Wadmalaw Island is an island located in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. It is one of the Sea Islands, a chain of tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean.
Geography Wadmalaw Island is located generally to the southwest of Johns Island and more than halfway encircled by it. To the north it is bordered by Church Creek; to the northeast and east by Bohicket Creek; to the south by the North Edisto River; and to the west and northwest by Wadmalaw River. The island's only connection to the mainland is via a bridge over Church Creek. The island is about long by wide. It has a land area of 108.502 km2 (41.893 sq mi). The 2000 United States census reported a population of 2,611.Wadmalaw Island: Census Tract 22, Charleston County, South Carolina United States Census Bureau
History
Captain Robert Sandford and the crew of the Berkeley Bay landed on Wadmalaw Island in mid-June 1666 after an excursion up the Bohicket Creek. It is believed that Sandford landed where Rockville, South Carolina, is now. On June 23, 1666, captain and crew carried out the ritual of turf and twig, claiming the land for England and the Lords Proprietors.Zepke, Terrance. Coastal South Carolina: Welcome to the Low Country. Pineapple Press, Inc., 2006. p. 155
In 1670, 148 colonists arrived and settled on the west bank of the Ashley (Kiawah) River. They survived the first four years of poor crop production through the generosity of natives who shared beans and corn. They later moved to what is now Charleston.Zepke, Terrance. Coastal South Carolina: Welcome to the Low Country. Pineapple Press, Inc., 2006. p. 155
In 1890, planters organized the first sailing regatta at Rockville, less than a mile from the tea garden. The 120th Rockville Regatta was held in August 2010.
In more recent times, the Lipton Tea Company operated an experimental tea farm on Wadmalaw Island from 1960 until 1987, when it was sold to Mack Fleming and Bill Hall. They converted the experimental farm into a working tea garden. The Charleston Tea Garden used a converted cotton picker and tobacco harvester to mechanically harvest the tea.Franklin PM, Mikula N. Backroads of South Carolina: a Guide to South Carolina’s Most Scenic Backroad Adventures. Voyageur Press, 2006 p. 37 The Charleston Tea Garden sold tea by mail order, known as American Classic Tea, and also produced Sam's Choice Instant Tea, sold through Sam's Clubs. American Classic Tea has been the official tea of the White House since 1987. In 2003, Bigelow Tea Company purchased the Charleston Tea Garden and temporarily closed the garden in order to renovate it.Franklin PM, Mikula N. Backroads of South Carolina: a Guide to South Carolina’s Most Scenic Backroad Adventures. Voyageur Press, 2006 p. 40 The garden reopened in January 2006. Tours are now offered of this last remaining working tea farm in America.
References
External links Yahoo! Maps Charleston Tea Garden city-data.com page on Wadmalaw Island