DAUFUSKIE ISLAND IS THE KIND OF PLACE that sticks with you. The southernmost of South Carolina's barrier islands, it's bridgeless and accessible only by boat. Even though it's just across the way from tourist-laden Hilton Head Island and Savannah, those few miles of the Calibogue Sound may as well be thousands. On Daufuskie, there are no streetlights, grocery stores, or sidewalks. Paved roads and restaurants are few and far between.
"The island is fringed with the green, undulating marshes of the Southern coast," author Pat Conroy wrote in his 1972 memoir, The Water Is Wide, which was inspired by his time living and working on Daufuskie. "Deer cut through her forests in small silent herds. The great Southern oaks stand broodingly on her banks. The island and the waters around her teem with life. There is something eternal and indestructible about the tide eroded shores and the dark, threatening silences of the swamps in the heart of the island."
Conroy spent one transformative year teaching schoolchildren on Daufuskie in 1969. The island and its people forever changed him. After I spent just three days exploring the same dusty paths and deserted shores he fell in love with, it was easy for me to see why.
PRESERVING HISTORY
Just 5 miles long and nearly 3 miles wide, Daufuskie is remarkably small. A golf cart can cover its length in about 30 minutes, but its 500-some residents have all the space they need. At its peak in the early 1900s, the population climbed to almost 3,000. Human activity on Daufuskie dates back 9,000 years to Native Americans, who named it D'awfoskee (sharp or pointed feather) after its shape. Much of its rich history, though, comes from the Gullah community, the direct descendants of enslaved people and other African Americans who created a distinct Lowcountry culture and dialect.
This story is from the June - July 2023 edition of Southern Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June - July 2023 edition of Southern Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Some Like It Hot
One of America's oldest national parks is both a geothermal marvel and a refreshing getaway in Central Arkansas
FAROUT
IN THE OBSCURITY OF THE WEST TEXAS DESERT, AN UNLIKELY ART TOWN CONTINUES TO DRAW ATTENTION
Southern Living THE SOUTH'S BEST 2024
HOW MANY TIMES have you been on a road trip and realized that you must have taken a left turn where you should have made a right and ended up in what felt like the middle of nowhere?
Built To Last
A world-renowned student architecture program celebrates more than 30 years of community work in the heart of Alabama's Black Belt
The Legend of Mary Louise
After months of searching for a vintage bar cart, Melissa Smrekar hit the jackpot at a Dallas estate sale—and then she learned about the woman who loved it first
Back to the Land
Encouraged by her family, Kathleen Pourciau turned a newfound passion into a business that cultivates the earth and community
Made From Scratch
A love of passed-down pieces inspires this collection of table linens and vintage goods
A Richmond Revival
In Virginia's capital, a not-so-old house gets some new-old tricks
Think Pink
Watermelon radishes brighten dishes with their color and peppery flavor. Enjoy them while they're peaking
Baby Cakes
Make a big impression at your next party with these adorably petite desserts