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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