Seabrook Island
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Early History

Seabrook Island was inhabited by coastal Indians - the Kiawah, Stono, and Bohicket tribes - as early as 1400 BC.  Lt. Col. Robert Sanford arrived on Seabrook Island in 1666 as an explorer working on behalf of Britain’s King Charles II. By 1684, the local Stono Indians were persuaded to cede their lands to the Lord’s Proprietors, who eventually sold the property to English settlers.  The island’s first owner, Thomas Jones, named the island for himself and was responsible for keeping Haulover Creek navigable so that goods could be transported between the Kiawah and Bohicket Rivers.  As Johns Island’s creeks, rivers, and marshes were good places for ships to hide, Privateer Creek on Seabrook was a favorite place for boats to hide while waiting for unsuspecting ships to pass by.  Ebenezer Simmons purchased the island around 1753 and, again, named it for himself.  Both the Jones and Simmons families used the property to grow indigo, rice, and cotton.  

During the Revolutionary War, in 1779, British and Hessian soldiers landed on the beach to build flat-bottomed boats for use in transporting goods up the Bohicket River.  When Charleston was liberated in 1782, the British left the island and attention returned to growing cotton.

William Seabrook, a Sea Island cotton planter, purchased Simmons Island in 1816 and, following tradition of the other owners, gave it his Seabrook family name. Mr. Seabrook pioneered the use of salt marsh mud as fertilizer and was one of the first to successfully cultivate Sea Island cotton, which replaced rice and indigo as Johns Island’s main cash crop.  Since length of Sea Island cotton is 2” greater than mainland cotton, it could be woven into very fine cloth and yielded a higher price.  Although Seabrook Island was part of Mr. Seabrook’s extensive cotton plantation that extended for thousands of acres along the coast, a large part of the island was never put under cultivation.  It remained wooded for use as a source of timber and live trees for landscaping, and as a home for free-roaming hogs, cattle, and horses.

Upon Mr. Seabrook’s death in 1836, island ownership was divided between his two sons.  The island saw some occupation and fighting by Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War and was abandoned, along with the other Sea Islands, by order of the Confederate Army in 1861.  In 1863, Seabrook’s children sold the island to the family of William Gregg, a textile magnate who became active in promoting the industrialization of the South.  

During the Civil War, the island became a staging area for Union troops.  They came into port at Privateer Creek and occupied the island.  The 3-day long “Battle of Haulover Cut” costing 34 lives was fought on the Johns Island shore of the Haulover Cut.  In 1881, the Greggs sold the island to William Andell.  The Andells loved the trees and would not allow the land to be logged, accounting for some of the very large and significant trees that are still visible on the island.

In 1938, the Andells sold a large portion of Seabrook Island to Victor Morawetz of New York City.  Morawetz allowed part of the property to be used for the Episcopal Church’s Camp St. Christopher, and then in 1951 deeded the property at no cost to the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina.  When the church learned they would not be allowed to use their tax-exempt status for all of the property, it sold all but 230 acres (the current Camp St. Christopher) in 1970 to the Seabrook Island Development Corporation.

More Information

Celebrate Seabrook:
​25th Anniversary Program (2012)
Picture
Town of Seabrook Island

2001 Seabrook Island Road
Seabrook Island, SC 29455
Phone: (843) 768-9121
​Email: info@townofseabrookisland.org

Town Hall Hours:
M-F 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Privacy Policy
  • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Updates
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Emergency Restrictions
    • SCDHEC (Link)
    • Accelerate SC (Link)
    • CDC (Link)
    • Coronavirus.gov (Link)
  • About
    • History >
      • Early History
      • Resort & Club History
      • Town History
    • Awards & Accolades
    • Community Calendar
    • Photo Gallery
    • Visitor Info
  • Government
    • Introduction
    • Mayor >
      • John Gregg
    • Town Council >
      • Skip Crane
      • Jeri Finke
      • Patricia Fox
      • Barry Goldstein
    • Town Boards >
      • ATAX Advisory Committee
      • Board of Zoning Appeals
      • DSO Advisory Committee
      • Planning Commission
      • Public Safety Committee
      • Utility Commission
      • Ways & Means Committee
    • Ordinances >
      • Code of Ordinances
      • Development Standards Ordinance
    • Public Records >
      • Financial Records
      • Records Requests
    • Strategic Priorities >
      • 2019-20 Priorities
    • Volunteer >
      • Apply to Serve on a Town Board
  • Meetings
    • Agendas & Minutes >
      • Town Council
      • ATAX Advisory Committee
      • Board of Zoning Appeals
      • DSO Advisory Committee
      • Planning Commission
      • Public Safety Committee
      • Utility Commission
      • Ways & Means Committee
    • Public Hearings >
      • Variance #171
      • Variance #172
    • Public Comments >
      • None at this Time
  • Services
    • Beach Services >
      • Beach Management
      • Beach Patrol
      • Beach Rules
    • Code Enforcement
    • Floodplain Mgmt.
    • Emergency Preparedness >
      • Emergency Plan
      • Emergency Resources
      • Emergency Contacts
      • Emergency Contractor Lists
      • Disaster Recovery Council
      • Sign Up for Code Red
    • Mosquito Control
    • Municipal Court
    • Licenses & Permits >
      • Business Licenses
      • Building Permits
      • Zoning Permits
    • Planning & Zoning >
      • Comprehensive Plan
      • Subdivision Plats
    • Public Safety >
      • Law Enforcement
      • Fire Service
      • Emergency Medical
      • AirMedCare Network
    • Utilities >
      • SIUC Website
    • Wildlife >
      • Dolphin Education Program
    • Bids & Proposals
    • Job Openings
  • News
    • Announcements
    • Emergency Notices
    • Local News >
      • Tidelines Blog
      • The Seabrooker
      • Island Connection
    • Social Media >
      • Facebook Page
      • Twitter Feed
      • YouTube Channel
  • Links
    • Bohicket Marina
    • Camp St. Christopher
    • Charleston County
    • Explore Charleston
    • Seabrook Island Club
    • Seabrook Island POA
    • Utility Commission
  • Contact
    • Contact Town Hall
    • Staff Directory