Pawleys Island
| Pawleys Island, South Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Red circle shows the location within Georgetown County and the state of South Carolina. |
|
| Coordinates: 33°25′33″N 79°07′30″W / 33.42583°N 79.12500°WCoordinates: 33°25′33″N 79°07′30″W / 33.42583°N 79.12500°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Carolina |
| County | Georgetown |
| Incorporated (town) | 1938 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1957 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.0 sq mi (2.6 km2) |
| • Land | 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2) |
| Elevation | 3 ft (1 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 103 |
| • Density | 148/sq mi (57.2/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 29585 |
| Area code(s) | 843 |
| FIPS code | 45-55015 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1231638 |
| Website | www.townofpawleysisland.com, Pawleys Island Facebook Page |
Pawleys Island is a town in Georgetown County, South Carolina, United States, and the Atlantic coast barrier island on which the town is located.
Pawleys Island population was 103 at the 2010 census, down from 138 in 2000. The post office address also includes an unincorporated area on the mainland adjacent to the island, which includes a commercial district along the Ocean Highway (US Route 17) and a residential area between the highway and the Waccamaw River. The island is on the southern end of The Grand Strand and is one of the oldest resort areas of the US East Coast. The town of Pawleys Island, though, is only on the island. The island lies off the Waccamaw Neck, a long, narrow peninsula between the ocean and the river, and is connected to the mainland by two bridges, the North Causeway and the South Causeway.
The earliest known inhabitants of the Pawleys Island area were Waccamaw and Winyah Native Americans. They called the area "Chicora", meaning "the land".
The Waccamaw tribe got its name from the nearby Waccamaw river. The river is referred to the natives as "coming and going" which influenced their name. These tribes lived off of the land and the sea. They embellished many amenities that it came with, including Oysters. The ocean winds and the abundant source of wildlife made it ideal for these tribes. Even today there is some evidence left such as "middens", these are huge plies of shells from the oysters that were harvested by these tribes. There are still a few Waccamaw natives left unlike their neighboring tribe, the Winyahs who are completely extinct. The Winyahs inherit their name from the Winyah Bay, an area known for its surplus of wildlife much like Pawleys Island. In the early 1700s the colonists from Europe began to set up markets and shops to barter and sell items with these tribes. This was short lived, soon fights began to breakout and many problems arose causing complete destruction of these tribes.
The island became a refuge from summer mosquitoes because of common windy conditions. The town's namesake George Pawley owned the island during the colonial era, and sold portions of it to other planters seeking to escape malaria.
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Wikipedia