The building of American wooden tall ships triggered the demand for timber from live oak trees abundant on Daufuskie. After the war, Daufuskie's remoteness allowed Gullah culture to survive and flourish through the generations. [3][4] The island is also the setting of Pat Conroy's memoir The Water Is Wide recounting Conroy's experiences teaching on Daufuskie in the 1960s. The 1930s depression and World War II caused the oyster industry to decline as many left the island for better job opportunities. The book won Conroy a humanitarian award from the National Education Association and an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. The cheapest way to get from Atlanta to Daufuskie Island costs only $29, and the quickest way takes just 3½ hours. [8] By 1565, the Spanish had settled in St. Augustine, Florida, and were pushing up the coast establishing and maintaining additional colonies. In 1873 the Haig Point Range Lights were constructed on the island's northern end. The population in Daufuskie Island (zip 29915) is 410. Most of the roads are unpaved, have no street lights, and are traveled by golf carts. The language is a colorful and rhythmic blend of West African and rural English dialect that is becoming increasingly rare to hear. Daufuskie Island offers a glimpse of what other sea islands were like before bridges and causeways opened them to development. New wage and hour laws increased labor costs, resulting in the cannery closing after the 1986 spring season. Daufuskie Island, located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina. Most of the Historic District is traversed by historic winding dirt roads lined with Live Oaks, most of them looking very much the same as they did at least a century ago, including School Road, Benjie's Point, Prospect Road, Bryant Road, and Pappy's Landing. [26] Electricity came to the island in 1953 and telephones in 1972;[27] however, with few opportunities for work, the population shrank to less than a hundred people, leaving a legacy of rich Gullah history. The Gullah language is a legacy of the original slaves and later laborers who remained once the plantations folded. Daufuskie was in the center of the "live oaking" trade crucial to the development of US maritime power. The students often do their homework or simply nap during the boat ride. Submitted by Chris Espenshade, Brockington and Associates, Inc. Data recovery excavations are underway in December 1994, at four apparent slave loci on the former Eigelberger Plantation, Daufuskie Island. Daufuskie Island, SC. Population: 648 . Several shucking shacks and factories remained on the island after the L.P. Maggioni Company moved to Savannah, Georgia. Let’s start with the basics: Daufuskie Island, SC is located in and it has a population of 648. With over 3 miles (5 km) of beachfront, Daufuskie is surrounded by the waters of Calibogue Sound, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The median age in Daufuskie Island (zip 29915) is 33.2 , the US median age is 37.4. Daufuskie Island, located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, is the southernmost inhabited sea island in South Carolina. The Savannah metropolitan area, Georgia's third-largest, had an estimated population of 389,494 in 2018. There are two historic lighthouses on Daufuskie Island: the Bloody Point Lighthouse,[31] built in 1883, and the Haig Point Lighthouse,[32] built ten years earlier. On Daufuskie, these students take a small school bus to the ferry. The population shrank to less than 100 until Haig Point, Melrose, Bloody Point and Oak Ridge came in the 1980s. Daufuskie Island is an area in Beaufort County,South Carolina with a population of 445. Students in grades 6–12 are transported to Hilton Head Middle School and Hilton Head High School by a ferry. There are no bridges that connect Daufuskie with mainland South Carolina; therefore all island access must come by boat. The American Revolution brought divided loyalties to the lowcountry. For thousands of years early humans called Daufuskie Island home, as evidenced by ancient piles of discarded oyster shells exhibiting pottery shards from all phases of the hunter-gathering period. Residents of the clubs, as well as some of the other residents on the island, use golf carts and bicycles to travel around the island, although there are also some regular vehicles. About 100 residents live in a variety of accommodations, from cabins and quaint small houses to beautiful waterfront homes with private docks. [17] Large homes were constructed on several of these tracts – Oakley Hall at Bloody Point, Melrose, and Haig Point. Excavations at the Eigelberger Plantation Daufuskie Island South Carolina. The USS Constitution—"Old Ironsides"—was constructed with live oak. Find what to do today, this weekend, or in January. The island is part of Beaufort County, South Carolina, and has an elected council. This Union presence caused white plantation owners to flee, leaving property and slaves behind. Daufuskie Island has a rich legacy of Gullah history. Most native residents of Daufuskie Island are decendants of freed slaves, who have made their living oystering and fishing for decades. Captain William Hilton and Robert Sandford both made voyages to Port Royal Sound and vicinity. There are 223 male residents living in Daufuskie Island and 222 female residents. Farther south on the eastern side of the island is Oak Ridge, a small undeveloped oceanfront community, followed by Bloody Point, a semi-private residential community. There are also several private companies that provide 25-30 minute water taxi services to the island. The Billie Burn Museum showcases Daufuskie’s history. To the northeast is the Haig Point Club, a private, member-owned residential club with around 150 year-round residents and over 225 homes. It was the largest tabby