Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a town (located on an island of the same name) in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is 20 miles (32 km) north of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles (153 km) south of Charleston, South Carolina. The island features 12 miles (19 km) of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination. In 2004, an estimated 2.25 million visitors pumped more than $1.5 billion into the local economy.^[1] The Town had a budget of $74,753,260 for fiscal year 2006/2007.^[2]

The year-round population was 33,862 at the 2000 census, although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to over 150,000. Over the past decade, the island's population growth rate was 32%.^[3] Approximately 70% of the island, including most of the tourist areas, is located inside gated communities.^[4] However, the Town maintains several public beach access points, including one for the exclusive use of town residents, who have approved several multi-million dollar land-buying bond referendums to control commercial growth.^[5] In addition, the Town's Natural Resources Division enforces the Land Management Ordinance which minimize the impact of development and governs the style of buildings and how they are situated amongst existing trees.^[6] As a result, Hilton Head Island enjoys an unusual amount of tree cover relative to the amount of developement.^[7]

Hilton Head Island is home to many 'native islanders', made up of African American families that have lived on the island for generations. Many are descendents of freed slaves known as the Gullah (or Geechee) who have managed to hold onto much of their ethnic and cultural identity. Although threatened by the rapid increase in tourism,^[8]^[9] Gullah culture can be seen at the annual Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration,^[10] tours offered by native islanders, and at craft shops around the Lowcountry. The Hilton Head Island is also home to the largest population of Hispanics of any municipality in the state.^[3]

The island is famous for its world class golf courses and hosts the Verizon Heritage Classic Tournament, which is played on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Resort. This year the tournament will take place April 9-15.^[11] The island is served by Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport in Savannah, Georgia, and Hilton Head Airport which is located mid-island.

An indoor smoking ban in bars, restaurants, and public places is scheduled to take effect May 1, 2007.^[12]

[edit] History

[edit] Pre-history

Hilton Head has several places of historical interest. There is evidence of the island being inhabited seasonally by Native Americans as early as 10,000 years ago. The Shell Ring inside the Sea Pines Forest Preserve is all that remains from their inhabitance.

[edit] European exploration

Since the beginning of recorded history in the New World, the waters around Hilton Head Island have been known, occupied and fought for in turn by the English, Spanish, French, and Scots.^[13]

In 1663, Captain William Hilton sailed from Barbados to explore lands granted by King Charles II to the eight Lords Proprietors. In his travels, he identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound. It came to be known as Hilton's Head.

[edit] Plantation era

Baynard Mausoleum, oldest intact structure on HHI.

In 1788, a small Episcopal church called the Zion Chapel of Ease was constructed for plantation owners. The old cemetery, located near the corner of William Hilton Parkway and Mathews Drive (Folly Field), is all that remains. It is home to oldest intact structure on Hilton Head Island, the Baynard Mausoleum, which was built in 1846.

William Elliott II of Myrtle Bank Plantation grew the first crop of Sea Island Cotton in South Carolina on Hilton Head Island in 1790.

Fort Walker, Battle of Port Royal November 7, 1861.

[edit] Civil War and Union occupation

Dock built by Union troops on Hilton Head Island. April 1862.

U.S. General Hospital, HHI. March 23, 1863.

Mitchelville "refugee quarters" 1864.

Fort Walker was a Confederate fort in what is now Port Royal Plantation. The fort was a station for Confederate troops and its guns helped protect the 2 mile wide entrance to Port Royal Sound, which is fed by two slow moving and navigable rivers, the Broad River and the Beaufort River. It was vital to the Sea Island Cotton trade and the southern economy.^[14] On October 29, 1861, the largest fleet ever assembled in North America moved South to seize it.^[15] In the Battle of Port Royal, the fort came under attack by the U.S. Navy, and on November 7, 1861, it fell to over 12,000 Union troops.^[16] The fort would be renamed Fort Welles, in honor of Gideon Welles, the Secretary of the Navy.^[17]

Hilton Head Island would have tremendous significance in the Civil War, becoming an important base of operations for the Union blockade of the Southern ports, particularly Savannah and Charleston. The Union would also build a military hospital on Hilton Head Island with a 1,200 foot frontage and a floor area of 60,000 square feet.^[18]

Hundreds of ex-slaves flocked to Hilton Head Island, where they could buy land, go to school, live in government housing, and serve in what was called the First Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers (although in the beginning, many were "recruited" at the point of a bayonet).^[19] A community called Mitchelville (in honor of General Ormsby M. Mitchel) was constructed on the north end of the island to house them.^[20]

[edit] Reconstruction

The Leamington Lighthouse was built in the 1870s on the southern edge of what is now Palmetto Dunes.

