SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — People across the nation made a splash along the coast this new year.

Here in the Lowcountry, Dunleavy's Pub on Sullivan's Island hosted its 29th annual New Year's Day Polar Plunge. Plungers dove into 2024 and in the process, helped raise nearly $17,000 for South Carolina Special Olympics.

Read more: Murray-mania: Bill Murray look-alikes dive into Folly Beach for annual polar plunge

"This is one of my favorite parts," Special Olympics athlete Kylie MacFarland said. "I mean, everybody's donating, everybody's helping out and, and Sue's been here all helping out, so it's been a great day today."

It was a cold way to ring in the new year, all with a special cause in mind. The streets of Sullivan's Island were packed with polar plungers ready to make that big splash.

"It was like I expected," Emma Grace Funderburk said. "Very cold, but then once I got further out and just the longer I stayed in there, the better it got."

Dunleavy's Pub has been pairing with Special Olympics South Carolina since 2003. All fundraising from the annual New Year's Day event goes directly to the organization, allowing them to support the state's over 30,000 athletes.

"It goes directly for athletes like Kylie to participate, to pay for their uniforms, to pay for their transportation, their lodging, facilities, everything that goes on for them," Executive Director for Special Olympics South Carolina Sue Maner said.

The group sold t-shirts and hats, or people could choose to sponsor athletes ahead of their upcoming seasons.

For some locals, this Sullivan's Island Polar Plunge is a tradition they can't pass up.

Read more: MPPD's Polar Plunge scheduled for Feb. 18 at the Windjammer

"My husband and I think this was year 15 and this was our girls first time," Cameron Liebetrau said.

For others, 2024 was year one, but most likely, not the last time they hit the beach on the first of the year.

"This was a good start," Jason Phillips said. "Doing something we hadn't ever done and them getting ready to go back to school, so you know, what better way to do it."

Every nightfall, a rotating light pulsates around Sullivan’s Island twice every 30 seconds. The luminous source is the Charleston Light, also referred to as the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse, which has stood watch over the cozy beach town for more than six decades.

When the pillar of light was first lit on June 15, 1962, it was recorded as the last major lighthouse in the United States built by the federal government. It was also the second brightest lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere, according to Fort Moultrie National Historical Park guide Shelby McAllister.

The Charleston Light was erected to replace the defunct Morris Island Light, which was rebuilt in the 1870s after being destroyed in the Civil War. The lighthouse was at risk of being destroyed again by erosion and was later decommissioned.

Standing at 162.5 feet tall, approaching vessels in the Charleston Harbor could see the flash of the Charleston Light’s 28-million candlepower beam from more than 50 miles offshore. Five years after its construction, its wattage was reduced to 1.2-million candlepower, but it is still visible more than 25 miles away.

Its bright light wasn’t the only thing that caught people’s eyes. Many residents felt the original red and white color scheme was an eyesore. As the sun bleached the red to orange, it was decided that a paint job was in order. Black and white was the popular choice, so the Charleston Light received a makeover.

Sixty-one years later, the mid-century monolithic structure serves as more of a nautical landmark than a navigational aid, but its maritime history is not lost at sea. It was a fixture of the U.S. Coast Guard Historic District that includes buildings dating back to 1894.

When the Coast Guard automated the lighthouse in 1975, it no longer needed a keeper. In 2008, the Coast Guard relinquished ownership to the National Park Service.

THE MAN BEHIND THE LIGHT

Architect Jack Graham’s creation was not only the last of its kind, but it was also one of a kind. His vision for the lighthouse lit up in his mind when he was a 25-year-old graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture and a serviceman in the Coast Guard.

In Graham’s last month of active duty, a supervisor gave him a final assignment of designing a lighthouse. The Coast Guard was displeased with the previous drawings that made it resemble a World War I battleship signal tower. By the time Graham was finished, it looked like an air traffic control tower.

Unlike typical circular lighthouses, Graham’s design was triangular with steel girders for the framework and aluminum alloy for siding. He credited his modernist approach and design to his college professor Louis Kahn, an influential modern architect in the post-World War II era known for his monumental and brutalist style.

