People walking along a wooden boardwalk beside a harbor with a red and white lighthouse - maritime history sites

Self-guided · County in South Carolina

Maritime History Sites in Florence County, SC

Lighthouses, shipwrecks, life-saving stations, wharves and canals, the history of the coasts, lakes and rivers.

Open the South Carolina map · All states

Florence County is one of 46 counties in South Carolina. The record for this chapter of history is uneven, and some of it is hard to read. That is a reason to go and see it, not a reason to skip it.

A group of people walking towards a light house - maritime history sites — Photo: Timothé Durand on Unsplash

People standing near white concrete lighthouse during daytime - maritime history sites — Photo: Adrien Delforge on Unsplash

A woman in a red dress is walking towards two lighthouses - maritime history sites — Photo: Lucas Gallone on Unsplash

On the record near Florence County, SC

The 9 nearest

9 listed sites on the record match maritime history sites within 120 miles of Florence County, SC, out of 34 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 15 listed sites carry Florence County as their county.

Georgetown Lighthouse69 miles from the center of Florence County · Structure · Georgetown · listed 1974National Register of Historic Places
Canal Dime Savings Bank73 miles from the center of Florence County · Building · Columbia · listed 1980National Register of Historic Places
Cape Romain Lighthouses78 miles from the center of Florence County · Structure · McClellanville · listed 1981National Register of Historic Places
Dock Street Theatre92 miles from the center of Florence County · Building · Charleston · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Coast Guard Historic District93 miles from the center of Florence County · District · Sullivans Island · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
Morris Island Lighthouse97 miles from the center of Florence County · Structure · Charleston · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
Oak Island Lighthouse100 miles from the center of Florence County · Structure · Caswell Beach · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
Bald Head Island Lighthouse102 miles from the center of Florence County · Building · Southport · listed 1975National Register of Historic Places
Bald Head Creek Boathouse103 miles from the center of Florence County · Building · Smith Island · listed 1997National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Florence County, SC. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Maritime History in Florence County, step by step

1
Read the short history of the period for this area
2
Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter
3
Visit the nearest site and read its full record
4
Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest
5
Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Florence County, SC ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Florence County, SC?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Florence County, SC?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Florence County

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Florence County, SC the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Florence County, SC are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.