Neighborhood Information

Daniel Island is a 4,000-acre island located in the City of Charleston, South Carolina . It is located in Berkeley County and situated between the Cooper and Wando Rivers . It is being developed as a master planned community complete with superb residential neighborhoods, parks, trails, recreational amenities and a beautifully landscaped downtown that is home to upscale shops, restaurants, schools, churches and offices for businesses.

Formerly owned by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation and used primarily for farming, cattle ranching, and as a private hunting retreat, the island remained undeveloped until the early 1990s when the newly constructed I-526 expressway was completed. At this time, the Guggenheim Foundation sponsored the development of a master plan that would guide the island’s development as a natural extension of this suburb of the city of Charleston. Development of the first residential properties began in 1996, and in 1997 the island was purchased by the Daniel Island Company, a developer of master planned communities. Hundreds of acres of parks have been created.

Two professional sports facilities – the Family Circle Tennis Center and Blackbaud Stadium – are located on the island, along with a private country club, the Daniel Island Club, with golf courses by Tom Fazio and Rees Jones . There are also two churches and three schools on the island. The community and its developers have been nationally recognized for responsible planning and ” smart growth ” practices with numerous awards and accolades. It was a 2007 recipient of an “Award for Excellence” from the Urban Land Institute .

There are three schools located on Daniel Island: the DI Academy (pre-K), Daniel Island School (K-8) and Bishop England High School (9-12). The Daniel Island School was constructed in 2006.

Mount Pleasant is a large suburban town in Charleston County, South Carolina , United States. It was judged number 2 best city to live in during 2011! It is the fifth largest municipality in South Carolina, and for several years it was one of the state’s fastest growing areas, literally doubling in population size between 1990 and 2000. The population was 67,843 at the 2010 census .

Mount Pleasant is included within the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area and is the 3rd largest municipality in this metro behind Charleston and North Charleston.

At the foot of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge is Patriot’s Point , a naval and maritime museum, home to the World War II aircraft carrier USS Yorktown , which is now a museum ship . The Ravenel Bridge, an eight lane highway that was completed in 2005, spans the Cooper River and links Mount Pleasant with downtown Charleston.

U.S. DECENNIAL CENSUS.

As of the census of 2000, there were 47,609 people, 19,025 households, and 12,860 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,136.5 people per square mile (438.8/km²). There were 20,197 housing units at an average density of 482.1 per square mile (186.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.17% White , 7.25% African American , 0.17% Native American , 1.18% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.39% from other races , and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.

There were 19,025 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town the age distribution of the population shows 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 adult females, there were 88.3 adult males.

The median income for a household in the town was $61,054, and the median income for a family was $71,165. Males had a median income of $50,673 versus $31,640 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,823. About 3.2% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

HISTORY.

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 (950 ha) 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, 51 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.

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. 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 H. L. Hunley . It was from Breach Inlet in 1864 that this small vessel was launched to attack and sink the USS Housatonic .

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 (248 ha) 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 , Louis 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.

On September 23, 1989, Mount Pleasant was hit by Hurricane Hugo , a category four hurricane. While the town was spared from the worst of the storm (category 4 conditions were experienced further north of the town), it and its two barrier islands were still hard-hit. Children who lived through the storm were featured in an early episode of Nickelodeon ‘s Nick News along with children from Hurricane Andrew . Ironically the town experienced its largest growth spurt a year after the storm as more people moved to the area, going from a population of roughly 23,000 in 1990 to one of roughly 47,000 in 2000.

Mount Pleasant is separated from Charleston by the Cooper River . For many years it was primarily populated seasonally by Charleston residents wealthy enough to afford summer homes across the river from the Charleston peninsula. The population of Mount Pleasant was centered in an area of the town now known as “The Old Village”.

The county seat for Berkeley County was located in Mount Pleasant from 1882 until 1895, when it was moved to Moncks Corner. In 1928, a bridge from the Charleston Peninsula to Mount Pleasant was built. Spanning Town Creek and the Cooper River and crossing the uninhabited Drum Island, the two-lane Grace Memorial Bridge was opened as a toll bridge. A second and larger bridge, the Silas N. Pearman Bridge , opened in 1966.

On July 16, 2005, the eight-lane Arthur Ravenel Bridge opened for automotive traffic, replacing the two aging bridges. A week before the new bridge, one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the western hemisphere, officially opened, pedestrians were allowed to cross the bridge, and commemorative coins were distributed. Also, a fireworks display was a part of the ceremonies leading up to the actual opening of the bridge. Several cars from the same time period as the Grace Memorial Bridge, including several restored Model A Fords , made a final crossing of the old bridges. The remaining portions of the old bridges were demolished. Local residents watched as the bridges were blown up in spectacular shows over several weeks, ending the following summer in 2006.

