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, Abbeville has much to offer both the visitor and resident.
Abbeville County, dating back to the 1700s, is rich in history from time of the Cherokee Indians. Dr. Joannes de la Howe is credited for naming Abbeville after his native city in France, and Jefferson Davis held his last war cabinet meeting at the Burt-Stark Mansion.
Today, Abbeville is a modern county with industrial parks, new schools, colleges, churches, an arts center, community centers, an opera house, 19th century homes, historical sites, recreational areas, state parks, and lakes
Abbeville County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 26,167. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 26,133[1] Its county seat is Abbeville6. It is the first county in the United States alphabetically.
Abbeville County is a blend of the old and the new. The people of the towns are commited to preserving the county's natural beauty and its valuable historic buildings and sites, and to welcoming new businesses, industries, and visitors.
Within the past few years, 80 Mennonite families moving into the area have found that rural Abbeville County meets their cultural needs. The county has also attracted an increasing number of retirees, who enjoy the quieter, slower pace of day to day living, but can still get a taste of cosmopolitan life in the nearby cities.
Historic Sites and Attractions
Historic Abbeville County South Carolina is rich in history and rich in natural resources.
Abbeville County is 508 square miles and encompasses the natural resources of Calhoun Falls State Park and Marina, Richard Russell Dam, and Sumter National Forest. Historically Abbeville County includes the Abbeville Opera House and historic district, the Burk-Stark Mansion circa 1841, and Erskine College located in the town of Due West.
Founded in 1758, Abbeville County is the “Birthplace and Deathbed of the Confederacy” and claims John C. Calhoun as a native son. Abbeville County: A Great Place to Live.
Abbeville was once one of five counties carved out of the old Ninety Six District in 1785. The courthouse town of Abbeville was built on land that once belonged to Revolutionary War Leader Andrew Pickens. It was also the spot where famed statesman John C. Calhoun launched his public career.
Abbeville has been home to many influential people, including nineteenth century black leader Bishop Henry Mcneal Turner, one of the founders of the African Methodist Church,and Thomas D. Howie, twentieth century national hero who was known as "the Major of St. Lo" in World War Two. Antebellum Abbeville was one of the most prosperous towns in the upcountry, and in competition with such towns as Anderson and Greenville, it secured the first branch of the Bank of the State of South Carolina on the eve of the Civil War.
Today in Abbeville, you'll find the elegant Opera House on a tree shaded town square surrounded by specialty and antique shops;the Burt-Stark House, which is the meeting place of the Confederate Council of War; and old Trinity Church, built in 1860 and noted for its Gothic Revival architecture. The Abbeville Historic District includes about 300 other buildings. Guided tours are available through the Greater Abbeville Chamber of Commerce.
Adjacent Counties
Greenville County, South Carolina - north
Anderson County, South Carolina - north
Laurens County, South Carolina - northeast
Greenwood County, South Carolina - east
McCormick County, South Carolina - southeast
Elbert County, Georgia - west
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 26,167 people, 10,131 households, and 7,284 families residing in the county. The population density was 20/km² (52/mi²). There were 11,656 housing units at an average density of 9/km² (23/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.33% White, 30.29% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 0.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 10,131 households out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples living together, 15.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,635, and the median income for a family was $38,847. Males had a median income of $30,452 versus $21,045 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,370. About 10.10% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 16.90% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
Abbeville
Antreville (Unincorporated)
Calhoun Falls
Donalds
Due West
Lake Secession (Unincorporated)
Lowndesville
Ware Shoals (Abbeville/Greenwood Counties)
Notable residents
John C. Calhoun, (1782-1850), born in the Abbeville District, United States Congressman and United States Senator from South Carolina, Secretary of War, Secretary of State, and Vice President of the United States
Langdon Cheves, (1776-1857), born in Abbeville County at Rocky River, banker and United States Congressman from South Carolina
Francis Alanson Cunningham, (1804-1864), born in the Abbeville District, physician and United States Congressman from Ohio
Joshua Hill, (1812-1891), born in the Abbeville District, United States Senator from Georgia
Abner Smith Lipscomb, (1816-1890), born in the Abbeville District, member of the Alabama Legislature and Supreme Court Justice of both Alabama and Texas.
James L. Petigru, (1789-1863), born in the Abbeville District, was the attorney general of South
Carolina and a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He was the leader of the anti-nullificationalists in the state house.
Abbeville County offers a wealth of recreational opportunities on Water and on Land.
Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake
4144 Russell Dam Drive
Elberton, GA 30635-9271
Phone Numbers 706-213-3400
Toll free at 1-800-944-7207
The Russell Project is located in the Piedmont region of Georgia and South Carolina on the upper Savannah River, 30 miles downstream from Hartwell Dam and 37 miles upstream from J. Strom Thurmond Dam. (Georgia counties – Hart and Elbert Counties; South Carolina counties – Anderson and Abbeville counties). Lake Russell contains 26,650 acres of water and 540 miles of shoreline. And 26,500 acres of public land surrounds the lake.
At Russell Lake, almost all recreation areas are leased to and operated and maintained by either Georgia or South Carolina. The project has two Corps-operated recreation areas. These are the two unique and informative visitor centers at the powerhouse and the Natural Resource Management Center, located 20 miles east of Elberton, Georgia and 8 miles west of Calhoun Falls, South Carolina off US 72. In addition the project has 21 state-operated recreation areas (8 in Georgia and 13 in South Carolina); 1 locally-operated recreation area; and 1 Marina lease. The project also includes about 600 prehistoric and historic sites ranging in age from the end of the last Ice Age to the early 20th century – some of which are now under water, but many of which can be visited. In all, the Richard B. Russell Lake and Dam has more than 1.1 million visitors per year enjoying a wide variety of recreational activities including water sports, hunting, hiking, picnicking, camping, and fishing. With a 300-foot collar of public land around Russell Lake, most development on adjacent private property is not visible on the lake. This coupled with the prohibition against private shoreline development, has resulted in Russell having a pristine shoreline that provides abundant wildlife habitat.
