Whether you have lived on Seabrook Island for a while or are new to the island, are you aware of the history of Seabrook Island? The Town of Seabrook Island has put together a comprehensive history dating back to 1400 BC.
You may not know some of these fun facts:
- The Kiawah, Stono and Bohicket Indian tribes lived on Seabrook Island as far back as 1400 BC.
- Lt. Col. Robert Sanford arrived here in 1666 on behalf of King Charles II.
- During the Revolutionary War, British and Hessian soldiers built flat-bottom boats to use to travel up the Bohicket River.
- Our name, Seabrook Island, is not because we are an island next to a sea. In 1816, William Seabrook, a Sea Island cotton planter, purchased the island and named it after his family.
- The Union troops used Seabrook Island as a staging area.
- In 1938, a large part of the island was sold and part of the property was lent (and later deeded) to the Episcopal Church to use as Camp St. Christopher. The church eventually sold all but 230 acres to a development company.
- In the mid-1980s, work began on incorporating the town due to concern about being incorporated by the City of Charleston. They also wanted the control that a municipal government would allow.
- In the 1970s, SIPOA was formed and the developers opened Ocean Winds and Beach Club.
- In the 1980s, the developers turned control of SIPOA over to the homeowners and sold the club amenities to the Seabrook Island Club.
- The Seabrook Island Utility Commission (SIUC) was established in 1995.
- In 2001, the town’s administrative offices moved from a storefront at Bohicket Marina to their current location.
For the complete history, go to the Town of Seabrook Island website and then to About.
Tidelines Editors
(Photo credit: Charleston CVB, marshallwalker.com)