Island Life

Seabrook Island is a one-of-a-kind private destination with miles of beaches, a nationally recognized Members-Only Club overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with multiple dining options, two championship Audubon-certified golf courses, a tournament-level Racquet Club, full-service Equestrian Center, and fitness/aquatics complex. All of this is set in a lush semi-tropical maritime paradise. Despite its tranquil secluded ambiance, Seabrook Island lies just outside one of the world’s most cherished cities, Charleston, SC.

Area Info

Only minutes from Charleston, SC, Seabrook Island’s 2,200 acres stand as a reminder of the pleasures of a slower pace of life. Generations of residents and guests have enjoyed the best of life among the most peaceful of settings in this private island paradise.

The Charleston region consists of a wide array of diverse areas and islands. Some of the main areas of Charleston, SC, include historic downtown Charleston (Charleston Peninsula), Johns Island, Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, Wadmalaw Island, James Island, Folly Beach, West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Daniel Island, North Charleston, Summerville, and more.

Johns Island, the largest island in South Carolina and fourth largest island on the East Coast, is west of the Charleston peninsula, and serves as a gateway to its neighboring islands – Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. It is surrounded by the Intracoastal Waterway, the Stono River, the Kiawah River and Bohicket Creek, and is bordered by Kiawah, Seabrook, Wadmalaw, James and Edisto Islands. Kiawah Island is a barrier island with 10 miles of beach, championship golf, and more. It is a private gated community with access limited to property owners and rental guests, and the host site of the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championship. Wadmalaw Island, part of Charleston County, is located primarily to the southwest of Johns Island and more than halfway encircled by it.

Charleston, the oldest and second most populated city in South Carolina, is a top tourist destination and is cited for its beauty, historic charm, array of dining and shopping, livability, and friendliness. The city of Charleston is divided into areas such as downtown, Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, James Island, and more.

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History

Like historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina’s oldest city, Seabrook Island harbors its own rich history, from the Colonial era and colorful pirate tales, through Revolutionary skirmishes and the Civil War to contemporary times. The island is named for a storied family descended from Robert Seabrook, a successful businessman, landowner and politician who landed at Charles Town from England in 1679 and was once convicted of trading with pirates. Despite generations of subsequent fortune, his descendants sold the island for worthless Confederate paper in 1863. It changed hands several times more before town incorporation in 1987.

Early History Seabrook Island

  • 1400 BC: Inhabited by coastal Indians – the Kiawah, Stono, and Bohicket tribes
  • 1666: Col. Robert Sanford arrived on the island in 1666 as an explorer working on behalf of Britain’s King Charles II
  • 1684: Stono Indians were persuaded to cede their lands to the Lords Proprietors, who eventually sold the property to English settlers
  • 1732: Island named Jones Island after its first owner, Thomas Samuel Jones
    • Indigo and rice established as its first cash crops
  • 1753: Island’s name changed to Simmons Island after new owner, Ebenezer Simmons
    • Cultivation of cotton as next crop cash
  • 1816: Island sold to William Seabrook, and renamed Seabrook Island
    • 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 Island’s main cash crop
    • Seabrook never cultivated a large part of the island and it remained wooded for use as source of timber and as a home for free-roaming hogs, cattle, and horses
  • 1863: Family of William Gregg, a textile magnate active in promoting the industrialization of the South, assumes ownership
  • 1881: William Andell assumes ownership and refuses to allow the island’s trees to be logged
  • 1938: Victor Morowitz acquires a large portion of the island, allowing part of the property to be used for the Episcopal Church’s Camp St. Christopher
  • 1970: Church sells all but 230 acres (the current Camp St. Christopher) to the Seabrook Island Development Corporation
    • Seabrook Island Development Corporation purchases an additional 600 acres from the Andells
    • Seabrook Island Development Corporation begins extensive planning for a community that would combine residential and resort living in a secure, gated community.

Early History Seabrook Island

  • 1972: The Seabrook Island Property Owners Association (SIPOA) is formed, but is completely under control of the developers; property owners had very little say in the operation of the island
  • 1973: Ocean Winds golf course, designed by William Byrd, opens for play.
    • • Tennis Center (original location, next to current Club House) opens.
    • • Major roads, sewage and water available throughout most of the island.
    • • Major building of private homes, condominiums and villas begins.
  • 1974: Seabrook Beach and Cabana Club (the “Beach Club”) opens
  • 1976: Seabrook Island Equestrian Center opens
  • 1980: Bohicket’s Lounge (first half of Island House) officially opens
  • 1981: Crooked Oaks golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., opens for play
  • 1984: Developer turned control of the SIPOA over to the property owners in a cooperative arrangement, and protective covenants were recorded
  • 1986: Developer sold Club amenities to The Seabrook Island Ocean Club (SIOC) and the Club established independence of its operations from SIPOA, making SIPOA totally free of developer influence
  • 1987: Seabrook Island property owners vote in favor to become a Town
  • 1988: Tennis Courts opened (current location)
  • 1991: The Club at Seabrook Island is formed as 900 property owners came together to purchase the amenities from the principal mortgage holder.
    • • Roads, rights-of-way, beach trust and other amenities were now owned and controlled by the property owners
  • 1992: First USTA Senior Clay Court Championship (now known as “Alan Fleming Tournament”) is held in October
  • 1996: Club becomes fully certified member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program
  • 1998: Fitness Center opens

aerial view of seabrook island

  • 2008: Club members vote in favor of a $31 million dollar “Horizon Plan” and construction begins to significantly upgrade the Club and Island’s amenities
  • 2009: Official opening of new Pelican’s Nest at Beach Club, Island House (dining, golf pro shop, etc), and Lake House (community and fitness center)
  • 2010: Official opening of renovated Racquet Club and Equestrian Center
  • 2019: Club members vote in favor of a $10 million dollar “New Horizons Plan” to again upgrade the amenities and facilities
  • 2020: Renovated Beach Club opens (May)
      • • Renovation of Ocean Winds golf course (September)
      • • Renovation of Island House dining (September)

Wildlife

The Seabrook Island community is dedicated to protecting and preserving the island’s natural resources for generations to come. An Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary, Seabrook is home to a diverse variety of wildlife including many mammals such as bobcats, red and gray foxes, and white-tailed deer. Bottlenose dolphins can often be seen strand-feeding in and near Cap’n Sams Inlet during low tide. More than 30 species of reptiles can also be found on the island such as alligators, tree frogs and chameleons. The reptile that gets the most attention, however, is the Caretta caretta—better known as the loggerhead sea turtle. The island is also a haven for over 80 amazing bird species including bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, pelicans, egrets, osprey and more.

Often on Seabrook Island, the bottlenose dolphins have been observed using a technique called strand feeding, something seen only in a few other places in the world.

These are the most common dolphins in this area. Adults are 6 to 9 feet long, weighing between 300 and 600 pounds. Males live about 45 years and females up to 60.

Your best chance for seeing this amazing sight is at low tide at the northernmost tip of North Beach.

Watch Video

The Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol is a volunteer organization supported by the Seabrook Island Property Owners Association and member donations. The patrol operates under a permit issued by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and follows the department’s guidelines for best practices in identifying, protecting and taking inventory of nests.

Watch Video

More than 80 species, including federally threatened and endangered birds such as the bald eagle and piping plover, are routinely spotted on the island. Turkey sightings have also been reported. The sheer number and variety of birds prompted residents to form the Seabrook Island Birders Group. The Seabrook Island Club has participated in the Audubon International’s North American Bird Watching Open since 1998, taking top honors each year.

Helpful Links

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