Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Infobox Settlement|
official_name = Isle of Palms, South Carolina
settlement_type = City
nickname =


imagesize =
image_caption =


image_



mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Isle of Palms in
South Carolina
incorporated= 1938 as a town and 1957 as a city


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = South Carolina
subdivision_name2 = Charleston
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Johnny Sottile
established_date =
area_magnitude = 1 E8
area_total_km2 = 14.4
area_land_km2 = 11.6
area_water_km2 = 2.8
population_as_of = 2000
population_total = 4583
population_density_km2 = 395.9
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
elevation_ft = 3
latd = 32 |latm = 47 |lats = 47 |latNS = N
longd = 79 |longm = 45 |longs = 54 |longEW = W
area_total_sq_mi = 5.6
area_land_sq_mi = 4.5
area_water_sq_mi = 1.1
elevation_m = 1
website = [http://www.isle-of-palms.sc.us/action.lasso?-response=index2.html www.isle-of-palms.sc.us]
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 29451
area_code = 843
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 45-36115GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1227790GR|3
footnotes =

Isle of Palms is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population on the island was 4,583. Isle of Palms is a barrier island on the South Carolina coast, northeast of Charleston, South Carolina. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Isle of Palms is included within the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area and the larger Charleston–North Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Isle of Palms is located at coor dms|32|47|47|N|79|45|54|W|city (32.796327, -79.765084)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.4 km²).4.5 square miles (11.6 km²) of it is land (80.56%) and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (19.44%) is water.

It is the location of the Wild Dunes Resort.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,583 people, 1,942 households, and 1,382 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,025.9 people per square mile (395.9/km²). There were 3,881 housing units at an average density of 868.7/sq mi (335.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.23% White, 1.20% Hispanic or Latino, 0.35% African American, 0.52% Asian, 0.15% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races.

There were 1,942 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.72.

The city population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 adult females, there were 94.0 adult males.

The median income for a household in the city was $76,170, and the median income for a family was $88,874. Males had a median income of $60,640 versus $37,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $44,221. About 1.7% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The city is run by an elected Mayor-council government system.

Mayor

F. Michael Sottile

Council Members

J. Martin Bettelli, Ryan L. Buckhannon, Dick Cronin, Leola Hanbury, John R. Marino, Jane C. McMackin, Carol Rice, Dryden G. "Dee" Taylor.

History

The island's original inhabitants were the Seewee Native American tribe. Supposedly, they greeted the first English to arrive on the island by swimming out to their ships and escorting them back to the island.

During the American Civil War, the "H.L. Hunley" departed from Breach Inlet, between Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island.

In the late 19th century, local residents began using the island as a vacation spot. At that time it was only accessible by ferry. It was bought by J.S. Lawrence in 1899, who gave the island its current name; before then it was known as "Hunting Island" or "Long Island". A 50-room hotel was built in 1906. In 1912, James Sottile had a beach pavilion and an amusement park built, and a trolley line was constructed from the mainland for access to Isle of Palms via Sullivan's Island. In 1929, Grace Memorial Bridge was built between Charleston and Mount Pleasant to allow automobile traffic to reach the island.

Large-scale residential development began when J.C. Long bought up most of the island and built low-cost housing for World War II veterans. In 1975, the Sea Pines Company (of Hilton Head Island fame) established the 900 acre (360 ha) development now known as The Wild Dunes Beach and Racquet Club. Isle of Palms was the first stop on Alton Brown's coast-to-coast tour in his program Feasting on Asphalt.

E. Lee Spence, a pioneer underwater archaeologist and prolific author of books and articles about shipwrecks and sunken treasure discovered, with the help of Isle of Palms residents Wally Shaffer and George Campsen Esq., many shipwrecks along the shores of the Isle of Palms in the 1960s. Their discoveries included the Civil War blockade runners "Rattlesnake", "Stonewall Jackson", "Mary Bowers", "Constance", "Norseman" and the "Georgiana". The iron hulled steamer "Georgiana", which was sunk on her maiden voyage, was described in contemporary documents as pierced for 14 guns and more powerful than the famous Confederate cruiser "Alabama". These historic discoveries resulted in the passage of South Carolina's Underwater Antiquities Act allowing the archaeological salvage of shipwrecks.

During Hurricane Hugo, which struck in late September of 1989, much of the island was flooded by the storm surge.

References

External links

*Dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/South_Carolina/Localities/I/Isle_of_Palms/|Isle of Palms
* [http://www.islandeyenews.com Island Eye News, bi-weekly newspaper of Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island]
* [http://www.travelerofcharleston.com Charleston, Isle of Palms and Area Visitor Guide] Traveler of Charleston