Johns Island is approx 75,000 acres and is protected from the sea by the barrier islands of Kiawah and Seabrook. Wadmalaw Island is tucked into the middle of Johns Island and is predominantly rural in nature.
Johns Island has a history steeped rich in agriculture that dates beyond its settlement by European settlers. In the 1520’s Spanish explorers noted The Cusabo, Stono, Bohicket and Kiawah Indians had organized cultivated plots of corn and other crops in cleared fields.
However the Spaniards were in search of gold and other precious metals and left the Lowcountry in search of finer treasure. In 1663 The English Lords Proprietors of Carolina received their charter from King Charles II of England.
The English Settlers, unlike the Spaniards, saw the land as their tie to the New World and took great pride in establishing roots.
The tie to the land was an important part of their sense of place in the New World. This is evidenced today by the families that still remain on the Sea Islands, some still on land granted to their families by the King.
The Native American Indians welcomed the English and taught them how to live off the Lowcountry land.
During the Colonial period many types of settlers came to Johns Island including Quakers, Huguenots, Scotch Presbyterians, Dutch and Swiss. Crops of rice and indigo created fortunes and elaborate plantations like Fenwick Hall, Brick House, Mullett Hall and Auld Reekie began to appear.
After the revolutionary war long-staple cotton became the primary plantation crop which brought great wealth and fame to Sea Island planters.
The War Between the States once again brought great change to Johns Island. Most of the large Plantation homes were destroyed by the Union or burned by the owners themselves so the Union could not claim them.
During the time of reconstruction The Freedman’s Bureau began land reform and schools for newly freed African Americans in 1868.
The economy on the island centered on farming and lumbering. Johns Island has always been a place where change has been sustainable.
The 1970’s brought large scale tomato production to the scene which remained profitable until the early 90’s when things like NAFTA made it harder and harder for the farms to produce profits needed to survive.
With its proximity to Charleston coupled with its natural beauty, Johns Island has become an attractive place for families to live and work.
Although development is evermore present on Johns Island, local governments have placed strict zoning regulations to ensure the natural resources and rural character that give Johns Island its beauty will remain intact for many generations to come.