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Edisto Island: The History of the Lowcountry’s Best Preserved Secret 

Located about forty miles from Charleston, SC on the southern end of the county, Edisto Island is a special place with breathtaking marshes and a peaceful pace of life. It is separated from the mainland by the South Edisto River, the Intracoastal Waterway (Watts Cutt), the Dawhoo River, and the North Edisto River, and it fronts the Atlantic Ocean on its southeast side. Several creeks cut across the island, and it boasts a breathtaking 14-mile-long National Scenic Byway. Just over half of the sea island is protected by conservation easements that shelter it from overdevelopment and ensure that its natural beauty, winding oak-lines roads, and low-density residential character is forever retained.  Most of Edisto is rural, with historic plantation houses, custom new builds, and modest cottages and mobile homes usually sitting on several acres of land. At the far end of the island is Edisto Beach, which is part of Colleton County, and where the most real estate offerings alongside restaurants and shops are found. Interested in learning about Edisto's early beginnings? Let's dive into the history that shaped Edisto Island.

 

Historic map of South Carolina's Edisto Rivers and St. Helena Sound, 1853. Features waterways, coastlines, compass rose, and annotations.
1852 Coastal map showing Edisto Island and the names of its planters.

  

 

Early Edisto Island History 

 

Edisto is named for the Native American tribe that first called the island home. They deeded their expansive land to the Lords Proprietors (English noblemen who held the original land grant to Carolina) in 1674, who in turn granted it to white settlers who established plantations there. Enslaved Africans and African Americans cultivated indigo and sea island cotton amid sprawling marshes and wetlands. Cotton became the major cash crop on Edisto from the late colonial era into the twentieth century, making the planters extremely wealthy and funding the grand plantation houses that dotted Edisto between pinelands and agricultural fields.

 

 

Antique map of Edistow Island and Coletown County, with marked rivers and settlements. Red borders, compass rose in corner, vintage look.
Edisto Island in 1711. Library of Congress. 
Two-story house with a red roof behind large trees draped with Spanish moss. Lush green lawn in front. Bright, sunny day, peaceful setting.
Crawford, an antebellum plantation constructed in the 1830s. 

The island was only accessible by water, with travel governed by the tide. Historian Nic Butler explains, “members of the younger generation are surprised when some ‘old timer’ tells them that the streams of lower South Carolina once echoed with the whistle of side wheelers, tugs, and steam launches which plied between Charleston, Georgetown, and Beaufort, carrying hundreds of passengers, and cargoes valued at thousands of dollars. These steamers generally docked at Accommodation Wharf [in Charleston] and their arrival was greeted by throngs of people, including cabmen, draymen, Charlestonians expecting guests from the sea islands, and others who came out of mere curiosity.” 

 

 


Civil War and Twentieth Century  

 

Edisto was a contested landscape during the American Civil War, being partially taken by the Union in Spring of 1862 and then recaptured by the Confederate forces until nearly the end of the war in 1865. During Reconstruction, the Federal Government designated Edisto to be divided into settlements for freed people.  

 

Enslaved people stand around a cart pulled by a mule in front of a rustic building with trees.
Enslaved people at Hopkinson Plantation, 1862. Library of Congress.

While white planters eventually recovered much of their property, the dream of land ownership, the proverbial “forty acres and a mule”, was a reality for many Black Edisto Islanders, and other freed people like the Hutchinson family helped organize land cooperative purchases for their community members. Still today, Edisto has a high percentage of Black landownership and retains its Gullah cultural roots. Into the twentieth century, Edisto’s main form of work was agriculture. After the boll weevil disaster in the 1910s, farmers transitioned to truck farming (growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers on small tracts of land for direct sale). John McConkey owned much of the island and planned to develop it, but that stalled when he was murdered in 1915; his state death certificate listed his cause of death as “murdered and robbed- skull fractured and throat cut”, a mystery whodunit that was never solved. 

 

Even after construction of the Dawhoo Bridge in 1920 which connected the island to the mainland for the first time, Edisto escaped the sprawling development that has crept into much of the county south of Charleston.   

 

Island Activities Today 

 

Edisto has history, parks, cultural amenities, and expansive outdoor opportunities. It is home to the first serpentarium in the state, where visitors can see alligators and more. The ACE (Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto Rivers) Basin National Wildlife Refuge has 350,000 protected acres of wetlands where visitors enjoy hiking, bird watching, cycling, fishing and hunting (within season) on lands that were part of historic plantations like Grove Manor. Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Area has 4,600 acres of maritime forest, trails, a “boneyard beach” with hauntingly beautiful, bleached branches along the coastline, and viewing points to spot deer, sea birds, alligators, and more. 

