The early history of Botany Bay can be traced back to two plantations — Bleak Hall Plantation and Sea Cloud Plantation. Bleak Hall was originally developed by the Townsend family in the early 1800s. By the mid-1800s, owner John Townsend had purchased the adjoining Sea Cloud Plantation and was producing more cotton than any other plantation in South Carolina. Townsend was renowned for the quality of his sea island cotton, a variety prized for its unusually long and silky fibers.

About a year after South Carolina’s secession from the Union, Edisto Island was evacuated and subsequently occupied by the Union army. The Civil War proved devastating to the island and its plantations. Townsend and his descendants worked hard to rebuild what was left and continued producing the famous sea island cotton until the early 1920s, when the boll weevil all but destroyed the cotton industry in South Carolina.

The plantations remained in the Townsend family until the 1930s, when Dr. James Greenway combined them and renamed the property Botany Bay Plantation. Botany Bay was acquired by John Meyer in 1973. Before Meyer died in 1977, he deeded the property to the state to be used as a wildlife preserve, but only after the death of his wife, Margaret.

While living there during the remainder of her lifetime, Margaret took great care to protect the land and to foster a diverse array of habitats throughout the property, including maritime forests, salt marshes, tidal creeks, and hammock islands.

Today, recreational opportunities at Botany Bay include seasonal hunting, catch and release fishing, birding, and an interpretive driving trail.

Edisto Beach Park also has an environmental education center that highlights the island’s natural history and the surrounding ACE Basin. There are furnished cabins available at the park, as well as campsites near the ocean or in the maritime forest. For more information regarding accommodations, hours of operation, and admission please go here.

Edisto Beach State Park is located on the northernmost tip of the beach, just south of Botany Bay. The park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid 1930s and was one of the first state parks constructed in South Carolina.

Mr. Bell retired in 2003 – the business was closed and the building was subsequently torn down to make room for condos and a parking lot. Anyone that ever visited Edisto Beach prior to 2003 would remember Bell Buoy Seafood, Mr. Bell, and his interesting collection of cars, fire engines, tractors, and fresh seafood right off the boat.

Many thanks to Brent Silman of Prosperity for this great description and picture that he took in 1998.

Edisto Island is named for the Edisto Indian Tribe, the area’s original inhabitants. Part of Edisto is in Colleton County, though the majority of the island is part of Charleston County.

SCIWAY thanks Pam Oerman of North Augusta for submitting this picture, which she took in July 2009.

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