Sumter National Forest
Long Cane Ranger Station
810 Buncombe Street
Edgefield, SC 29824
Phone: 803-637-5396
Fax: 803-637-5247
The National Forest Reservation Commission purchased the land in 1928 which later was designated a national forest in 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Previously, this land was significantly utilized for timber or was old farm land which had eroded. However under the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the land was reestablished as productive acreage. Today, the Sumter National Forest is managed by the USDA Forest Service and the land is utilized for a multitude of uses including watershed protection, habitat for wildlife and fish, outdoor recreation, timber production, and wilderness area management.
The Long Cane Ranger District offers a wide range of recreational opportunities in Abbeville County and the surrounding areas. Boat ramps, horse trails, hiking trails, and recreational areas are all available. Check out the brochures listed in the Online Forms section of the web site under Recreation.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Edisto Beach SC - Edisto Island SC
Edisto Beach SC - Edisto Island SC
South Carolina’s best-kept secret. Edisto Beach is the ultimate vacation destination and place to move too and live a quite life. Come rent or buy a beach cottage, throw a cast net for shrimp, dip your toes in the surf, or build a sandcastle. Experience the perfect combination of oceanfront beaches, saltwater marshes and Lowcountry oaks draped in Spanish moss.
Edisto SC is a quiet family island-a gathering place to renew the spirit and familial ties. It is a place of little commercialization with responsible development. We place a premium on keeping nature unspoiled in a harmony of friendly people.
Approximately 45 miles south of Charleston and east of Walterboro, coastal Highway U.S. 17 junctures with S.C. Highway 174. From there it is a leisurely 20 minute drive along Highway 174 to Edisto while passing through moss-covered oak archways, past old country churches, working farms and antebellum plantation estates. The Intra-Coastal Waterway at the McKinley Washington, Jr. Bridge marks the gateway to Edisto Island.
Edisto Beach and Edisto Island remains one of the FEW unspoiled beach areas on the East Coast. The lifestyle is fashioned in a Lowcountry profile and the area's appeal is its unstructured atmosphere. Neither permanent residents nor visitors require formality. It is a casual, relaxed, natural feeling that is experienced by all.
Some sources state that Edisto was settled before Charleston, but no records prove or disprove this statement. Records do show that Edisto was purchased from the Edistow tribe of Indians by the Earl of Shaftsbury, one of the original Lord Proprietors, for some cloth, hatchets, beads and other goods in 1674. Rice and indigo were among the first crops planted; however, Sea Island Cotton became world famous. It is reliably stated that the Pope in Rome insisted that his garments be made of Edisto Island cotton.
The cotton industry brought great prosperity to the Island and many of the Plantation owners built magnificent homes and furnished them with the very best of furniture and books. Some of these Plantation homes are still standing. You may take a tour of the Island and view some of these homes if you wish.
Following the end of the War Between The States and the advent of the boll weevil, the cotton industry died and the Islanders started truck farming, shrimping and fishing. Today, tourism is also one of the largest industries on Edisto Island.
Resort development began on Edisto Beach in the 1920s when beachgoers had to time their arrival to coincide with low tide in order to cross the marsh areas by driving on beds of oyster shells. They then crossed over the dunes to the beach and drove along the ocean to their cottages which had no electricity or running water.
Development was slow in the early days and damage from a major hurricane in 1940 destroyed many of the existing homes. Following World War II, development on Edisto Beach began to increase.
Edisto Driving Distances
Charleston SC – 45 miles
Walterboro SC – 45 miles
Columbia SC – 2.5 hours
Charlotte NC– 4 hours
Greenville SC – 4 hours
Atlanta GA– 5 hours
Edisto Beach SC Real Estate Agents
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Surfside Beach South Carolina
Surfside Beach South Carolina
The Town of Surfside Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean in the heart of the Grand Strand in South Carolina, USA. Nestled on 2 miles of pristine beach, with temperate climate, excellent services, many restaurants and attractions nearby, Surfside Beach is a popular place to vacation, relocate, and retire.
Surfside Beach, incorporated in 1964 with 881 residents, is a town of 4,425 located in Horry (pronounced oh'-ree) County. We are located 4 miles South of Myrtle Beach and 85 miles North of Charleston.
First known as Roach's Beach, with only one two story building and several cottages surviving the hurricane of 1893, the region was purchased in the early 1920's. Principal industries were lumber and feed farming for the 30 or so horses and mules in the area. The new owner, Mr. George J. Holiday, renamed the area Floral Beach for his wife, Flora, and daughter, Floramay. In the late 1920's, a group from Columbia purchased and partially developed the land. In 1952, most of the land changed hands again and became known as Surfside Beach. The undeveloped beach area was covered with sand dunes; a one-lane sandy road led from the highway to a quiet, family beach.
Hurricane Hazel in 1954 destroyed 18 of the beach's 65 houses, but did not dampen the spirit of the developers. Lots were cleared, the sand was leveled, topsoil was brought in and T. J. Harrison, who later became the town's first mayor, opened the first grocery store in 1956 for the six permanent families and summer residents. Significant growth didn't happen until after 1956 when Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was reactivated. By 1964, our reputation as a family beach was further established and the town was becoming a popular place to retire. The new town government increased police protection, mosquito and sanitation control, and street lights and zoning ordinances resulted in increased property values. Public parking and walkways to the beach were established, and government offices were constructed just off Highway 17. Within the next few years, the town continued to grow through annexation. Improvements were made to streets and water lines and business and residential building boomed. Surfside Beach, as well as the rest of the Grand Strand, became one of the fastest growing parts of the country. Source: Surfside Beach SC
Places Near Surfside Beach SC
Atlantic Beach
Aynor
Briarcliffe Acres
Bucksport
Conway
Dimery Settlement
Forestbrook
Garden City Beach
Georgetown
Litchfield
Little River
Loris
Murrells Inlet
Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach
Pawleys Island
Seneca South Carolina
Seneca South Carolina
Seneca, the largest city in Oconee County, is located in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, "The Golden Corner of South Carolina." Seneca is bounded by 18,500-acre Lake Keowee to the north, and to the west and south is Lake Hartwell.
