The area also attracted early European explorers. Following an ill-fated Spanish settlement in 1526, the British settled 'George Towne' in the 1700's. During the American Revolution in the late 1760's, one of the County's native sons, General Francis Marion, the 'Swamp Fox', tormented British troops holding George Towne.

Following the Revolution, Georgetown County became the leading rice producer in the New World. Its many black-water rivers once flooded and nurtured the fields that made the commercial production of rice possible in the early 1800's. These rivers also formed a seaport that opened the market for slaves brought from West Africa to work the rice fields.

Today, the rivers still flow, but the rice field dikes are broken and the slaves' songs are silent. Yet, their descendants are still living and working here, contributing heavily to the local economy. They also have not forgotten their African traditions. The Gullah language is still spoken and the oral traditions of story telling by local griots have kept their roots fresh over the years.

Explore your heritage. Come, hear the words and listen to the stories. Stay and experience the places, the traditions and the feelings that have transcended time in Georgetown County.