 

 

Aerial view of a winding river through marshland with trees and scattered houses, meeting the ocean under a clear blue sky.
Aerial view of Edisto’s winding waterways. Library of Congress. 

King’s Farm Market roadside stand is a favorite for provisions including fresh seafood, locally grown fruits and vegetables (Edisto is known for its tomatoes), and home-baked treats. Edingsville Grocery Restaurant and Bar on Highway 174 is a local favorite; “Low Country inspired cuisine is our specialty, created with ingenuity and passion, inspired by the fantastic flavors of both Carolinas. We take great pride in improving upon your favorite Southern dishes in classically and new, creative ways.” 

 

A historic white church with columns and a central tower is set against a clear sky, surrounded by trees draped in Spanish moss.
Edisto Presbyterian. Historic American Buildings Survey

The historic core of Edisto, move of a crossroads than town center, has an arts space in the historic 1880s Bailey House, and the nearby Edisto Island Museum provides history of the community, its farming traditions and architecture, and has artifacts on display.  Worship spaces include Edisto Baptist (built in 1818), Presbyterian Church (1830s Greek Revival), and Trinity Episcopal Church (built around 1840 with a Victorian updated interior).  

 


Green house on stilts with white trim and wraparound porch, set against tall trees. Overcast sky, grassy lawn, and stairs on both sides.
Hutchinson House. 

Perhaps the most moving site to visit is Hutchinson House on Point of Pines Road. Christina Butler notes that “Hutchinson House is the most intact house on the island built by African Americans during the Reconstruction era.  Henry Hutchinson built the vernacular Carpenter Gothic house in 1885 for his young wife Rosa. They operated a cotton gin and were highly successful Black islanders, and the house remained in the family until 2016.” Edisto Island Open Land Trust, a dedicated conservation group that also preserves island history, purchased it from the family, stabilized it, and completed a meticulous restoration that concluded in 2025. The grounds are accessible and have a nature trail, interpretative kiosks, and an experimental cotton patch.  


 


 



Edisto Beach has a full-time population of just under 1,000 people, though it swells with tourists in the summer months since it has time shares, condominiums, and beach cabins for rent.  It’s an incorporated town with enough residents to keep bars, coffee shops, gift shops, and restaurants thriving. The beach and the town draw visitors as well as Edisto Islanders.   The Plantation Course opened in the early 2000s and offers a restaurant and 18 holes. Sea Cow Eatery nearby has been wowing diners with poboys, sandwiches, and seafood specials since 1996.  Edisto Beach State Park on State Cabin Road has public beach access, trails, campgrounds, cabins for rent, and more, with a steal of an admission price ($8 for adults and $4 for children).


Peaceful coastal scene at sunset, with silhouetted trees and a vibrant sky reflecting on the water's surface.
Sunset at Edisto Beach. Wikimedia.

 

Aerial view of a coastal town with houses, a beach, waves, and greenery. A water tower visible in the background under a clear sky.
Aerial view of Edisto Beach. Library of Congress.

Coot’s Bar & Grill nearby is a no-frills restaurant with seafood platters, pizza, and other American classics.  Whaley’s Store bills itself as “the best seafood dive in South Carolina “and caught the attention of Southern Living, which named it a top ten seafood spot in the state. Family-run Waterfront Restaurant has seasonal specialties, “fine dining-fond friendships”, and beautiful views.

 

 

Fried shrimp and scallops with grits and green beans on one plate; shrimp pad thai garnished with cilantro and lime on the other.
Delicious food from Waterfront’s Instagram page

 

Real Estate on the Island 

 

Edisto is one of the few places in the Lowcountry that still has numerous lots of vacant land, which range from just under an acre in Edisto Oaks subdivision (still largely undeveloped) to ten acres of more.  Edisto Beach has public water and sewerage but most of the island relies on wells and septic.  Some of the island’s roads are still a step back in time, paved with sand and shell and lined with Spanish moss-laden oaks.  Edisto Beach has condominiums starting in the upper $200,000 range (with cheaper prices for time shares) and expansive beach houses placed on high foundations with ocean views.   


Houses on the rest of the island range from modular homes to grand historic plantations from the antebellum era.  Many of the newer builds are situated along the salt creeks and marshes and have private docks or boat slips. The island’s main draw remains its quite country feel and natural splendor, unspoiled forever thanks to preservation and conservation groups.  


 

Wooden pier with moss-covered tree branches overhangs a calm marsh. Lush green grass and distant trees under a cloudy sky create a serene mood.
The private dock at Middleton Point Plantation.

 

Follow along for more updates and resources!


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