Seneca is a city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Seneca Micropolitan Statistical Area (population 66,215 according to year 2000 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau), an (MSA) which includes all of Oconee County and which is further included in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina Combined Statistical Area (population 1,185,534 according to year 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates).
Seneca History
The Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate for 2004, former United States Senator from North Carolina, John Edwards, was born in Seneca. The city is the current home of United States Senator Lindsey Graham. It was named for the nearby Cherokee town of Isunigu, known to the English as "Seneca Town"
The Upstate of South Carolina was inhabited by native clans and tribes for thousands of years before the appearance of European settlers. The Cherokee Indians were the last tribe of Native Americans to live in Oconee County in what were known as the "Lower Towns" of the Cherokee. Their villages were almost always located on large streams or rivers to insure a plentiful supply of drinking water, food, and transportation. One of the most important of the Cherokee Lower Towns was Seneca (Esseneca), located at the headwaters of the Savannah River.
In his travels through the South Carolina up country in May 1775, American naturalist William Bartram made this report: "The Cherokee town of Sinica is a very respectable settlement, situated on the East Bank of the Keowee River, though the greatest number of Indian habitations are on the opposite shore, where likewise stands the council-house.. . " During the American Revolution the Patriots built a fort at the site of Seneca town and named it Fort Rutledge, but it came to be called Seneca Fort.
On November 25, 1785, U.S. Treaty Commissioners met with a delegation of Cherokee at Treaty Oak on Hopewell Plantation within sight of the town of Seneca and signed the very first treaty between the new United States of America and the Cherokee Nation.
The modern city of Seneca was founded by Confederate veterans Col. Joseph Norton and Col. Robert Thompson on August 14, 1873. When the new city was named, the tradition established by the naming of our county, and towns in our county was used. The name of the nearby Cherokee village was adopted and the name Seneca continued to be a part of our heritage.
Its location was determined by the junction of the Blue Ridge Railroad and the new Air Line Railroad connecting Charlotte and Atlanta. Governor Wade Hampton signed the charter for the town on March 14, 1874.
In an around Seneca, there are a number of historic buildings and districts that are on the National Register of Historic Places:
Seneca Historic District was listed in 1974. It is located south of the railroad tracks. The district consists of a number of homes and three churches that were built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The houses have architectural styles that were popular in the period. It also includes a log cabin from the mid nineteenth century that was moved from Long Creek, South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information, copies of the nomination forms, and a map of the district.
Ram Cat Alley Historic District was listed in 2000. It is a twenty-one building commercial district built in the 1880s to the 1930s. The name of the street came from cats that gathered around a meat market. Many of these buildings have been rejuvenated and now house restaurants, shops, and professional offices.
Newry Historic District was listed in 1982. It is a historic textile mill village near Seneca.
Seneca SC Economic Growth
The economic growth of Oconee County is primarily fueled by its aggressive business community and highly diversified industrial base. The transition from being a predominately agricultural county to becoming a highly industrialized county has taken place over recent years.
At present, there are over sixty (60) industries established in Oconee County producing goods from textiles to metals and plastics with an annual payroll of over $195 million a year. Approximately 30,000 people make up the resident labor force of Oconee County. The School District of Oconee County and the local businesses and industries have a very active partnership in the development of the county.
Major industries located in the Seneca area include: Borg-Warner Automotive, Cryovac Division - Sealed Air Corp., Engelhard Corp., Square D Company, and U.S. Engine Valve.
Seneca SC Places to Visit
Lake Keowee - Constructed by Duke Power Company to generate hydroelectric power and to provide cooling water for the Oconee Nuclear Generating Station, Lake Keowee covers Keowee Town, site of the capital of the Lower Cherokee Nation. Keowee, meaning "Place of the Mulberries," was visited by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto when he came through the area in 1540. 18,500 acres (75 km²) of water and a 300 mile (500 km) shoreline make the Lake Keowee area a popular place for boating, fishing, water-skiing, swimming, camping and picnicking.
Local Parks with Camping Facilities
South Cove County Park
High Falls County Park
Devils Fork State Park
Oconee State Park
Lake Hartwell State Park
Chau-Ram County Park
Seneca Climate
Seneca has a healthy, invigorating climate well suited for activities as well as comfortable retirement living. The area offers four distinct but mild seasons.
The climate in the Seneca area is temperate with a mean annual temperature of 60°F while the average July temperature is 78°F. The average relative humidity daily is 78% at 1:00 AM; 82% at 7:00 AM; 54% at 1:00 PM; 64% at 7:00 PM.
The mean annual precipitation in the Seneca area is 47.54 inches and the average growing season is 208 days. The elevation of Seneca is 950 feet above sea level Source Seneca SC
Pawleys Island South Carolina
Pawleys Island South Carolina
Pawleys Island, South Carolina, located 70 miles north of Charleston and 25 miles south of Myrtle Beach, is known as one of the oldest summer resorts on the East Coast. The town is known for being simple beyond modern conveniences. Pawleys is the perfect unspoiled family beach location
The families of rice planters who owned plantations on the nearby rivers first settled Pawleys Island in the early 1700's. The planters knew that it was unhealthy for their families to remain on the rivers during the summer and that the seashore was much healthier. Even though they didn't know about malaria in the 1700's, they knew enough to get away! They moved their families, horses, cows, bedding, provisions and furniture to Pawleys in May of each year, where they remained until the first frost in November!
