ABOUT KIAWAH ISLAND
Located southwest of Charleston, Kiawah Island is a remote barrier island off the coast of South Carolina. The sunny and scenic Kiawah Island is famous for it's 10 miles of pristine beach (Top 10 In USA). In the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the homes and resort amenities are tastefully woven into this natural paradise.
The island was named for the Kiawah (KEE-a-wah) Indians, who inhabited
the island through the 1500s.
In 1699, Kiawah Island was granted to Captain George Raynor by Lords
Proprietors under the auspices of King Charles II of England. Raynor was
not interested in Kiawah so he sold half and willed the other half to
his daughter, Mary. The entire island was then purchased by John
Stanyarne in 1737. After his death the island was split between his two
granddaughters, Mary Gibbes and Elizabeth Vanderhorst.
Over the next 130 years the island passed down through the families of
the granddaughters until Adele Vanderhorst purchased the western half of
the Kiawah for $3,500 in 1900.
Fifty years later, the Vanderhorst estate sold the island to C. C.
Royal, a lumberman from Aiken, South Carolina, for $125,000. Over the
next 24 years, Royal logged pine trees, built the causeway to Kiawah,
developed Eugenia Avenue by selling oceanfront lots for $10,000 each,
and put in east-to-west logging roads, the precursors to today's paved
roads.
In 1974 Royal sold the island to the Kuwaiti Investment Corporation for
$17 million. Development of the island began in earnest.
In 1988 Kiawah Resort Associates purchased the Kiawah from the Kuwaitis
for $105 million, and sold the amenities for $35 million to Landmark.
The amenities were later sold to Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
The Town of Kiawah Island was incorporated in 1988. The town takes a
very active role in managing the natural resources on the island. From
the wooded uplands to the beaches, animals thrive in the rich natural
environment. Deer, bobcats, gray foxes, raccoons, river otters, and
ospreys are just a few of the many animals that can be found on Kiawah
Island.
Town Of Kiawah
Community Association
Kiawah Island Natural
Habitat Conservancy