Georgetown County

Hobcaw Barony

Counties: Georgetown County
Type of Location: Attractions

Hobcaw Barony is a 16,000-acre property dedicated to research and education. While the Discovery Center and Gift Shop are free to enter, paid guided tours provide full access to the property and residences of the Baruchs, a northern wealthy family that bought and preserved the property.

Hobcaw Barony encompasses more than 70 cultural sites, including cemeteries, slave dwellings, and the Baruch’s residences. Several of the villages on Hobcaw’s campus were occupied until as late as the 1950s, and provides an insight into the cultural landscape of Gullah Geechee communities as those that lived on Hobcaw.

The property uniquely links Native American and Gullah Geechee history and heritage through its programs and archaeological research. It also houses one of the few research centers on wetland studies, run by Clemson and College of Charleston.

Sandy Island School

Counties: Georgetown County
Type of Location: Schools

Built in 1932 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington of Brookgreen Gardens, this school started as a primary school, serving grades 1-8. The Huntingtons also built the Brookgreen School and Brown Chapel (part of the Brookgreen Charge) on the northern side of Brookgreen Gardens at the same time. It was the first nine-month school on the island, but it also educated the island’s adults in handicraft.

In the 1950s, as voting laws required Black Americans to pass tests in order to vote, the school served as a Citizenship School, one of the few outside of Charleston that has been identified. The building currently functions as a community center, and it is the recipient of a 2017 African American Civil Rights Grant from the National Park Service.

Sandy Island

Counties: Georgetown County
Type of Location: Communities

Created by the coming together of several rivers, the sandbar of Sandy Island was created. Sandy Island has had its significance in not only history, but natural beauty as well. Today tourists can visit Sandy Island and if you have the chance to, be sure to go to the Nature Conservancy or Pyatt’s General Store.

Sampit

Counties: Georgetown County
Type of Location: Communities

 Formed by three rivers in total and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, this body of river called the “Sampit” is a magnificent sight. This area is so vital to those around because of its historical significance. This river provided resources for the nearby rice planters and their families. Today, visitors alike can enjoy the views and take in the historical importance of the Sampit.  

Richmond Hill Plantation

Counties: Georgetown County
Type of Location: Historical Markers, Plantations

This area is the historical remnants of five archaeology sites. These sites range from slave houses, overseer’s homes and even rice plantations and mills. Visitors are taken aback by the sheer preservation of the area and others hope to uncover more in the coming years. 

Plantersville Cultural Center

Counties: Georgetown County
Type of Location: Attractions

Known for the ability to showcase white planters and their slaves’ stories, Plantersville Cultural Center allows visitors to experience the area’s culture a different way. With its acreage and beautiful build, the Culture Center is open Monday and Thursday to anyone.