South Carolina Vacation: Georgetown
On Friday, February 11th, we explored Georgetown, Pawleys Island and Murrells Inlet Marshwalk — a few places south of Surfside Beach. This blog post is about our visit to Georgetown.
We drove south on U.S. 17 to Georgetown SC, a drive of approximately 30 miles.
We visited The Kaminski House, its grounds only.
According to the Kaminski House Museum website:
“The house was originally built by Paul Trapier, a leading merchant of South Carolina and sometimes known as “The King of Georgetown.” Born in 1716 of Huguenot parents in the French Santee section of Berkley County, Trapier moved to Georgetown and opened a small store. He soon became so successful he opened stores in Charleston as well. By the 1750’s Trapier was considered one of the wealthiest merchants in the colony. During the American Revolution, Trapier was active in supplying the military with provisions until the fall of Charleston to the British in 1780. Trapier gave the home and land to his daughter Elizabeth in 1769. It is assumed that the house existed at that time, but it is difficult to prove based upon existing documentation. As Trapier was preparing to marry for the second time, he was concerned for the well-being of his daughter who remained unmarried. Gifting his daughter with the house made her an attractive marriage prospect, and Elizabeth eventually married Edward Martin, Sheriff of Georgetown.”
According to a Myrtle Beach Attractions website,
“Over the years, the home passed along to multiple members of Elizabeth’s family and many prominent Georgetown families until 1931 when Harold and Julia Kaminski purchased the property. Harold came from a wealthy merchant family and served as Mayor of Georgetown. Due to his work, the Coast Highway was developed, the Intracoastal Waterway was improved, and inexpensive electricity was brought to Georgetown residents. He also served as an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. He was on duty at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 during the attack by the Japanese. While the Kaminski family owned the home, a series of renovations took place, updating facilities and making it more of a comfortable family home.”
The Kaminski House is one of South Carolina’s finest remaining examples of a Georgian-style mansion. Admission to Kaminski House is by tour only. We opted to stroll the grounds only.
From Kaminski House we went for a stroll on the Harborwalk. The Harborwalk is located between the Sampit River and Front Street. The Harborwalk is 10 feet wide and four blocks long. It runs from the Kaminski House to the Rice Museum/Town Clock. Our stroll began at the Kaminski House fountain.
I liked the buoys and the water reflections.
See the yellow sign on the ramp that crosses over the water?
We looked, but we didn’t see any alligators.
On the side of the street that we were walking, we saw a picturesque row of store fronts. I learned that in September 2013 a fire in the historic district destroyed several buildings. The store fronts that we were looking at was in memory of those buildings.
Across the street was Indigo Bakery Cafe. We stopped at the bakery for a mid-morning treat. I don’t know how we selected just one treat, as EVERYTHING looked good. Oh, and the smell … so wonderful!
I ordered a German chocolate croissant and hot tea; Bob ordered a cinnamon roll and double espresso. We enjoyed our treats outside, with a view of the Harborwalk.
Next stop: Pawleys Island
The Beauty Around Us 
2 Responses to “South Carolina Vacation: Georgetown”
Looks like a wonderful area to do a lot of walking. The history of that house was very interesting, too.
Hello,
Sounds like a lovely day touring Georgetown. I am sure the gators are there. The Harborwalk looks nice. The bakery treats sounds yummy, I would like both of your choices. Take care, enjoy your day and the new week ahead.