In 2004, Mount Pleasant became one of the first cities in the United States to pass a “pay-before-you-pump” gas ordinance.

Isle of Palms is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina , United States.

Pristine and quiet, Isle of Palms South Carolina is a charming and friendly family-focused community. The beaches are home to numerous accommodation choices, including Wild Dunes Resort (home to both golf courses), seaside inns, rental apartments, and vacation condos. Due to the small size, there are limited vacation homes available. At the heart of the island lies a waterfront county park where amenities like dressing rooms and restrooms combine with lifeguard services and refreshment kiosks. Isle of Palms beaches afford visitors many activities, including crabbing, windsurfing, swimming, sunbathing, and fishing.

Island cycling paths are another way to explore the community and oceanfront setting.

Saltwater marshes and untouched areas support an island setting teeming with wildlife including loggerhead turtles that nest on Isle of Palms annually. The local marina is the place to dock, fuel or rent boats and embark on fishing trips both inshore and off. Eco-tours throughout the many uninhabited islands just offshore from Isle of Palms South Carolina are another of the wonderful things that residents enjoy. Salt marsh tidal creeks at barrier islands like Capers Island Heritage Preserve, crabbing and fishing, and sunset dolphin watching are all part of tours.

As of the 2000 census, the population on the island was 4,583. Isle of Palms is a barrier island on the South Carolina coast. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, Isle of Palms is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area.

GEOGRAPHY.

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.4 km²).4.5 square miles (11.6 km²) of it is land (80.56%) and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (19.44%) is water.

It is the location of the luxurious Wild Dunes Resort.

DEMOGRAPHICS.

As of the census ] of 2000, there were 4,583 people, 1,942 households, and 1,382 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,025.9 people per square mile (395.9/km²). There were 3,881 housing units at an average density of 868.7 per square mile (335.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.23% White , 1.20% Hispanic or Latino , 0.35% African American , 0.52% Asian , 0.15% Native American , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.13% from other races , and 0.59% from two or more races.

There were 1,942 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.72.

The city population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 adult females, there were 94.0 adult males.

The median income for a household in the city was $76,170, and the median income for a family was $88,874. Males had a median income of $60,640 versus $37,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $44,221. About 1.7% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.

HISTORY.

The island’s original inhabitants were the Seewee Native American tribe. Reportedly, they greeted the first English to arrive on the island by swimming out to their ships and escorting them back to the island. During the American Civil War , the H.L. Hunley departed from Breach Inlet, between Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

In the late 19th century, local residents began using the island as a vacation spot. At that time it was only accessible by ferry. It was bought by J.S. Lawrence in 1899, who gave the island its current name; before then it was known as Hunting Island or Long Island . A 50-room hotel was built in 1906. In 1912, James Sottile had a beach pavilion and an amusement park built, and a trolley line was constructed from the mainland for access to Isle of Palms via Sullivan’s Island . In 1929, Grace Memorial Bridge was built between Charleston and Mount Pleasant to allow automobile traffic to reach the island.

Large-scale residential development began when J.C. Long bought up most of the island and built low-cost housing for World War II veterans . In 1975, the Sea Pines Company (of Hilton Head Island fame) established the 900 acre (360 ha) development now known as The Wild Dunes Beach and Racquet Club . Isle of Palms was the first stop on Alton Brown ‘s coast-to-coast tour in his program Feasting on Asphalt.

E. Lee Spence , a pioneer underwater archaeologist and prolific author of books and articles about shipwrecks and sunken treasure discovered, with the help of Isle of Palms residents Wally Shaffer and George Campsen Esq., many shipwrecks along the shores of the Isle of Palms in the 1960s. Their discoveries included the Civil War blockade runners Rattlesnake , Stonewall Jackson , Mary Bowers , Constance , Norseman and the Georgiana . The iron hulled steamer Georgiana , which was sunk on her maiden voyage, was described in contemporary documents as pierced for 14 guns and more powerful than the famous Confederate cruiser Alabama . These historic discoveries resulted in the passage of South Carolina’s Underwater Antiquities Act allowing the archaeological salvage of shipwrecks.

During Hurricane Hugo , which struck September 21, 1989, much of the island was flooded by the storm surge. The northeastern end of the Isle of Palms, which is home to the private community of Wild Dunes, endured a severe erosion crisis as a shoal attached to that section of the island and caused sand to be washed away from around the foundation of a large condominium. The City undertook a controversial beach restoration project in the spring and summer of 2008 which replenished the beach with dredged sand and saved the threatened structures.

Sullivan’s Island is a delightful town in Charleston County , South Carolina , United States , on a similarly named island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor . It was also the site of a major battle of the American Revolution at Fort Sullivan (Now Fort Moultrie) on June 28, 1776. With a plethora of famous authors, battles and an absorbing history, has evolved Sullivans Island into a top destination for those seeking an affluent and relaxed lifestyle on the beach.