On August 27, 1893, the Sea Islands Hurricane made landfall near Savannah, Georgia with a storm surge of 16 feet and swept north across South Carolina, killing thousands and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

An experimental steam cannon guarding Port Royal Sound was built around 1900 in what is now Port Royal Plantation. The cannon was fixed but its propulsion system allowed for long range shots for the time.

[edit] World War II

On the Atlantic coast of the island are large concrete gun platforms that were built to defend against a possible invasion by the Axis powers of World War II. Platforms like these can be found all along the eastern seaboard.

[edit] Modern history

The first bridge to the island was built in 1956; it was a two lane toll bridge. Later a swing bridge was constructed and operated until 1982 when it was replaced. The swing bridge was hit by a barge in 1974 which shutdown all vehicle traffic to the island until the Army Corps of Engineers built and manned a pontoon bridge while the bridge was being repaired.

The beginning of Hilton Head as a resort started in 1956 with Charles Fraser developing Sea Pines Resort, with the center piece being Harbour Town.

The Heritage Golf Classic (now the Verizon Heritage) was first played in Sea Pines Resort in 1969.

The Town of Hilton Head Island incorporated as a municipality in 1983.

[edit] Geography

[edit] Topography

Satellite image of Hilton Head Island. Accessed from NASA's World Wind project January 31, 2007.

Hilton Head Island is a shoe-shaped island that lies just north of Savannah, Georgia, and ninety miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The exact coordinates are 32°10′44″N, 80°44′35″W (32.178828, -80.742947)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Town has a total area of 55.5 square miles (143.9 km²). Of that, 42.1 square miles(108.9 km²) of it is land, and 13.5 square miles (34.9 km²) or 24.28% is water.

[edit] Barrier island

The terrain of a barrier island is determined by a dynamic beach system with offshore bars, pounding surf, and shifting beaches; as well as grassy dunes behind the beach, maritime forests with wetlands in the interiors, and salt or tidal marshes on the lee side, facing the mainland. A typical barrier island has a headland, a beach and surf zone, and a sand spit.^[21] Hilton Head Island is often referred to as the second largest barrier island on the eastern seaboard. Technically, Hilton Head Island is only half barrier island. The north end of the island is a sea island dating to the Pleistocene epoch, and the south end is a barrier island that appeared as recently as the Holocene epoch. Broad Creek, which is actually a land-locked tidal marsh, separates the two halves of the island.^[22]

[edit] Climate

**Weather averages for Hilton Head Island, South Carolina**
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °F	60	63	69	76	82	87	90	88	85	78	70	63	76
Avg low °F	38	40	47	54	62	69	72	71	68	57	48	41	56
Avg high °C	15	17	20	24	28	30	32	31	29	25	21	17	24
Avg low °C	3	4	8	12	16	20	22	21	19	14	9	4	13
Precipitation (in)	3.7	3.5	3.9	3.0	3.6	5.3	6.2	8.9	5.1	2.6	2.4	3.2	51.4
Precipitation (cm)	9	8	9	7	9	13	15	22	12	6	6	8	130
Source: Weatherbase ^[23] Jan 2007

[edit] Demographics

Looking out over the tidal marsh to the Folly.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 33,862 people (34,371 in 2004 estimate), 14,408 households, and 9,898 families residing in the town, on a land area of 42.06 square miles (108.94 km²). The population density was 805.1 people per square mile (310.8/km²). There were 24,647 housing units at an average density of 586.0 per square mile (226.3/km²).

Although the town occupies most of the land area of the island, it is not coterminous with it; there is a small part near the main access road from the mainland, William Hilton Parkway, which is not incorporated into the town. Hilton Head (the island) therefore has a slightly higher population (34,407 in Census 2000, defined as the Hilton Head Island Urban Cluster) and a larger land area (42.65 sq mi or 110.45 km²) than the town. The Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan Area, which includes Beaufort and Jasper Counties and had a 2005 estimated year-round population of 159,247.

The racial makeup of the town was 85.33% White, 8.26% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 4.48% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.48% of the population.

There were 14,408 households out of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.68.

