© 2024 South Carolina Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

"D" is for Daufuskie Island

South Carolina from A to Z logo

"D" is for Daufuskie Island. Daufuskie, is a sea island near the mouth of the Savannah River at the southern tip of Beaufort County. Eight miles square, the island is bordered by salt marshes and oyster beds that are affected daily by six-to-eight foot tides. Live oaks, palmettos, and pines thrive in the semi-tropical climate. Native American groups inhabited the island until after the Yamassee War. Indigo and sea island cotton dominated the pre-Civil War economy. Because of the island's geographic isolation, native islanders have maintained many of their Gullah traditions. Several historic churches, homes and schools reflect this culture. Author Pat Conroy taught in the island's two-room schoolhouse and documented his experiences in his novel, The Water Is Wide.  Daufuskie Island derives its name from the Creek Indian word meaning "land with a point."

Stay Connected
Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.