According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km²), of which, 2.4 square miles (6.3 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (27.11%) is water.

The Ben Sawyer Bridge connects Sullivan’s Island to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina . A bridge spanning Breach Inlet connects it toIsle of Palms, South Carolina .

DEMOGRAPHICS

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,911 people, 797 households, and 483 families residing in the town. According to Sullivan’s Island town Census 2010 results, the population of the area was approximately 1,791 people. From 2000 to 2010, the Sullivan’s Island town population growth percentage was -6.3% (or from 1,911 people to 1,791 people). 21.7% of the Sullivan’s Island town residents were under 18 years of age. Census 2010 race data for Sullivan’s Island town include the racial breakdown percentages of 0.8% black, 0.2% Asian and 1.1% Hispanic. Also, there were 1,054 housing units in Sullivan’s Island town, 72.6% of which were occupied housing units.

The population density was 787.2 people per square mile (303.6/km²). There were 1,045 housing units at an average density of 430.5 per square mile (166.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.74% White , 0.63% African American , 0.05% Native American , 0.16% Asian , and 0.42% from race were 0.84% of the population.

There were 797 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples , 7.0% had a female householder, and 39.3% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $72,955, and the median income for a family was $96,455. Males had a median income of $58,571 versus $41,029 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,427. About 1.4% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 0.9% of those age 65 or over.

HISTORY

The island was known as O’Sullivan’s Island because of Captain Florence O’Sullivan, who was stationed here as a lighthouse keeper in the late seventeenth century. O’Sullivan was Captain of one of the ships in the first fleet to establish English and Irish settlement at Charleston. In 1671 he became Surveyor General. He appears in the earliest record of Irish immigration to the Carolinas, mentioned as being taken on “at Kingsayle ( Kinsale ) in Ireland”.

Sullivan’s Island was the disembarkation port for over 40% (ca. 200,000) of the slaves traded to the Britain’s North American Colonies , making it the largest slave port in North America. It is estimated that nearly half of all African Americans had ancestors that passed through Sullivan’s Island. “There is no suitable memorial, or plaque, or wreath or wall, or park or skyscraper lobby,”Toni Morrison said in 1989 “There’s no 300-foot tower, there’s no small bench by the road.” On July 26, 2008 the Toni Morrison Society dedicated a small bench on Sullivan’s Island to the memory of the slave trade.

On 28 June 1776, an incomplete fort was held by colonial forces under Colonel William Moultrie against an onslaught by the British under General Sir Henry Clinton’s army sailing with Commodore Sir Peter Parker’s men-of-war. The British cannon had no effect on the sand-filled palmetto log walls of the fort; only the shots that came above the walls took any lives. The Battle of Sullivan’s Island was commemorated by the addition of a white palmetto tree to the flag of South Carolina . The victory is celebrated and June 28 is known as Carolina Day .

The history of the island has been dominated by Fort Moultrie , which, until its closure in the late 1940s, served as the base of command for the defense of the City of Charleston.

Edgar Allan Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie from November 1827 to December 1828. The island was a setting for much of his short story The Gold-Bug . In Poe’s The Balloon Hoax , a gas balloon is reported to have made a trip from Great Britain to Sullivan’s Island in three days. The town library, situated in a refurbished military battery, is named after the poet, and streets such as Raven and Gold Bug Drives commemorate his works. A popular restaurant on the island, Poe’s Tavern, is also named in his honor, offering hamburgers named after Poe short stories.

Other literary connections include the novel Sullivan’s Island by Dorothea Benton Frank, as well as the novel Beach Music and the semi-autobiographical memoir The Boo by novelist Pat Conroy.

E. Lee Spence , a pioneer underwater archaeologist, was a long time resident of Sullivan’s Island and, in the 1960s and 1970s, discovered many shipwrecks along its shores. Those discoveries included the Civil War blockade runners Flora , Beatrice , Stono ,Flamingo , Prince Albert , and the Celt (aka Colt ). In 1981 bestselling novelist Clive Cussler and his organization NUMA discovered the wreck of the blockade runner Raccoon off Sullivan’s Island.

For most of its history, the town, located on the south-west half of the island, was known as Moultrieville. Later, Atlanticville, a community on the north-east of the islands, merged with Moultrieville and together the two became the Town of Sullivan’s Island.

In 1962 the new Charleston Light was built. The lighthouse has become a well visited monument, and a landmark for Sullivans Island.

In May 2006, the Town of Sullivan’s Island became the first unicipality in South Carolina to ban smoking in all public places. The ordinance passed 4-2 and the ban went into effect in June.

Several districts and properties on Sullivans’ Island have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places: Atlanticville Historic District , Moultrieville Historic District , Sullivans Island Historic District , Fort Moultrie Historic District , U. S. Coast Guard Historic District ; Battery Gadsden and Battery Thomson .