Congressman
Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Discover Georgetown County

Georgetown County (map) and its county seat, Georgetown, were named for King George II of England. Spanish explorers are believed to have visited this coastal area in 1526, but no permanent settlement was established. English planters and their African slaves moved into the region in the early eighteenth century; they built large rice and indigo plantations. The town of Georgetown, which was established around 1730, was a busy port serving the surrounding plantations. Georgetown District was first established in 1769, encompassing the parishes of All Saints, Prince George, and Prince Frederick. In 1785, the district was divided into four counties: Liberty (which became Marion District in 1800), Kingston (which became Horry District in 1801), Williamsburg (which became a separate district in 1804), and Winyah (which was renamed Georgetown in 1800).

During the Revolutionary War, the troops of General Francis Marion often hid in the swamps of Georgetown County while engaging in guerrilla warfare against the British. Rice planting declined after the Civil War, and many of the old plantations became wildlife or hunting preserves. Many famous South Carolinians were residents of Georgetown County including: Thomas Lynch, Jr. (1749-1779) who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, artist Washington Allston (1779-1843), Theodosia Burr Alston (1783-1813) who was the daughter of Aaron Burr, Joseph Hayne Rainey (1832-1887) who was the first African-American elected to the U. S. House of Representatives, and Joel Roberts Poinsett (1779-1851) who was a Congressman, Secretary of War, Ambassador to Mexico, and introduced the poinsettia to the United States. 

Today, Georgetown County is a diverse area with much to offer visitors and residents alike. The Waccamaw Neck, which includes the coastline communities of Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island, has seen significant growth in the past years, but is also home to many preserved coastal marshes and forests, as well as Brookgreen Gardens. USC's Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences conducts conducts important research on costal environments, and conducts a number of activities for visitors, especially children. The City of Georgetown is home to a port and other important industries to this day; however, the downtown offers history-focused tourists many spots to visit, as well as restaurants looking out over Winyah Bay.

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