domestic building erected in coastal South Carolina. [6] Daufuskie comes from the Muscogee language and means "sharp feather", for the island's distinctive shape. Massive mounds of shucked oyster shells found on the island stand as testament to the extensive use of oysters on the island by its native residents. Courtesy of Cochrane21 under a CC 2.0 license. Melrose Resort remains in disrepair as of April 2019, and the former owner faces charges for using resort money to pay for his own expenses. There's nothing like the smell of a brand new house, and in Daufuskie Island, you'll find that a large proportion of houses were recently built. Navigation aids became necessary to support the increased volume of shipping. This was followed by the Bloody Point Range Lights in 1883 built to assist ships approaching the Savannah River entrance. Once the students reach Hilton Head, they are picked up by a county school bus and taken to their appropriate school campus. [19] Three of the best-preserved, tabby-walled single slave dwellings still standing in Beaufort County can be found today at Haig Point.[20]. Travel + Leisure magazine designated restaurant Marshside Mama's, at the County Landing on Daufuskie, as one of the "Ten Best Beach Bars" in America.[37]. The median income in Daufuskie Island, SC is $0 and the median home value is $0. [21], Following the Civil War the farming, mining, and timber industries were re-established in Beaufort County and the lowcountry. The natives of the island valued the natural abundance of oysters. More Economy. Recent job growth is Positive. The bald eagle is also one of the creatures found on the island. Daufuskie oysters were known as far away as Bar Harbor and New York. Our useful charts can help you learn about the 29915 ZIP code. [16], Prior to the Civil War, there were eleven plantations on Daufuskie. COST OF LIVING Compared to the rest of the country, Daufuskie Island (zip 29915)'s cost of … Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. It is five miles long by almost three miles wide­ – approximately 5,000 acres. For ferry information contact Calibogue Cruises (843) 342-8687 or www.freeport-marina.com or The Daufuskie Island … It was during this period of early exploration that Spanish settlers introduced their distinctive Iberian horses to the Southeastern coast. The entire trip is about an hour and ten minutes each morning and afternoon. Rock musician John Mellencamp built a house on the island and uses it as a retreat.[30]. Prosperous Caribbean planters sponsored several expeditions to South Carolina. [12] The story of these two founding families is intertwined throughout their long history, and both rose to become powerful island plantation owners. The Island’s recorded history traces back to Pre-Revolutionary War times. Wise, Stephen R.; Rowland, Lawrence S.; Spieler, Gerhard: U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, "Daufuskie Island Historic District, Beaufort County (Daufuskie Island)", An Archeological Reconnaissance Survey of the Haig Point, Webb, and Oak Ridge Tracts, Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, Haig Point Tabby Ruins, Haig Point Road, Daufuskie Landing, Beaufort County, SC, https://www.islandpacket.com/news/business/article229070899.html, "Daufuskie Island (Haig Point) Lighthouse", https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/crime/article219057620.html, "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, United States of America", Daufuskie Island Council official website, National Registrar of Historic Places Inventory Form - Daufuskie, The American Revolution in South Carolina: Bloody Point, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Daufuskie Island, Daufuskie Cottage #10 - Mose Ficklin House, A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion, History of the National Register of Historic Places, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daufuskie_Island&oldid=1000666829, Hilton Head Island–Beaufort micropolitan area, Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina, Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina, Islands of Beaufort County, South Carolina, National Register of Historic Places in Beaufort County, South Carolina, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 January 2021, at 03:45. There’s no grocery store, hospital or police station on Daufuskie, a small island off the coast of South Carolina where the total full-time population is about 400. By the 1940s and 1950s, outside competition had caused many to leave the island and search for jobs elsewhere, leaving the population in 1980 at fewer than 75 people. Complete demographic breakdown for Daufuskie Island, SC Beaufort County including data on race, age, education, home values, rent, and more. The lowcountry was remote until the mid-20th century, but the isolation of Daufuskie created the perfect climate for the language and manners of the Gullah people to remain remarkably well preserved. Eventually, in the 1950s, pollution closed the oyster beds and the island's economy declined. Daufuskie is in the center of the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. [29]. More exposure and leads for agents and brokers. Early in the Civil War, Union forces occupied the Beaufort-area islands. The mercury is dropping and now all you want to do is hit the beach for a warm day in the sun. The unemployment rate in Daufuskie Island (zip 29915) is 3.0% (U.S. avg. The Daufuskie Island Conservancy is one of several local organizations charged with preserving the ecosystem, flora and fauna, and quality of life on Daufuskie Island. [23], From the 1880s the oyster industry flourished on Daufuskie. With over 3 miles (5 km) of beachfront, Daufuskie is surrounded by the waters of Calibogue Sound, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.