From this leisurely existence has developed the charm of Pawleys that still remains. Also still remaining are 12 residences in the historic district, which date from the late 1700's to the mid 1800's. Pawleys continues to be known for its shoeless, carefree, laid-back life style, which includes crabbing in the adjacent creeks, fishing, the stories of ghosts, the rope hammocks and the unspoiled, unsophisticated, casual, delightful stretch of wide beach and sand dunes.
The Civil War and several major hurricanes have changed the face of the island but it still retains the nickname "arrogantly shabby." Pawleys is an island of simple virtues and lack of pretense.
In our historic district you will see a number of signs with a brief history of the antebellum homes. As you traverse our island you will note the variety of shapes and sizes of our beach houses, most of which are available for summer rental.
Often is heard the quote "we like the kind of people who like Pawleys" and among these people is a special feeling of treasure shared.
Pawleys Island is a barrier island less than 4 miles long and mostly 1 house wide, separated from the mainland by a beautiful salt marsh and accessible by two short causeways. Generations of visitors have returned with the feeling that "their blood pressure goes down when they cross the causeway." Source: Pawleys Island SC
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Surfside Beach South Carolina
Surfside Beach South Carolina
The Town of Surfside Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean in the heart of the Grand Strand in South Carolina, USA. Nestled on 2 miles of pristine beach, with temperate climate, excellent services, many restaurants and attractions nearby, Surfside Beach is a popular place to vacation, relocate, and retire.
Surfside Beach, incorporated in 1964 with 881 residents, is a town of 4,425 located in Horry (pronounced oh'-ree) County. We are located 4 miles South of Myrtle Beach and 85 miles North of Charleston.
First known as Roach's Beach, with only one two story building and several cottages surviving the hurricane of 1893, the region was purchased in the early 1920's. Principal industries were lumber and feed farming for the 30 or so horses and mules in the area. The new owner, Mr. George J. Holiday, renamed the area Floral Beach for his wife, Flora, and daughter, Floramay. In the late 1920's, a group from Columbia purchased and partially developed the land. In 1952, most of the land changed hands again and became known as Surfside Beach. The undeveloped beach area was covered with sand dunes; a one-lane sandy road led from the highway to a quiet, family beach.
Hurricane Hazel in 1954 destroyed 18 of the beach's 65 houses, but did not dampen the spirit of the developers. Lots were cleared, the sand was leveled, topsoil was brought in and T. J. Harrison, who later became the town's first mayor, opened the first grocery store in 1956 for the six permanent families and summer residents. Significant growth didn't happen until after 1956 when Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was reactivated. By 1964, our reputation as a family beach was further established and the town was becoming a popular place to retire. The new town government increased police protection, mosquito and sanitation control, and street lights and zoning ordinances resulted in increased property values. Public parking and walkways to the beach were established, and government offices were constructed just off Highway 17. Within the next few years, the town continued to grow through annexation. Improvements were made to streets and water lines and business and residential building boomed. Surfside Beach, as well as the rest of the Grand Strand, became one of the fastest growing parts of the country.
Places Near Surfside Beach SC
Atlantic Beach
Aynor
Briarcliffe Acres
Bucksport
Conway
Dimery Settlement
Forestbrook
Garden City Beach
Georgetown
Litchfield
Little River
Loris
Murrells Inlet
Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach
Pawleys Island
Source: Surfside Beach SC
Looking for a new beach front home in the town of Surfside Beach South Carolina area? Find Surfside Beach SC Real Estate Agents
Seneca South Carolina
Seneca South Carolina
Seneca, the largest city in Oconee County, is located in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, "The Golden Corner of South Carolina." Seneca is bounded by 18,500-acre Lake Keowee to the north, and to the west and south is Lake Hartwell
Seneca is a city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Seneca Micropolitan Statistical Area (population 66,215 according to year 2000 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau), an (MSA) which includes all of Oconee County and which is further included in the greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina Combined Statistical Area (population 1,185,534 according to year 2005 U.S. Census Bureau estimates).
Seneca History
The Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate for 2004, former United States Senator from North Carolina, John Edwards, was born in Seneca. The city is the current home of United States Senator Lindsey Graham. It was named for the nearby Cherokee town of Isunigu, known to the English as "Seneca Town"
The Upstate of South Carolina was inhabited by native clans and tribes for thousands of years before the appearance of European settlers. The Cherokee Indians were the last tribe of Native Americans to live in Oconee County in what were known as the "Lower Towns" of the Cherokee. Their villages were almost always located on large streams or rivers to insure a plentiful supply of drinking water, food, and transportation. One of the most important of the Cherokee Lower Towns was Seneca (Esseneca), located at the headwaters of the Savannah River.
In his travels through the South Carolina up country in May 1775, American naturalist William Bartram made this report: "The Cherokee town of Sinica is a very respectable settlement, situated on the East Bank of the Keowee River, though the greatest number of Indian habitations are on the opposite shore, where likewise stands the council-house.. . " During the American Revolution the Patriots built a fort at the site of Seneca town and named it Fort Rutledge, but it came to be called Seneca Fort.
On November 25, 1785, U.S. Treaty Commissioners met with a delegation of Cherokee at Treaty Oak on Hopewell Plantation within sight of the town of Seneca and signed the very first treaty between the new United States of America and the Cherokee Nation.
The modern city of Seneca was founded by Confederate veterans Col. Joseph Norton and Col. Robert Thompson on August 14, 1873. When the new city was named, the tradition established by the naming of our county, and towns in our county was used. The name of the nearby Cherokee village was adopted and the name Seneca continued to be a part of our heritage.
Its location was determined by the junction of the Blue Ridge Railroad and the new Air Line Railroad connecting Charlotte and Atlanta. Governor Wade Hampton signed the charter for the town on March 14, 1874.
