Wadmalaw Island facts for kids

Wadmalaw Island is a cool island located in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. It's part of the Sea Islands, which are a group of islands along the Atlantic Ocean. These islands are often shaped by the tides and act as natural barriers.

Exploring Wadmalaw Island's Geography

Wadmalaw Island is mostly southwest of Johns Island. Johns Island almost completely surrounds it. To the north, Church Creek forms a border. Bohicket Creek borders the island to the northeast and east. The North Edisto River is to the south. Bohicket Creek is also to the west.

The island connects to the mainland by only one bridge. This bridge crosses Church Creek. Wadmalaw Island is about 10 miles long. It is also about 6 miles wide. The land area is about 41.893 square miles (108.502 square kilometers). In the year 2000, about 2,611 people lived there.

A Look at Wadmalaw Island's History

Wadmalaw Island has a long history. Captain Robert Sandford and his crew arrived here in June 1666. They explored up the Bohicket Creek. People believe Sandford landed where Rockville, South Carolina is today.

Claiming the Land

On June 23, 1666, Captain Sandford and his crew performed a special ceremony. They used a ritual called "turf and twig." This was a way to officially claim the land. They claimed it for England and the Lords Proprietors. The Lords Proprietors were a group of English nobles. They had been given control of the land.

Early Settlers

In 1670, 148 new colonists arrived. They settled on the west bank of the Ashley (Kiawah) River. For the first four years, their crops did not grow well. Native people were very kind and shared beans and corn with them. This helped the colonists survive. Later, these settlers moved to what is now the city of Charleston.

Rockville Regatta

In 1890, local farmers and landowners started something fun. They organized the first sailing race in Rockville. This race is called the Rockville Regatta. It happens less than a mile from the famous tea garden. The 120th Rockville Regatta took place in August 2010. It is a long-standing tradition.

The Charleston Tea Garden

The Lipton Tea Company had an experimental tea farm on Wadmalaw Island. They ran it from 1960 to 1987. Then, they sold it to Mack Fleming and Bill Hall. These two gentlemen turned the experimental farm into a real working tea garden. It became known as the Charleston Tea Garden.

The Charleston Tea Garden used special machines to harvest the tea. They used a converted cotton picker and a tobacco harvester. The garden sold tea by mail order. This tea was called American Classic Tea. They also made Sam's Choice Instant Tea for Sam's Clubs. Since 1987, American Classic Tea has been the official tea of the White House.

In 2003, the Bigelow Tea Company bought the Charleston Tea Garden. They closed it for a short time to make improvements. The garden reopened in January 2006. Today, you can take tours of this garden. It is the last working tea farm in America. Wadmalaw Island also produces Firefly, which is a sweet tea flavored drink.