In September 1989, Graham’s work would be put to the test when Hurricane Hugo lashed the island as a Category 5. The lighthouse’s design was intended to withstand winds up to 125 miles per hour. Hugo brought winds of 160 miles per hour, and the lighthouse never faltered.

In 2009, on Graham’s 75th birthday, he was able to view his creation from the top as he rode in the elevator for the first time. He wasn’t aware that his design was used for the lighthouse until three years after it was built, when he was flipping through a boating magazine.

The lighthouse became eligible to be listed on the National Register as part of the structures in the Coast Guard Historic District in 2012. That same year marked the structure’s 50th anniversary, during which Graham was recognized for the first time with an official ceremony and a historical marker on site.

Before Graham’s passing in June 2022, his wife Martha, who lives in Maryland, wrote “The Charleston Light and The Adventures of Scoops the Seagull.” The children’s book is about the lighthouse, which her beloved husband nicknamed “Sulli.”

Graham’s story lives on in the annals of history and is rekindled every time the sun sinks down past the horizon on Sullivan’s Island. That’s when the lighthouse and Graham’s legacy truly come to life.

Today, the lighthouse stands as one of the most technologically advanced for its time. It is the only lighthouse in America that has both an elevator and air conditioning, according to McAllister.

Due to ongoing problems with the elevator, there are no plans to open the lighthouse to the public. Of the 15 historic lighthouses in the state, none are currently open to the public due mainly to structural issues, she noted.

“This is history that is slowly disappearing, but not many people realize that,” McAllister added.

The National Park Service celebrates National Lighthouse Day every August by opening the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse grounds to the public. The last time the lighthouse was open for tours was 2018.

By Zach Giroux

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SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Sullivan's Island For All wants to make sure people know not only the beauty of the Maritime Forest, but also how it protects the community.

Karen Byko, the president of Sullivan's Island For All, says the forest is more than just a home for wildlife.

Read more: Lowcountry law enforcement helps those in need at Seacoast Church

"The trees here are protecting us, so we need to protect them," she said. "The Maritime Forest provides a vegetative wall between the ocean and the homeowners, so that as storm surge comes in from the ocean, they provide that wall to protect us from that water. It's critically important that we preserve these trees to protect the island from that kind of destructive erosion."

Byko says there are some threats to this forest, such as the illegal cutting of the trees.

"We have people frequently who come out here and cut into public land trust, trees, and vegetation they do not own and they don't have a right to do," she said. "This land is protected for all of us to be able to enjoy."

According to Byko, everyone should care about this issue. She advocates for the protection of these 195 acres.

"We live in a world where we know the effects of climate change are accelerating," Byko said. "We know these types of habitats are increasingly being destroyed and eroded. I just encourage everybody to come out here and know why we are fighting so hard to try to save this."

Byko also mentioned this forest is one of the last of its kind.

"There are very few places we can go to anymore that we can be in a wild space like this and be able to just enjoy it," Byko said. "If you look at maritime forests, you'll find there are very few that are left along the entire East Coast of the United States. This is one of the last few remaining Maritime Forests in the United States that's easily accessible to anybody."

"Anybody in Charleston can get in their car, drive over here, find a parking space, and enjoy the Maritime Forest," she said.

Many of those visiting Charleston know that downtown is a hot spot for restaurants, but where should folks visiting one of the local beaches eat? From barbecue to noodle bowls, these island eateries can offer a wealth of choices for the hungry wave jumper or sunbather.

Read More

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Before a day at Folly Beach, frequent visitors know to hit up Lost Dog for brunch. The cafe has something for everyone on the menu, from huevos rancheros to fresh fruit parfaits. Relax with a mimosa before hitting the waves and sand.

Full of surfers and deal-seekers, Folly Beach stop Jack of Cups offers filling curry nachos, dahl, and curry meatballs. The menu is a mash-up of different cuisines from across the globe, including nods to the South, which is always good while sipping a few craft beers.

Self-proclaimed “chill ass bar,” Lowlife offers expertly crafted cocktails, queso, local shrimp rolls, double cheeseburgers, and more in a hip and lively beach space. Lowlife also serves brunch every day of the week, so it’s like a vacation within a vacation.