In the town the population was spread out with 17.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,438, and the median income for a family was $71,211. Males had a median income of $37,262 versus $30,271 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,621. About 4.7% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Hilton Head Island is part of the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan Statistical Area which includes Beaufort and Jasper counties and has a total estimated 2005 population of 159,247 (U.S. Census Bureau). According to the more detailed data available in the 2000 census, the population included in this micropolitan area (which actually was designated after the census itself) was 64% urban and 36% rural. It includes the urban clusters of Beaufort (2000 pop.: 46,128), Hilton Head Island (34,407), Bluffton (5,848), and Ridgeland (3,616). The urban clusters of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton will probably be merged by the 2010 Census.

[edit] Emergency Services

Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue Emblem

Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue Patch

Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue began operations July 1, 1993 as a consolidation of the former Sea Pines Forest Beach Fire Department, the Hilton Head Island Fire District, and the Hilton Head Island Rescue Squad.^[24] It is a career department that provides fire suppression and emergency medical services (EMS) at the advanced life support level. Special operations capabilities include HAZMAT, urban search and rescue (USAR), confined space rescue, trench rescue, and rope rescue. Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue also works with Bluffton Township Fire Department as a sponsoring agency for two of South Carolina's designated special teams: one of the state's Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Response Teams and one of the four Regional Urban Search and Rescue Response Teams.

There are seven fire stations on Hilton Head Island.

Station 1: 70 Cordillo Parkway - (in Shipyard Plantation near the Pope Avenue entrance)
Station 2: 65 Lighthouse Road - (in Sea Pines Resort between Frazer Circle and Harbour Town)
Station 3: 534 William Hilton Parkway - (across from Port Royal Plantation next to First Presbyterian Church)
Station 4: 400 Squire Pope Road - (near the back gate of Hilton Head Plantation)
Station 5: 20 Whooping Crane Way - (near the front gate of Hilton Head Plantation)
Station 6: 16 Queen's Folly Road - (in the front of Palmetto Dunes under the water tower)
Station 7: 1001 Marshland Road - (by the toll booths of the Cross Island Parkway)
Fire & Rescue Headquarters: 40 Summit Drive - (general aviation entrance to the airport off Dillon Road, next to the convenience center)

Police services are contracted through Beaufort County Sheriff's Office

The island is equipped with an enhanced 9-1-1 system.

[edit] Schools

Hilton Head Island is served by the following schools:

[edit] Public schools

Hilton Head Elementary School
Hilton Head Middle School
Hilton Head High School

[edit] Private schools

Hilton Head Preparatory School
Hilton Head Christian Academy
St. Francis Catholic School
Heritage Academy

[edit] Highways

Interstate 95 - Exit 8 connects to U.S. 278 which leads to Hilton Head Island.
U.S. 278 connects Hilton Head Island to the mainland. On the island, it splits into U.S. 278 business (William Hilton Parkway) and U.S. 278 (the Cross Island Parkway) which connects to Palmetto Bay Road and the south end of the Island.

[edit] Notable residents

Arthur Blank, owner NFL Atlanta Falcons & Home Depot, has a house in Sea Pines Resort.
John Jakes, author of historical fiction, resides in Hilton Head
Duncan Sheik, singer-songwriter, was raised in Hilton Head
Trevor Hall, singer-songwriter, was raised in Hilton Head
Jayson Williams, former NBA Basketball player, resides in Hilton Head
Bobby Cremins, NCAA men's basketball coach, resides in Hilton Head
John Mellencamp, singer-songwriter, has a house in Hilton Head
Michael Jordan, former NBA player, had a house in Hilton Head, he sold it when his father died.
Edwin McCain, singer-songwriter, honed his craft in Hilton Head
Angie Aparo, singer-songwriter, PT resident of Hilton Head
John V. Lindsay, former mayor of New York City, died in Hilton Head on Dec. 19, 2000.
Patricia Cornwell, fictional author, resident of Hilton Head
Mark Messier, NHL hockey player, part-time resident of Hilton Head

[edit] External links

Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 32.178828° -80.742947°
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

