Wadmalaw Island, SC Real Estate
Wadmalaw Island is considered the most unspoiled of Charleston's islands.
While many Lowcountry islands such as Kiawah and Seabrook are "barrier islands"
which are directly exposed to the ocean and fronted by sandy beaches, such is not
the case with Wadmalaw Island or its close neighbor, John's Island. Shielded
from the Atlantic by their neighbors to the east and south, Wadmalaw and John's
Islands have remained stable through much of recorded history.
Bordered by the Bohicket River to the east and the North Edisto River to the west,
Wadmalaw Island remains intensely rural, with farming the traditional occupation of
many of its residents, both past and present. While fishing, crabbing and
shrimping serve as pleasurable pastimes in many local communities, it is still
a primary means of earning a living for a number of Wadmalaw's residents.
Along the Wadmalaw Island's southern tip lies Rockville, the charming picturesque hamlet
that was featured in scenes from "Queen" a movie by Alex Haley. There are no
stores or restaurants to speak of outside of Rockville, and hundreds of acres
of the island's woods and wetlands are protected from development. However, in
recent years, some of the waterfront areas have become sparsely populated with
magnificent upscale homes, many on estate-sized lots.
Each year, Wadmalaw Island hosts a Gullah festival of regional
import, encompassing
exhibits and demonstrations of traditional African-American arts and crafts
like basket weaving.
Another point of interest on Wadmalaw Island is the Charleston Tea Plantation. The only tea
plantation in America, it is home to plants descended from those that have
been grown for more than 100 years in the Lowcountry. The plantation's unusual
heritage began in 1799 when a French botanist brought the first tea plants to
Charleston, which were also the first in America. Wadmalaw provides the ideal
conditions for tea growing - hot humid summers and sandy soils for good drainage.
The plantation consists of fields of the hedge-like plants that produce the
fresh, smooth American Classic Teas, the official Hospitality Beverage of
South Carolina.
Wadmalaw Island Real Estate near the Charleston SC Area | Wadmalaw Island is considered the most unspoiled of Charleston's islands
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