A visit to Taco Boy is all about the experience. The interiors are lively and full of fun details. It offers a long list of tacos with unexpected fillings, like the Korean beef tacos stuffed with kimchi and grilled flank steak or the sauteed shrimp tacos come with ancho chile yogurt sauce and cabbage. On a nice day, enjoy the patio with a few friends and a frozen screwdriver to go with the other selections.

Spanish for "the ugly boy," Chico Feo makes for a super chill stop after a day on the beach. The eatery feels like visiting a friend’s backyard. The menu is a mix-up of warm weather favorites from across the globe, like Cuban beans and rice, bun cha, and plenty of tacos.

Bert’s Market isn’t a restaurant, but it is an icon on Folly Beach. The 24-hour corner store is well known as stop for made-to-order sandwiches and just about everything else you need for a day at the beach. Bert’s puts it best: “Patronized by freaks, surfers, skaters, crunks, retirees, tourists, stoners, day trippers, hippies, hipsters, and regular folk, Bert’s is the rockingest grocery in town.”

Dining at Sullivan’s Fish Camp is like stepping onto a sailboat out of the 1970s. The retro-chic restaurant is one of the chicest on the island. The menu includes fish camp classics, like peel-and-eat shrimp and smoked fish dip, paired with more modern offerings, like a tuna smash burger or Nashville hot grouper cheeks.

Diners can eat pizza, pasta, and fresh seafood just a few steps from the ocean. From the skilled hands of executive chef Jacques Larson, the Obstinate Daughter offers a stunning dining room to spend visit for lunch, brunch, or dinner. Visitors should order a craft cocktail, a few oysters, and try the ricotta gnocchi with short rib ragu at least once.

Home Team BBQ on Sullivan's Island is always packed with friends and families ordering pulled pork plates and catching a game on the televisions. The smoked wings with Alabama white sauce are addictive, as are the frozen boozy Gamechanger cocktails.

Cozy bistro High Thyme offers a more upscale experience than most beach-goers expect. Guests visit this Middle Street restaurant for celebratory dinners and Sunday morning brunches. Find dishes like mussels in a coconut chili broth, cioppino, three-meat bolognese lasagna, lamb meatballs, and more comforting dishes.

Contemporary Italian eatery Coda del Pesce sits right on the beach at Isle of Palms. Customers can watch the ocean while ordering from chef Ken Vedrinski’s seafood-filled menu. Make reservations early for dishes like the snowy grouper with peanut potatoes, grapes, and Castelvetrano olives.

Before a day at Folly Beach, frequent visitors know to hit up Lost Dog for brunch. The cafe has something for everyone on the menu, from huevos rancheros to fresh fruit parfaits. Relax with a mimosa before hitting the waves and sand.

Full of surfers and deal-seekers, Folly Beach stop Jack of Cups offers filling curry nachos, dahl, and curry meatballs. The menu is a mash-up of different cuisines from across the globe, including nods to the South, which is always good while sipping a few craft beers.

Self-proclaimed “chill ass bar,” Lowlife offers expertly crafted cocktails, queso, local shrimp rolls, double cheeseburgers, and more in a hip and lively beach space. Lowlife also serves brunch every day of the week, so it’s like a vacation within a vacation.

A visit to Taco Boy is all about the experience. The interiors are lively and full of fun details. It offers a long list of tacos with unexpected fillings, like the Korean beef tacos stuffed with kimchi and grilled flank steak or the sauteed shrimp tacos come with ancho chile yogurt sauce and cabbage. On a nice day, enjoy the patio with a few friends and a frozen screwdriver to go with the other selections.

Spanish for "the ugly boy," Chico Feo makes for a super chill stop after a day on the beach. The eatery feels like visiting a friend’s backyard. The menu is a mix-up of warm weather favorites from across the globe, like Cuban beans and rice, bun cha, and plenty of tacos.

