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James Island, South Carolina


TODAY, JAMES ISLAND IS KNOWN most for the Holiday Festival of Lights, an annual event that for more than two decades has drawn crowds from throughout coastal South Carolina and beyond. Te triangular sea island, part of which is claimed by the city of Charleston, captured the attention of the entire country a century-and-a-half ago, when, on the morning of April 12, 1861, the first shot of the Civil War left Fort Johnson, on its way to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Tough Fort Sumter is a national monument and a popular tourist destination, little remains of Fort Johnson, other than a brick powder magazine, a few other structures and what’s left of two cisterns, and a part of the fort is now under water. Few people take the time or effort to visit the site. James Island was home to another Confederate fortifica-


At A Glance Population:


Average Temp: Average Age:


37,514 65 F 39


Nearest Hospital: Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital


Nearest Major Airport: Charleston International Airport


James Island Info: Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau


www.charlestoncvb.com (843) 853-8000


www.CarolinaHomesAndInteriors.com | www.SouthCarolinaHomes.net | www.RetiringToSC.com


tion, one with a lesser reputation but greater importance than Fort Johnson. Fort Pemberton, built in 1862, was a key part of the island’s extensive line of defense established to keep Union forces from attack- ing Charleston from the southeast. Te fort, designed to provide a way to assault the enemy on land and water, kept Union gunboats from using the Stono River as a path to attack Charleston. Fort Pemberton was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in November 1978. Today’s warfare on James Island


relates mostly to the battle between the people of the town of James Island, who seek independence, and the city of Charleston, which would like to annex increasingly larger chunks of the island. Teir disagree- ments are mostly forgotten, how- ever, when local residents and those from afar gather on James Island for a bright and festive celebration of


the holiday season. For some, the Holiday Festival of Lights is a three-mile drive to view hundreds of displays created by mil- lions of lights. Tere’s much more, however, for those who choose to leave their car and take a closer look at all the festival has to offer. Santa’s Village & Winter Wonderland provides fun and games, amuse- ment rides, a portable climbing wall and a fireworks display, while the Festival Express takes children and adults on a train trip through the light displays. Te ever-popular sand sculpture offers a different holiday scene each year, and a gift shop and sweet shop give visitors the opportu- nity to purchase something special for friends and family members – or for themselves.


And, of course, a visit to some- thing called the Holiday Festival of Lights isn’t complete without a visit with Santa Claus himself.


www.RetiringToSouthCarolina.com


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