In an around Seneca, there are a number of historic buildings and districts that are on the National Register of Historic Places:
Seneca Historic District was listed in 1974. It is located south of the railroad tracks. The district consists of a number of homes and three churches that were built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The houses have architectural styles that were popular in the period. It also includes a log cabin from the mid nineteenth century that was moved from Long Creek, South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional pictures and information, copies of the nomination forms, and a map of the district.
Ram Cat Alley Historic District was listed in 2000. It is a twenty-one building commercial district built in the 1880s to the 1930s. The name of the street came from cats that gathered around a meat market. Many of these buildings have been rejuvenated and now house restaurants, shops, and professional offices.
Newry Historic District was listed in 1982. It is a historic textile mill village near Seneca.
Seneca SC Economic Growth
The economic growth of Oconee County is primarily fueled by its aggressive business community and highly diversified industrial base. The transition from being a predominately agricultural county to becoming a highly industrialized county has taken place over recent years.
At present, there are over sixty (60) industries established in Oconee County producing goods from textiles to metals and plastics with an annual payroll of over $195 million a year. Approximately 30,000 people make up the resident labor force of Oconee County. The School District of Oconee County and the local businesses and industries have a very active partnership in the development of the county.
Major industries located in the Seneca area include: Borg-Warner Automotive, Cryovac Division - Sealed Air Corp., Engelhard Corp., Square D Company, and U.S. Engine Valve.
Seneca SC Places to Visit
Lake Keowee - Constructed by Duke Power Company to generate hydroelectric power and to provide cooling water for the Oconee Nuclear Generating Station, Lake Keowee covers Keowee Town, site of the capital of the Lower Cherokee Nation. Keowee, meaning "Place of the Mulberries," was visited by Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto when he came through the area in 1540. 18,500 acres (75 km²) of water and a 300 mile (500 km) shoreline make the Lake Keowee area a popular place for boating, fishing, water-skiing, swimming, camping and picnicking.
Local Parks with Camping Facilities
South Cove County Park
High Falls County Park
Devils Fork State Park
Oconee State Park
Lake Hartwell State Park
Chau-Ram County Park
Seneca Climate
Seneca has a healthy, invigorating climate well suited for activities as well as comfortable retirement living. The area offers four distinct but mild seasons.
The climate in the Seneca area is temperate with a mean annual temperature of 60°F while the average July temperature is 78°F. The average relative humidity daily is 78% at 1:00 AM; 82% at 7:00 AM; 54% at 1:00 PM; 64% at 7:00 PM.
The mean annual precipitation in the Seneca area is 47.54 inches and the average growing season is 208 days. The elevation of Seneca is 950 feet above sea level
Looking for a new home in the lake front town of Seneca South Carolina area? Find Seneca SC Real Estate Agents
Hilton Head Island South Carolina
Hilton Head Island South Carolina
People from all over are discovering that the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton area is one of the most attractive and affordable places in the country to live, work and raise a family. As a resort town with an active lifestyle and friendly people, Hilton Head Island is also the perfect place to spend retirement.
Hilton Head Island SC has a year-round population of nearly 35,000. The population can swell during the peak of summer vacation season to over 150,000. Hilton Head Island's population growth rate was 32% over the past decade
Hilton Head SC Neighborhoods
In 1956, Charles Fraser created a master plan for a resort community and developed the Island's first resort—Sea Pines Plantation.
Fraser's innovative community plan for Hilton Head Island became the prototype of the modern resort community, and his practices became standard procedures in planned communities around the world. Fraser's concept has made Hilton Head Island one of the most special places to visit and live in harmony with nature.
Hilton Head Island and Bluffton offer a variety of neighborhoods, including gated communities with a wide range of amenities, golf, beach and marsh front developments, homes, villas, apartments and time shares. The last five years have been record-breaking for real estate sales in Hilton Head Island and Bluffton, with many new neighborhoods still being built in Bluffton.
Source: Hilton Head Chamber of Commerce
Looking for a new home or beachfront property in the Hilton Head South Carolina area? Find Hilton Head Island SC Real Estate Agents
Conway South Carolina
Conway South Carolina
Conway SC is a full-service city, originally founded in 1732 as the village of Kingston. Conway is currently home to more than 13,000 residents and is the county seat of Horry County. Conway has been designated as a Tree City USA for 21 consecutive years.
While in the Grand Strand area, spend a few peaceful hours discovering the simple treasures that make Conway such a special place. A mere 12 miles from Myrtle Beach, Conway is a jewel of "Americana." Conway is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina. Originally named Kingston, the town was created in 1734 as part of Royal Governor Robert Johnson's Township Scheme. It was laid out on a riverbluff in the center of what became Horry County. Many area residents fought in the American Revolution and small engagements were fought near Kingston at Bear Bluff and at Black Lake.
Francis Marion, who was known as the Swamp Fox, had an encampment near Kingston just across the Waccamaw River. After the war, patriotic citizens wanted to discard the mane that honored Great Britain's King George II. The County's name was changed to Horry (pronounced O-Ree) in honor of General Peter Horry in 1801 and a courthouse was established in Kingston. Kingston's name was later changed to Conwayborough for General Robert Conway. By the 1820's, Conwayborough was a bustling riverport.
Naval stores with the production of tar, pitch, and turpentine were premium occupation for area residents. Planters who developed plantations both large and small owned much of the land along the Waccamaw. Among these were "Snow Hill," "Sonwood," "Keysfield," "Oregon," "Bells Bay," "The Ark," "Longwood," and a "Woodbourne" in Horry County. Throughout the rest of the county were small farms and plantations. When South Carolina seceded from the Union, area residents rallied to the cause. Thomas W. Beaty and Benjamin E. Sessions of Conway signed the Ordinances of Secession in Charleston.
