Family fun for everyone as a vacation retreat, or even better as
a permanent residence. Come see for yourself what makes Seabrook
such a special place to enjoy your leisure time.
History of Seabrook Island
At first, of course, there were Indians with names like Stono,
Bohicket or Kiawah; then came the English and in 1695 Thomas Jones
bought the island. In 1753, it was purchased by Ebenezer Simmons who
changed the name to Simmons Island and cotton was king. In 1816, it
was sold to William Seabrook and became what is now known as
Seabrook Island.
The plantation era ended during the Civil War when the island was
a staging area for Union forces. The Seabrook family sold to the
Gregg family for $150,000 in Confederate currency. In 1880, William
Andell bought Seabrook from the Gregg family and the name remains
the same today. The Andell family who still live close by, loved the
vegetation and natural beauty and didn't use it for logging. We can
thank the Andells for the gorgeous, huge trees that exist today.
In 1938, Victor Morowitz bought a large portion of the island
that in turn deeded it to the Episcopal Church. When they discovered
they couldn't claim tax-exempt status on so much land they sold all
but 230 acres to the Seabrook Development Company (William Whitner)
in 1972. The church still operates Camp St. Christopher on the
Edisto River with no plans to sell or develop the remaining
wilderness. In 1973, the Ocean Winds golf course was opened and
families started to build homes.
Having been in existence since 1972, the island as we know it has
evolved from the development stage with several different developers
into a place entirely controlled by property owners. In 1991, The
club at Seabrook Island was formed and bought the amenities
including both