[edit] References

^ "Employment Fast Facts," Hilton Head Island - Bluffton Chamber of Commerce - Accessed January 31, 2007.
^ "Budget in Brief - Fiscal Year 2006/2007," Town of Hilton Head Island official website - Accessed February 15, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Lowcountry Workforce on the Web," Hilton Head Island - Bluffton Chamber of Commerce - Accessed January 31, 2007.
^ "Hilton Head, way ahead of its time," USA Today, September 1, 2006 - Accessed February 14, 2007.
^ Whitney T and Gordon J. "An Investigation of Sprawl Development and Its Effect On Transportation Planning: The Lower Savannah Region of Government," South Carolina State University - School of Engineering Technology and Sciences, 2001 - Accessed February 15, 2007.
^ "20 Who Made a Difference," Lowcountry Now (Savannah Morning News), 2003 - Accessed February 16, 2007.
^ Gale B. "Hilton Head: the canopy view," American Forests, Nov-Dec 1990. Accessed February 16, 2007.
^ "NPR Examines the Cost of Paradise Sea Island's Development and the Gullah Community" NPR, August 28, 2000 - Accessed February 16, 2007.
^ "Effort to preserve Gullah and Geechee culture moves forward," The State, February 15, 2007. Accessed February 16, 2007.
^ Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration
^ The Verizon Heritage
^ "Hilton Head approves smoking ban," The Island Packet, February 21, 2007 - Accessed February 21, 2007.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 1. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 1,2. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 2. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 22. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 72. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 71. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 82. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Carse R. Department of the South, p. 91. Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company, 20th Anniv. Ed. 1981.
^ Ballantine T. Tideland Treasures. p. 11. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1991. ISBN 0-87249-795.
^ Ballantine T. Tideland Treasures. p. 19. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1991. ISBN 0-87249-795.
^ Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States of America (English). Retrieved on Jan 27, 2007.
^ "Hilton Head Island Fire & Rescue Division," Town of Hilton Head Island official website - Accessed January 31, 2007.

	State of South Carolina Columbia (capital)
Regions	Capital City/Lake Murray Country \| Grand Strand \| Historic Charleston \| Midlands \| Old 96 District \| Olde English District \| Pee Dee \| Piedmont \| Sandhills \| Santee Cooper Country \| South Carolina Low Country \| Metrolina \| The Upstate
Cities	Charleston \| Columbia \| North Charleston \| Rock Hill \| Camden \| Mount Pleasant \| Myrtle Beach \| Greenville \| Georgetown \| Goose Creek \| Sumter \| Aiken \| Spartanburg \| Orangeburg \| North Myrtle Beach \| Florence \| Anderson \| Greenwood
Towns	Greer \| Darlington \| Lancaster \| Irmo \| Dillon \| Hardeeville \| Saluda \| North Augusta \| Awendaw \| Conway \| Moncks Corner \| Clinton \| Gaffney \| Walterboro \| Murrells Inlet \| Summerville \| Newberry \| Chester \| Clemson \| Hartsville \| Beaufort \| Hilton Head Island \| Union \| Marion \| Cheraw
Rivers	Santee River \| Savannah River \| Pee Dee River \| Edisto River \| Cooper River \| Waccamaw River \| Catawba River \| Black River \| Coosawhatchie River \| Congaree River \| Reedy River \| Enoree River \| Stono River \| Tugaloo River \| Broad River \| Wando River
Attractions	Myrtle Beach Pavilion \| Carowinds \| Brookgreen Gardens \| South of The Border \| Darlington Raceway \| Congaree National Park \| Cypress Gardens \| Hard Rock Park \| Broadway at the Beach \| Coastal Grand Mall \| Fort Sumter \| Fort Moultrie \| Cooper River Bridge
Interstates	Interstate 20 \| Interstate 20 Bus. \| Interstate 26 \| Interstate 126 \| Interstate 526 \| Interstate 73 \| Interstate 74 \| Interstate 174 \| Interstate 77 \| Interstate 85 \| Interstate 85 Bus. \| Interstate 185 \| Interstate 385 \| Interstate 585 \| Interstate 95
Counties	Abbeville \| Aiken \| Allendale \| Anderson \| Bamberg \| Barnwell \| Beaufort \| Berkeley \| Calhoun \| Charleston \| Cherokee \| Chester \| Chesterfield \| Clarendon \| Colleton \| Darlington \| Dillon \| Dorchester \| Edgefield \| Fairfield \| Florence \| Georgetown \| Greenville \| Greenwood \| Hampton \| Horry \| Jasper \| Kershaw \| Lancaster \| Laurens \| Lee \| Lexington \| Marion \| Marlboro \| McCormick \| Newberry \| Oconee \| Orangeburg \| Pickens \| Richland \| Saluda \| Spartanburg \| Sumter \| Union \| Williamsburg \| York

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Categories: Beaufort County, South Carolina | Seaside resorts in the United States | Towns in South Carolina | Barrier islands of South Carolina