Folly Beach, SC

How the city was settled and grew

Folly Beach was originally inhabited by the Sewee and Etiwan tribes before European contact, but permanent settlement by European-Americans did not begin in earnest until the post-Civil War era. The island's sandy soil and exposure to hurricanes limited large-scale plantation agriculture, so early residents were a mix of freedmen and poor white families who established small fishing and farming communities along the Folly River and Center Street areas. The construction of a railroad bridge in the 1890s opened the island to tourism and seasonal residents, spurring the first real development wave. The Center Street corridor became the commercial and social hub, while East Ashley Avenue and West Ashley Avenue developed as residential areas for working-class families. The Washout area, at the eastern end of the island, was historically less developed due to persistent erosion and became a haven for squatters, fishermen, and later, surfers. By the mid-20th century, Folly Beach had a population of a few hundred, predominantly White, with a small Black community concentrated near the Folly River—an area that was more affordable and less desirable for resort development.