Bert’s Market isn’t a restaurant, but it is an icon on Folly Beach. The 24-hour corner store is well known as stop for made-to-order sandwiches and just about everything else you need for a day at the beach. Bert’s puts it best: “Patronized by freaks, surfers, skaters, crunks, retirees, tourists, stoners, day trippers, hippies, hipsters, and regular folk, Bert’s is the rockingest grocery in town.”

Dining at Sullivan’s Fish Camp is like stepping onto a sailboat out of the 1970s. The retro-chic restaurant is one of the chicest on the island. The menu includes fish camp classics, like peel-and-eat shrimp and smoked fish dip, paired with more modern offerings, like a tuna smash burger or Nashville hot grouper cheeks.

Diners can eat pizza, pasta, and fresh seafood just a few steps from the ocean. From the skilled hands of executive chef Jacques Larson, the Obstinate Daughter offers a stunning dining room to spend visit for lunch, brunch, or dinner. Visitors should order a craft cocktail, a few oysters, and try the ricotta gnocchi with short rib ragu at least once.

Home Team BBQ on Sullivan's Island is always packed with friends and families ordering pulled pork plates and catching a game on the televisions. The smoked wings with Alabama white sauce are addictive, as are the frozen boozy Gamechanger cocktails.

Cozy bistro High Thyme offers a more upscale experience than most beach-goers expect. Guests visit this Middle Street restaurant for celebratory dinners and Sunday morning brunches. Find dishes like mussels in a coconut chili broth, cioppino, three-meat bolognese lasagna, lamb meatballs, and more comforting dishes.

Contemporary Italian eatery Coda del Pesce sits right on the beach at Isle of Palms. Customers can watch the ocean while ordering from chef Ken Vedrinski’s seafood-filled menu. Make reservations early for dishes like the snowy grouper with peanut potatoes, grapes, and Castelvetrano olives.

Have you ever dreamed of rolling out of bed to watch the sun rise over the ocean waves? Do you find that a week at the beach is too short? If you love to spend your days searching for sea shells, watching for marine wildlife, or simply walking in the sand, you may have thought about purchasing a second home that would let you enjoy the ocean any time you please. In fact, some of the beaches in South Carolina are among some of the most popular in the entire country.

Each year, thousands of visitors flock to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, and other beachside towns in South Carolina and its neighboring states of Georgia and North Carolina. Yet if you have ever considered purchasing a beach house, you know that oceanfront property does not come cheap. This article covers five of the most popular and most expensive beaches in South Carolina. You will discover basic facts about each place and the key numbers that prove that they are among the most expensive places to buy a beach house in the entire state. Let’s dive in now, starting with the most expensive beach community in South Carolina.

Sullivan’s Island

First on the list of most expensive beaches in South Carolina is the town of Sullivan’s Island. Sullivan’s Island is a barrier island close to Charleston Harbor. This 2.5-mile island has a small-town feel with gorgeous beaches, marshes, and plenty of history and culture for visitors to enjoy. Located only about 10 miles outside of downtown Charleston, you can reach Sullivan’s Island after a quick 20-minute drive. This beach town is a popular destination for families with young children and retirees alike and provides plenty of award-winning restaurants, watersports like kayaking and swimming, and historic landmarks.

The quiet, picturesque town gives residents and visitors a sense of rural peace while a population of only about 2,000 ensures that neighbors know each other. The majority of homes are owned, with fewer than 20% of residents renting their homes on Sullivan’s Island. However, purchasing a home here will come at a steep price tag.

In June 2023, the average home price in Sullivan’s Island was around $3 million – but in 2022 the majority of single-family homes in Sullivan’s Island sold for $3.8 million. Halfway through 2023, the year’s median was up to $4.7 million. In June 2023, one oceanfront home sold for an incredible $6.29 million, setting a record for the year. Back in November 2020, another oceanfront villa sold for a whopping $8.2 million! Not only is Sullivan’s Island the most expensive beach community in which to buy a house in South Carolina, but it is also one of the top most expensive in the country!