Near the end of the war, Union Soldiers occupied the town for a time. During the 1870's, the lumber and naval store industries continued to expand. Riverboats transported passengers and goods along the Waccamaw River between Conwayborough and Georgetown. The South Carolina General Assembly shortened the town's name to Conway in 1883. In 1887, the railroad reached Conway and in 1898 the town elected its first mayor.
Much of the present downtown was built in the early 1900's. About the same time, Conway residents built the first cottages at the present day Myrtle Beach and at first called their summer retreat "New Town." Conway eateries get rave reviews from residents and visitors alike. Restaurants, bistros, and cafes offer everything from home-style dining to cuisine that satisfies the most adventurous palates. Conway's updated river front features an 850-foot boardwalk that invites a leisurely stroll for a scenic view of the river's black water.
For a narrated historic tour of the Waccamaw, the Kingston Lady Riverboat departs from the Conway Marina, located near the end of the Riverwalk. Canoes and pontoon boats are available for rent and offer the opportunity to slip into the Waccamaw's tributaries teaming with fish, birds, animals, and plant life. The most scenic route to enter Conway is over the Main Street Bridge. The bridge has been restored to look as it did when it was first erected. The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, 203 Main Street, will be the first building on the left and offers a friendly welcome, information, and copies of the Historical Trail Map. Other self-guided tours include a guide to Conway's famous live oak trees, a guide to the river and historic warehouse district, and a spring time blooming guide.
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Clemson South Carolina
Clemson South Carolina
The City of Clemson is located in Pickens County, South Carolina. Pickens County is in the northwestern section of South Carolina, and Clemson is in the southern portion of the county. Clemson is bordered on the north and south in part by Clemson University. The northern boundary is also shared with the Town of Central, home to Southern Wesleyan University, while the southern border is shared with the Town of Pendleton. The western border is formed by Lake Hartwell, which also serves as the boundary between Pickens and Oconee Counties. The eastern portion of the city is bordered by unincorporated Pickens County and Anderson County.
Clemson SC History
Our story begins in 1890. According to the Pickens Sentinel, Pickens County had six towns in 1890. The fifth town was a small village called Calhoun. It received its first incorporation charter on December 18, 1892. One interesting provision in the charter said that bars were prohibited in the town limits.
The land for the town had become available upon the death of James W. Crawford. Crawford had purchased his land in 1844 from the Calhoun family, relatives of the Fort Hill Calhoun’s. His land stretched from the borders of the Fort Hill plantation to the current site of Daniel High School. With his death, the land went up for sale and was bought by several people.
In 1884, Aaron Boggs purchased the best part of the land from Crawford. This portion was adjacent to the Fort Hill Plantation. Crawford died in April, 1888. The remainder of the land was bought by Crawford’s son-in-law, Nelson C. Poe, in January 1889. Poe then sold half of his purchase to his brother-in-law, David Sloan. In 1891, Poe and Sloan sold the sixty and one half acres north of the railroad tracks to Boggs. In 1892, Boggs had the land surveyed and laid out with streets. The final track of land belonged to a woman named Macrina Campbell. Her land was the eastern part of Clemson, along Highway 123. It stretched from Cochran Road to the present Ramada Inn. Cochran Road was named for her grandson, Newt Cochran.
According to the Sentinel, Calhoun was located near a train depot, and, as the story goes, it stretched one-half mile around the depot. The track had begun service in 1872 and was partially responsible for the funding of the towns of Westminster, Seneca, Central, Easley and Liberty. The current depot located on Highway 123 close to the original spot of the depot. The location for the depot was staked out on January 29, 1891, and construction began shortly thereafter. The source of the name “Calhoun” is a subject of debate. Some have claimed that it was named by the Charlotte Atlanta Railroad. Others, including Clemson’s own Judge William B. Keller, have held that it was named for the Calhoun brother that lived in a now lost plantation house. The house was located on the north side of the train track.
The Pickens Sentinel is an invaluable source of information on early Calhoun because it tracks the development of the town on a weekly basis. Within two years of its establishment, Calhoun was one of the most important towns in the County. The first store opened was credited to Mr. Perry Payne in 1892. The depot was completed in October of 1892, and several boarding houses were operating. By 1893, there was a cotton mill operating near the town.
The first students to the newly constructed Clemson Agricultural College arrived in 1893. Also in 1893, John Wesley Cochran, a local developer, built Doyle Hall. This building has been called several names during its history, beginning with Doyle Hall, then Boggs Store, and finally Calhoun Corners. The first church in Calhoun was the Fort Hill Presbyterian Church which was organized on July 21, 1895. It met in the upstairs of Boggs Store. The second church has been described as a Wesleyan Methodist Church, and it met in the school building. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church was organized in 1899. By the turn of the century, Calhoun’s school had over 100 students.
In 1899, Calhoun had one of its most famous businesses open. I. Leonard Keller, a cadet at the college, quit school, and opened a tailoring shop for the cadets. It was named “Judge Keller’s” and is still in operation today. Keller’s grandson, Leonard Keller, now operates the store. The current building is the second structure that has housed the store.
The first post office in Calhoun was called “Fort Hill”. It existed separately from the college’s post office. It remained Fort Hill until 1902, when the name changed to the Calhoun Post Office. The office was located behind Boggs Store. In the 1900 census, Calhoun had a population of 209, and due to changes in state law, the town was reincorporated in 1901. The only surviving official city document from the period of 1890 to 1936 is a map, date 1915.
The first mayor in Calhoun was J.H. Burgess. He was elected in 1901, but did not serve long. Ramsey Doyle became mayor in 1907. A Baptist church began construction of its building on July 12, 1907; the Methodist church in 1911.
