Kiawah Island
| Kiawah Island, South Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Kiawah Sunrise
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 Location of Kiawah Island in South Carolina |
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| Coordinates: 32°36′31″N 80°04′54″W / 32.60861°N 80.08167°WCoordinates: 32°36′31″N 80°04′54″W / 32.60861°N 80.08167°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Charleston |
| Government | |
| • Mae Weeks | Charles R. Lipuma |
| Area | |
| • Total | 13.4 sq mi (34.8 km2) |
| • Land | 11.0 sq mi (28.4 km2) |
| • Water | 2.5 sq mi (6.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,626 |
| • Density | 148/sq mi (57.2/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 29455 |
| Area code | 843 |
| FIPS code | 45-38162 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1253569 |
| Website | www |
Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is operated today largely as a gated beach and golf resort — the Kiawah Island Golf Resort — with spacious villas, beaches, large and acclaimed golf courses, and other attractions. As of the 2010 census, Kiawah Island's population was 1,626, up from 1,163 at the 2000 census. The island is part of the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area. Alternative spellings and variants of the name itself include "Kiawa", "Kittiwar" (in DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy), and "Kittiwah" (in George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess).
The Bass Pond Site and Arnoldus Vander Horst House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kiawah was named for the Kiawah Indians who were led by their head chieftain or cassique. In the year 1670, the cassique of the Kiawah led English colonists to settle at Charlestowne Landing.
Long held by the Vanderhorst family, Kiawah Island was purchased by C.C. Royal in 1950 for logging and timber; he went on to develop the first summer home neighborhood in 1954 along the beach and named the street Eugenia, after his wife.
In 1974 Royal’s heirs sold the Island to Kuwait Investment Corporation; soonafter, a thorough environmental survey is conducted, and a master plan for Kiawah’s development is produced. Two years later, in 1976, real estate sales commence and the Cougar Point (formerly Marsh Point) golf course was opened.
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Wikipedia