HARDEEVILLE

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HARDEEVILLE 2021-11-16T16:51:39-05:00

Discover Hardeeville, South Carolina


Hardeeville’s history dates back to the early 1700’s when Col. Jean Pierre Purry led a group of settlers and founded the Purrysburg Settlement on the banks of the Savannah River. Presently, this site is experiencing a rebirth with the construction of new homes and modern neighborhoods while a lone, cross-shaped monument of stone still serves as the only reminder of Purry’s early Swiss settlement. As Purrysburg began to fade, Hardeeville began to prosper as a summer residence for the owners of rice plantations nearby.

Just as the railroad began to make an impact on the village, with travelers going from Savannah to Charleston, the Civil War began.

When General Sherman’s army blazed through Hardeeville on their famous march to the sea, only a few homes and the Methodist Church survived. The church was spared as it was used as a hospital for the many wounded soldiers in the area. The bell which presently hangs in the tower of the church, was taken from the last slave ship to sail up the Savannah River.

Reconstruction was a difficult period for many areas of the south, but in the early 1900’s Hardeeville was revitalized with the opening of Argent Lumber Company. The company extended railways into the swamps and lands around Hardeeville for logging purposes and the area once again became a thriving community. Argent stopped logging later in the century and gave the town Old Number 7, the locomotive which was once a workhouse for the company, and now stands next to City Hall as a reminder of the infamous turn of the century railroading days. The development of Hardeeville as a modern city was aided by the construction of Interstate 95. Constructed in the 1970’s, this major corridor from Florida to Maine runs through Hardeeville, with 2 exits. Exit 5 on Highway 17 offers an abundance of hotels, restaurants and other businesses. Exit 8 on Highway 278 is developing rapidly with the recent completion of a four lane highway toward Hilton Head and also offers accommodations, dining opportunities and the new county hospital, Coastal Carolina Hospital.

The University of South Carolina built a 4-year campus on Hwy. 278 and the Technical College of the Lowcountry also recently built a campus on Hwy. 278. The adult retirement community of Del Webb’s Sun City Hilton Head is just minutes away. The New River Center, a commercial park along the 278 corridor, is rapidly developing with new businesses and the expansion of existing businesses. In addition many discount shopping malls are located on this corridor in Bluffton, within easy driving distance of Hardeeville.

Hardeeville presently finds itself in the enviable position for unprecedented growth and development. Lovely neighborhoods are springing up as new residential communities are being built in the city and surrounding area. Retail business development is booming as the population in and around Hardeeville continues to grow by leaps and bounds. The close proximity to the ports of Savannah and Charleston with access to the Savannah River, make Hardeeville the ideal location for industry seeking a small town quality of life combined with convenience of transportation arteries.

Whether you’re seeking a home in one of the area’s new neighborhoods, a get-away vacation with convenience and affordable accommodations or a place to start your new business, Hardeeville is your ideal destination. With one eye on the past and the other firmly looking toward the future, Hardeeville awaits you.

For more information, visit: hardeevillesc.gov