A major construction project occurred in 1916. The railroad track expanded, and traffic was rerouted from Clemson Street to College Avenue. The overpass was also constructed at this time, and the depot was moved to its present location. Clinkscales became mayor during the 1910s and remained in the position for over two decades. Official records for Calhoun began with the town’s third incorporation in 1937.
Source Clemson SC
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Bluffton South Carolina
The Town of Bluffton is located in Beaufort County, the southernmost coastal county in South Carolina. It is situated on a high bluff overlooking the May River, a pristine waterway that has strongly contributed to the Town's history and continued success. Bluffton is located just 12 miles west of Hilton Head Island, SC and approximately 20 miles northeast of Savannah, GA. It is also easily accessible from Intrastate Highways 46, 170, & 278 and Interstate 95.
Bluffton SC recently expanded its territory by 32,000 acres through annexation of primarily four tracts of undeveloped land, becoming the fifth largest town in South Carolina (by land area). These recent annexations have created a challenge for government officials and citizens to preserve the Town?s rich historical heritage and character.
The Greenways and Leisure Trails Map on the following page shows the most recent Bluffton Town Limits. Since tracts of land are annexed individually, it sometimes creates pockets of unincorporated land throughout a particular area. Such is the case with the Bluffton. However, the catch here is that Bluffton Township (i.e. ? Fire district) overlays one continuous area of land combining property within the Town limits with the unincorporated pockets of land. Therefore, those who are not within in Town limits can still have a Bluffton mailing address if you are in the Township.
Thus, the Town limits consist of the original one-square mile (Old Town), four primary annexed tracts of land (Shults Tract, Palmetto Bluff Tract, Buckwalter Tract, and Jones Estate), and a number of auxiliary annexations (Bluffton Village, Village at Verdier, Shultz-Goethe Road Area, and Willow Run)
Bluffton SC History
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the area comprising southern Beaufort County was known as Granville County of St. Luke’s Parish. As the Yemassee Indians had established ten towns with over 1,200 inhabitants in that area, it was considered “Indian Lands.” In 1715, the Yemassee War broke out and after several years of fighting, the Yemassee tribe migrated to Florida, opening the “Indian Lands” to European settlement. In 1718, the Lords Proprietors carved the area into several new baronies, including the Devil’s Elbow Barony that contained the future town of Bluffton.
The Town of Bluffton was eventually built on two adjoining parcels in the Devil’s Elbow Barony purchased by Benjamin Walls and James Kirk. The first homes were constructed during the early 1800s by area plantation owners seeking the high ground and cool river breezes as an escape from the unhealthy conditions present on Lowcountry rice and cotton plantations. Easy access by water provided more incentive for expansion and the many tidal coves afforded excellent locations for residences. The first streets were formally laid out during the mid-1800s and the name of Bluffton decided upon during the same period.
In 1852 the Town was officially incorporated by an act of the South Carolina General Assembly and comprised approximately one square mile. A steamboat landing was constructed at the end of Calhoun Street at this time, which allowed the Town to be a stopover for travelers between Savannah and Beaufort or Charleston.
Within one year of the capture of Fort Sumter, Bluffton became a safe haven for residents fleeing Union occupation of the South Carolina barrier islands. Bluffton was a headquarters for Confederate forces until Union forces on Hilton Head Island ordered the Town’s destruction in 1863. Approximately 60 structures were in the Town before the attack, only the Town’s two churches and fifteen residences remained standing after the attack.
Rebuilding came slowly as few local landowners could still afford the luxury of a summer home in Bluffton. The Town did not experience a true rebuilding until the 1880s, when the Town emerged as a commercial center for Beaufort County. The Town remained a commercial center until the Coastal Highway (US 17) and the bridge at Port Wentworth over the Savannah River were completed, making riverboat trade and travel less attractive. The Great Depression, beginning shortly thereafter, brought the closure of the Town’s prosperity and commercial importance. The popularity of the Town as a vacation spot remained even after its loss of commercial stature. The development of Hilton Head Island, nearby Sun City, and related development have caused a resurgence of commercial activity in the Town.
The Hilton Head Story
In the early 1950s, Joseph Fraser and Fred Hack saw the potential of Hilton Head Island as a vast tree farm. They purchased thousands of forested acres on the island for timber. It was Joseph Fraser's son, Charles, who developed Sea Pines and orchestrated the early growth of the island into a resort community. In 1957, developer Charles E. Fraser broke ground for a new resort in Hilton Head Island?s longleaf pine forests. When Fraser started planning Sea Pines Plantation, Hilton Head was an isolated place and most of Beaufort County was impoverished. But Sea Pines? extraordinary success changed all of that. Within just a couple of generations, Beaufort County was transformed from among the poorest to one of the richest counties in the state. Sea Pines Plantation was the first resort development on the island. Soon, other developments, such as Hilton Head Plantation, Palmetto Dunes Plantation, Shipyard Plantation, and Port Royal Plantation, followed imitating Sea Pines? architecture and landscape. In the 1970s, Hilton Head Island was incorporated as a town. Shortly thereafter, a four-lane bridge was constructed to replace the James Byrnes two-lane swing bridge (1982). The completion of the Cross Island Parkway in 1998, which connects the island's north and south ends via a six-mile stretch of road, is one of the most recent stepping stones in Hilton Head's development. The idea to connect the road dates back to the 1950s with Fraser and his brother, Joe, who were early advocates. The bridge spanning Broad Creek was named in Charles Fraser's honor. Today, more than 30,000 people call Hilton Head ?home,? and more than 2 million visitors flock to the island each year. However, with development came the problem of traffic congestion along Highway 278 (Hilton Head?s main thoroughfare) which remains a problem even today.
