Day 180 - April 11, 2013: Georgetown, SC

From Minim Creek it was only 15 miles up to Georgetown which is on the Sampit River. The major storm hitting the Midwest was is here tomorrow, so we opted for the security of the HarborWalk Marina and were fortunate to get the last slip as other boaters were having the same concerns.

HarborWalk Marina at Georgetown

The English settled this area in 1670, trading with the many local Indian tribes. Like Beaufort and Charleston, several rivers come together here, and the wide, deep navigable waters were the highways of trade. In 1729, Georgetown was established and became South Carolina's third oldest city. As the land was free, many settlers were land owners, and rice and indigo were major crops which flourished creating wealth for over 150 large plantations. Many slaves were imported as these crops required much labor. By the 1840s, almost half the rice consumed in the U.S. came from here and was called "Carolina Gold." After the Revolutionary War, the economy suffered; however by the turn of the century, lumber and paper became the saving industries, along with commercial fishing.

We stopped at the visitors' center, and then biked the historic area of homes and churches consisting of 24 square blocks along the river. These homes are more modest than those we saw in Beaufort or Charleston, but many have been restored and there is a history to be learned about each one. Here are some of the oldest ones.

Cleland House (1730)

Scott House (1780)

Sherman House (1830)

Morgan House (1880)

The Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church was the first  major building here in 1747 and has served Georgetown continuously since! The sanctuary's stained glass window was brought over from England and has extraordinarily vivid color and clarity.

Episcopal Church (1747)

Stained glass from England

Tonight we both finished Prince of Tides, and it is a remarkably good book, enhanced by having visited the waterways where the story was set.