Discover the historic homes of Pawleys Island on the Hammock Coast app

While visiting Pawleys Island, you may have noticed several historical markers along Myrtle Avenue in what is called the island’s Historic District.

These markers direct people to the nine historic homes and buildings on Pawleys Island and they share information about these places and their rich heritage.

Visitors to Pawleys Island can experience that rich heritage as they explore the Historic District of Pawleys Island in two ways: using long-available self-guided brochure, that can be found at both Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce’s visitor centers or the Pawleys Island Town Hall; or, with the Hammock Coast app.

The app, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store of your choice, is narrated by Pawleys Island author and historian Lee Brockington. On the app, she details the history of the nine historic properties. The Hammock Coast app, named after the official tourism moniker for all of Georgetown County, South Carolina, also features two other historic tours in Georgetown.

Pawleys Island has long claimed to be the oldest seaside resort in America. It has attraced vacationers since the 1700s when inland plantation owners would move their families, livestock and workers over to the island to escape mosquitoes during summer months.

“We are happy to share the rich history and cultural heritage of our region with visitors,” said Beth Stedman, president & CEO of the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce. “And they can either use the brochure or the app to learn about the history of Pawleys Island.”

Below is a description of each historic home or building in the Historic District of Pawleys Island:

1) Joseph Blyth Allston House (Pawley House) at 441 Myrtle Ave.: This house stands on land owned by R.F.W. Allston, governor of South Carolina from 1856-1858. His nephew, Joseph Blyth Allston, obtained the land in 1866 and it is thought he then moved this circa 1800 house onto his property. After Hurricane Hugo struck South Carolina in 1989, the house was extensively altered and placed on a higher foundation. Mortise-and-tenon joints with pegs can still be seen under the house.

2) R.F.W. Allston House at 458 Myrtle Ave.: This summer residence was owned by Robert F.W. Allston (1801-1864) when the state of South Carolina granted the marsh behind It to him in 1846. Allston was a large property and slave owner, a successful rice planter and served as governor of South Carolina from 1856-1858. The house remained in the family until 1901. After Hurricane Hugo struck South Carolina in 1989, the house was placed on higher wooden posts.

3) P.C.J. Weston House/Pelican Inn at 506 Myrtle Ave.: Plowden Weston, lieutenant governor of South Carolina from 1862-1864, obtained the land here in 1844 and by 1858 had built this beach residence. The Weston family sold the property to William St. Julien Mazyck in 1864, who sold the house to Atlantic Coast Lumber Company in 1901. The company permitted its employees to vacation there. After an ownership change some years later, the house was named The Pelican Inn.

4) All Saints Summer Parsonage/The Rectory at 516 Myrtle Ave.: This house, built in 1848, served as the summer parsonage for All Saints Episcopal Church for many years. Evening summer services were held there by the congregation, which included a number of rice plantation owners who spent summers at Pawleys Island. The parsonage/rectory was sold by the congregation in 1960 to its present owner.

5) Ward House/Liberty Lodge at 520 Myrtle Ave.: This house, one of the oldest on Pawleys Island, was reputedly moved here after 1858. It stands on land once owned by area rice planter Joshua J. Ward, who was lieutenant governor of South Carolina from 1850-1852. The house has hand-hewn sills and joists and mortise-and-tenon joints. It remained in the Ward family until 1912, when sold to Cornelia C. Ehrich, who named it Liberty Lodge. Ownership is still in the Ehrich family.

6) LaBruce/Lemon House at 546 Myrtle Ave.: This house was built on 10 acres of beach land by the LaBruce family, who were successful rice planters in this area and members of All Saints Parish. According to local tradition, two small dwellings on the property were slave cabins. The residence was purchased by Calhoun Lemon of Barnwell in 1952 and still remains in that family. Additions have been made to the house through the years.

7) Nesbit/Norburn House at 560 Myrtle Ave.: By 1842 this house was built on Pawleys Island and was owned by Robert Nesbit (1799-1848). A native of Scotland and a rice planter in this area, Nesbit also owned nearby Caledonia Plantation. The house on Pawleys Island remained in the Nesbit family until after the death of Ralph Nesbit in 1938. It was then sold to Dr. Charles Norburn of Asheville, North Carolina.

8) All Saints Academy Summer House at 566 Myrtle Ave.: This house was built between 1838 and 1848 by All Saints Academy for the summer residence of its headmaster. Robert F.W. Allston, Gov. of SC 1856-58, actively participated in leadership of the academy. After some years, the academy’s dwelling passed to private, individual ownership. It was extensively damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but has been meticulously restored.

9) The Pawleys Island House of Worship at 391 Myrtle Ave.: This one-room church building, widely known as Pawleys Chapel or just the Chapel, is located on the creek side of Myrtle Avenue. It was originally the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Georgetown but was dismantled and rebuilt by the Georgetown Laymen’s Association in 1946 on marshland on Pawleys Island donated by Dr. and Mrs. J.H. Porter. The building has survived three major hurricanes: Hazel, Hugo, and Matthew. After Hugo, extensive restorations were made then and in 2005, and a foundation repair was made in 2018. The Chapel, which seats up to 150 people, is the island’s singular house of worship and offers interdenominational services from June to August, each Sunday at 10 a.m. The Chapel is also a beautiful setting for weddings, Christenings, and memorials from September through May. All ceremonies are conducted by an ordained minister.

Hammock Coast app includes these and other historic places

A new app, simply titled Hammock Coast and available for download at the online app stores of your choice, takes listeners along on three popular tours of historic properties in the City of Georgetown and the Town of Pawleys Island.

On Pawleys Island, visitors can tour 10 locations, including Pawleys Island Chapel and the All Saints Summer Parsonage. Visitors may choose to read or listen about specific sites along the three routes. The app is designed for both walking and driving.

Also, mapping locations is only a click away on the app and a frequently asked-questions page answers the most common queries. Many of the stops are private homes and can only be viewed from outside.

Brockington, the author of several books including “Pawleys Island: A Century of History and Photographs” and “Pawleys Island: Stories from the Porch,” narrated the history tours of Pawleys Island and the historic register tour in Georgetown for the app. She likes the app for the convenience it will offer.

“Some visitors like to keep their schedule flexible rather than sign up for a guided tour,” Brockington said. “With this app, a visitor can choose the time for the tour. Really, they don’t even have to be here to take the tour. It’s more interesting to see the homes and properties for yourself while listening on the app, but nothing would keep folks from simply following along in the comfort of their own home. They can tour day or night, cold or hot, even in their PJs.”

Brockington noted that information in the app is not only interesting but, most importantly, well-researched and correct information about historical sites.

“Too often when my own family was touring another state, we had to rely on the clerk at the gas station to tell us what they knew,” she said. “Having an app can make a big difference in what visitors learn.”

Brochures can be found at both Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce visitor centers, at 531 Front Street in Georgetown and 28 Wall Street in the Litchfield community of Pawleys Island. Check your favorite app store for the free “Hammock Coast” app. For more information about South Carolina’s Hammock Coast®, click here.

By Clayton Stairs / tourism manager for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce