Folly was once called Coffin Island, but these days it’s full of life. On weekends you’ll find Center Street crowded with revelers who gather to talk and drink. There is a shag club, a pool hall, an excellent brew pup, an ice cream parlor, and plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating. Despite its lively nature and an abundant supply of tourists, Folly is a world away from South Carolina’s more commercialized beaches like Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. It’s still a great place to grab a beer, shake off your shoes, and enjoy the sunset with friends.

Folly is located between the Atlantic Ocean, pictured above, and Folly River, pictured below. The shot above was taken by photographer Kevin Travis, who tells this great story:

“Shot this image on a cold December morning right after Christmas. It was about 40 degrees on the beach at 5:30 am. I used a flashlight to illuminate the old live oaks tree stumps on the beach. Morris Island Lighthouse is in the background. The lighthouse is always the focal point of so many pictures, and rightfully so because of the rich history of this beautiful structure. I wanted to show a different perspective of the beach with the lighthouse playing second fiddle so to speak.”

Other great spots on Folly are its fishing pier and its collection of shrimp trawlers. If you have an image of Folly you’d like to add to the South Carolina Picture Project, please send it here!

Crosby’s Fish and Shrimp is a different company than Crosby’s Seafood at the base of the old Ashley River Bridge in downtown Charleston, though the two families are related. The former has its own boats and sells whatever it’s catching – along with bait, fishing tackle, beer, and ice. When the weather is good, it often hosts Friday-night dock parties.

Folly Beach calls itself the “Edge of America” and has a friendly and relaxed vibe. It has a lively downtown area and is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. Learn more about South Carolina shrimp, South Carolina oysters, and Crosby’s Fish and Shrimp.

The first pier was built in 1931, along with a pavilion, boardwalk, and the Oceanfront Hotel. In those days, you could catch an afternoon or evening concert featuring such big-band giants as Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, and Tommy Dorsey. It was also the scene of several beauty contests, one of which was judged by the legendary George Gershwin, who summered on Folly in 1934.

That pier burned in 1957 but a new one soon replaced it – surrounded by a 1,700-foot boardwalk and a modern hotel. Called “Oceanfront Plaza,” the area also featured a skating rink, a bowling alley, and a small amusement park complete with a Ferris wheel, a roller coaster, and a merry-go-round.

Like its predecessor, the new pier attracted plenty of famous musicians, including The Tams, The Temptations, Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs, The Catalinas, Doug Clark and The Hot Nuts, Jerry Lee Lewis, and even the inimitable Otis Redding. Throughout the ’60s and ’70s, young people flocked to the pier to dance the night away. Its giant windows offered wonderful breezes, and you could catch your breath, talk to friends, or share a drink with your date while staring out over the ocean.

Sadly, the pier burned again in 1977 and there were rumors of arson. Folly did not have a pier for the next 18 years.

In an entirely different vein, the current pier revolves around fishing. At 25 feet wide, it stands 23 feet above sea level. At the foot of the pier, you can also find a sit-down restaurant, an upscale gift shop, rod and tackle rentals and sales, a lower patio space available for rent, beach access, and showers.

The Charleston County Park & Recreation Department hosts monthly fishing tournaments June through September, and the Big Kahuna tournament is held in August each year. In a nod to Folly’s past, it also hosts Moonlight Mixers once or twice a month during the summer. Learn more about the Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier here.

SCIWAY thanks Sasha Azevedo of Charleston for submitting this picture. She writes, “I often drive out from Summerville to the Folly Beach area, as I have discovered it to be one of the best places in the Lowcountry to watch the sun set. On this particular evening, I witnessed one of the most magical, beautiful and peaceful sunsets I’ve ever seen over the Folly River.”