Kiawah Island

Next up is Kiawah Island, a beach in South Carolina called an “oasis of untouched natural beauty and renowned hospitality.” The town of Kiawah Island is located about 21 miles outside of Charleston. With 10 miles of beaches and diverse habitats – from sand dunes to forests and marshes – Kiawah Island is the place to find wildlife thriving. From sea turtles to alligators and whitetail deer and bobcats, Kiawah Island is a window into ocean ecosystems and land mammals alike. This resort island has world-renowned golf resorts, including the famous Kiawah Island Golf Resort which has hosted golfing championships.

This charming resort island has a regular calendar of events, a thriving restaurant and shopping scene, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Buying a home on Kiawah Island, however, could be an adventure of its own. Most of the homes on Kiawah Island are rented out during the year to the numerous guests visiting the beaches. Homeowners can expect to pay steep homeowners association (HOA) fees, significant upfront costs, flood insurance, and more. However, the local market makes up for that with a lot of options. Do you want to live in a condo? Would you prefer to buy a house? Are you looking for a beachfront mansion? Whichever it is, Kiawah Island has it all.

In 2022, the median price of a single-family home was $2.7 million. The island saw an incredible $742 million in sales.

Isle of Palms

The town of Isle of Palms is located on the barrier island also called “Isle of Palms.” This residential and resort community with a population of just over 4,300. Take a 20-minute drive from Charleston, and you might end up walking the six miles of white, sandy beaches. Isle of Palms has many bike paths around the island, lots of recreation facilities and opportunities to enjoy every sport from tennis to softball. On the north end of the island, the Wild Dunes Resort commands 1,500 acres of land. There, you will find pools, tennis courts, and golf, as well as homes and vacation rentals.

Isle of Palms is often voted one of the best places to live in South Carolina since the town offers plenty of restaurants and activities and operates like a tiny city. This self-contained ecosystem has everything you will need to live or vacation in a beachside house.

However, purchasing a home on the Isle of Palms might not be easy. In 2022, the median home price for a single-family home was $1.98 million. Yet by June 2023, the median home price was already up to $2.15 million – and prices still seemed to be on the upswing.

Folly Beach

Folly Beach is a town on Folly Island. In this beachfront city just south of Charleston, life revolves around the ocean. Whether biking the beachfront trails, kayaking, surfing, swimming, or boating, visitors flock to Folly Beach to enjoy the sun, surf, and sand. This 12-square-mile barrier island offers 6 miles of beaches and a quirky assortment of local businesses – from seafood restaurants to cafes and small shops.

Folly Beach is also steeped in history. From pirate legends to Civil War history, Folly Beach was historically the site of dastardly deeds and military occupation. Despite being abandoned after the Civil War and later being hit by devastating hurricanes, Folly Beach made an amazing comeback during the 20th century. Today, the boardwalk and the many local attractions bring thousands of visitors to the town that 2,400 residents call home.

In 2022, the median cost of a single-family home in Folly Beach was $1.66 million. Even a small two-bedroom bungalow could easily set you back $1.2 million.

Seabrook Island

Yet another Charleston-area beach town is Seabrook Island. This small, welcoming oceanfront community boasts of natural beauty, miles of pristine beaches, forest, and marshland. Seabrook Island is a private community on a gated barrier island. This means that Seabrook Island is exclusively accessible to residents and their guests. Privacy, peace, and nature attract members who want to enjoy the natural wonders away from crowded beaches.

Thanks to its exclusivity, Seabrook Island features many luxury homes, including those that look out at the ocean or feature river, marsh, forest, or golf course views. As a planned community, Seabrook Island’s designers sought to maintain the natural habitat, keep the local wildlife, and provide luxury real estate.

Unlike in other towns on this list, there is a unique process to become part of the Seabrook Island community. The Seabrook Island Real Estate team is your official source for buying and selling homes in Seabrook Island. You get the choice to buy a unique home or build your own, with the chance to surround yourself with incredible sights. The average home size on Seabrook Island is about 3,000 square feet. With 2,600 residential properties, you can choose from among 38 different mini-communities “within the community” – get a villa, cottage, or townhome.

In 2022, the median cost of a single-family home on Seabrook Island was $1.2 million. By June 2023, that cost had risen to $1.37 million.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © George A. Kenna/Shutterstock.com