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South of these two attractions is the part of the helping spirit, the Gray Man, who sometimes appears to
Waccamaw Neck that is the most developed, but even people to warn of impending storms.
that depends on your definition of development. Known as A beach home in Pawleys Island is likely to cost $1 million
Litchfield (or Litchfield Beach), this area is private enough to or more. Not in your budget? No worries – single-family
be a serene haven for its more than 15,000 locals and visitors homes and condo units can be bought in the $200,000-
while near enough to the surrounding cities for easy access $350,000 range.
to a variety of entertainment options. Named for a successful At the southern tip of the Waccamaw Neck, DeBordieu
rice plantation, Litchfield is known today for world-class golf Beach or DeBordieu Colony is an unincorporated oceanfront
courses, quaint shops and quiet beaches. gated community. This community includes a private golf and
Part of this Litchfield area but with a personality all its country club, as well as 800 acres of wildlife preserve accessible
own is Pawleys Island, the “arrogantly shabby” beach town, only to residents and guests at DeBordieu Colony. Like
the only incorporated community on The Neck, and one of Pawleys Island, DeBordieu Colony was once a favorite summer
the first resort towns on the Atlantic Coast. Pawleys Island’s destination for the Waccamaw Neck rice planters. Legend has
historic district has rows of beautiful homes and other it that the Marquis de Lafayette proclaimed it the “borderland
Stilted beach houses and condominiums line the shore of structures, some dating back to the late 1700s. Plantation of God” in 1777. The French translation “D’aborde Dieu”
Garden City Beach. Across the Atlantic Avenue Causeway owners would bring their families to Pawleys Island during became “DeBordieu” or “Debidue” in the local Gullah dialect.
that connects the mainland to the beaches, both new and the summer to escape from the humidity and insects on the Today the community has more than 1,200 home sites and
established single-family home neighborhoods, and a few
multi-family complexes offer additional residential options. mainland. Perhaps some of these families saw Pawleys’ famous the average home value is about $908,000.
While a house on the beach can easily run $1 million or
more, prices off the beach average $160,000-$350,000.
U.S. 17 south from Garden City Beach will take you
directly into Murrells Inlet. This beautifully quaint
fishing village has a history filled with intrigue, adventure
and like any good tale, a bottle or two of rum. The infamous
Blackbeard, along with Anne Bonney, Mary Read and Calico
Jack Rackham, are among those who once lurked around
Murrells Inlet, and the area may have been named for a
Captain Murrell, possibly also a pirate. During the Civil War,
blockade runners used the inlet channels to sneak in supplies
to the Confederates, while rum-runners used it to smuggle in
and stockpile illegal liquor during Prohibition.
Today, homes in Murrells Inlet range from million-dollar-
plus houses on the beach to single-family homes in the $200s,
even on the second row, and condo units with ocean views
for less.
Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park
separate Garden City Beach and Murrells Inlet from the rest
of The Neck. Brookgreen Gardens is an amazing outdoor
sculpture garden, wildlife preserve and cultural center, while
Huntington Beach State Park offers expansive beaches
with camping, fishing, wildlife and more. Brookgreen and
Huntington Beach both were once part of the estates of
Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, philanthropist and
sculptor, respectively, who left the park and adjacent gardens
as their legacy.

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