By 1974, off-island development began with Moss Creek. William A. Fischel’s concept of “incomplete assignment of property rights” relates to the off-island development pressure occurring in the Hilton Head/Bluffton area (London 1999). In the case of Hilton Head Island, active growth management (1980s) tried to restrict further development in order to protect the island’s amenities. Hilton Head limited development by successfully restricting the number of units and number of bedrooms one could build. Hence, the result of these restrictions is off-island development. Once communities place restrictions on development, the development itself often spills over into surrounding communities shifting growth inland (London 1999). In this case, the “spillover development” from Hilton Head Island directly affects Bluffton.
Recent Annexations
Once Hilton Head Island began to reach the “build out” stage of development, Town of Bluffton officials began to recognize the enormous amount of growth that would soon face the Town. All of the land outside the original “one square mile” of the Town was in the jurisdiction of Beaufort County. Instead of ignoring the growth in the area, the Town began to annex land in order to possess some local control over future development.
In less than five years, Bluffton has grown from a square-mile-town to controlling the future development of more than 32,000 acres (approximately 50 square miles), a majority of which is located five or more miles from the heart of the town. In November 1998, Bluffton annexed Palmetto Bluff (20,660 acres) and Shults Tract (620 acres), in April 2000, the Buckwalter tract (5,600 acres), and in June 2000, the Jones tract (4,400 acres). These properties are shown in figure 3 that indicates how the geographical expanse of the town has grown in the past two years. While today those properties stand as large, undeveloped parcels, they each are a planned unit development with homes, businesses and parkland in their future.
Source Bluffton SC
Beaufort South Carolina
Beaufort South Carolina
Known for its Southern hospitality and casual seaside charm, Beaufort reigns as the "Queen of the Carolina Sea Islands." With its scenic waterfront charm, quaint shops and historic homes, Beaufort beckons new home buyers, and, encouraging visitors to drift back in time and experience Southern hospitality at its finest.
First discovered by the Spanish in 1514 and chartered by the British in 1711, Beaufort is the second-oldest town in South Carolina. The area experienced great prosperity in the eighteenth century when indigo and rice plantations thrived. Prior to the Civil War, Sea Island Cotton also brought great wealth to Beaufort residents.
Today, an entire tapestry of Southern history is woven into Beaufort's landscape and is wistfully reflected in its tabby ruins, historic forts, elegant homes and majestic plantations. As horse-drawn carriages leisurely wind through the streets in the historic district - one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in South Carolina - time seems to stand still in this picturesque waterfront community.
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Murrells Inlet South Carolina
Murrells Inlet South Carolina
Historic fishing village of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, a quaint, little town. Feel the rush of adrenaline as you play the perfect golf game on one of our beautiful courses, soar high into the sky on a parasail ride, explore the creek in canoes and kayaks or catch a big flounder on a fishing excursion.
History of Murrells Inlet began writing itself long before this area was officially named Murrells Inlet by the post office in 1913. The origin of this name remains a mystery with theories resting in passed-down legends of pirates and fishermen and incomplete records of landowners, plats and maps.
The pages of Murrells Inlet's past are graced with footprints of Native American tribes, 16th century Spanish explorers and English colonists in the 17th century. In the 1700s and 1800s large land tracts were cultivated into successful rice plantations. By 1850, almost 47 million pounds of rice were produced in the Waccamaw Neck, an area that includes Murrells Inlet. South Carolina rice planters were far wealthier and more powerful than the tobacco, sugar and cotton plantation owners of the southeast. One rice planter, Joseph Alston, even became South Carolina governor. Also in the 1800s, pirates sailed our coastline and hid in the Inlet's winding creeks, waiting to plunder England-bound ships.
People who summered in Murrells Inlet in the 1800s generally traveled to Conway or Georgetown by train, then picked up a steamboat that docked at the Wachesaw river landing. A horse and buggy or oxen cart carried travelers and their belongings to their cottages. The river steamboats were known for serving excellent food. Many of the steamboats' cooks settled in Murrells Inlet and opened their own restaurants, giving the area a reputation for savory cuisine long ago.
The Civil War came to Murrells Inlet's shores in 1863. Union warships attacked the Confederacy's blockade-runners that used the Inlet as a port to sneak cotton and other products to England in exchange for war materials, food and medicine. The war caused the decline of the rice culture. Though some rice plantations partially recovered, they could not survive the devastating hurricanes that followed. By 1916 the last remaining commercial rice grower was out of business.
By then, commercial fishing was a popular industry with catches shipped north on schooners. Recreational fishing also became part of the landscape. In 1914, captain-led fishing excursions out of the Inlet on 20-foot skiffs cost $5 per person for a day trip.
At the height of the Great Depression, Murrells Inlet's economy was spurred when Archer Milton Huntington from New York, spent millions of dollars to develop his 9,000-acre homestead and gardens. He hired local brick masons, painters, landscapers, carpenters and other craftsmen to create his dream of a Spanish castle. He even built a church, medical clinic and community center for the residents of Sandy Island, an island community between the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers. The Huntington home, Atalaya, was built with 22 fireplaces and 36 rooms, one of which was an oyster-shucking room. In their outdoor statuary gardens, his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, displayed her sculpting work, for which she was known nationwide. Theirs was a private estate until Mr. Huntington's death in 1955. Today, Atalaya is part of Huntington Beach State Park and their garden, now Brookgreen Gardens, is the largest showcase of American figurative sculpture in the country, displaying 68 of Mrs. Huntington's pieces, including the Fighting Stallions at the entrance.
More restaurants, marinas and private homes have emerged in the Murrells Inlet South Carolina village, but residents are not quick to forget what drew them here in the first place. Front-porch tales, ghost stories and a variety of local tours keep alive the history so deeply rooted in our marsh creeks, sandy banks and river landings. Names of local streets and neighborhoods are reminiscent of the people, plantations and cottages of yesteryear: Hermitage, Sunnyside, Vaux Hall and Wachesaw are but a few of the nostalgic familiarities that make Murrells Inlet the quaint seaside community it is today.
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