Others purchase real estate in this region as a second home or a weekend retreat, finding that a couple of days away from the hustle and bustle of urban work life revitalizes the soul and refreshes the senses. A slow-paced, island lifestyle in a remarkably quiet and blindingly beautiful setting is idyllic for home-buyers who wish to own a private retreat close to Charleston. Real estate prices in Wadmalaw Island range in price from $500,000 for a country cottage near the marsh to more than $4 million for a custom estate on a deep water creek.
Remaining remarkably rural, Wadmalaw Island has no restaurants or mainstream businesses; however, it does have plenty of fresh produce and seafood stands along Maybank Highway. In fact, with its rich agricultural heritage, Wadmalaw has many working farms still in full operation and providing produce for swanky, farm-to-table restaurants in downtown Charleston. The iconic Ambrose Family Farm cultivates a wide variety of seasonal vegetables and fruits. The family also sells homemade pies, casseroles, and other tasty treats at their restaurant, Stono Farm Market on Johns Island. Nearby Holy City Farms is the hydroponic grower of all types of tasty tomatoes. Both farms sell their products at local farmer markets throughout the year. Similarly, seafood stands feature fresh crabs, shrimp, and redfish extracted directly from the tidal estuaries or Adams Creek. The coastal terrain also has history in harvesting tea bushes (Camellia Sinensis), dating back to the late 1700s when the first attempts were made to propagate tea. Finally, in 1888, Dr. Charles Shephard successfully established Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville, South Carolina, and produced the first American tea. In 1963, nearly 50 years after Dr. Shepard’s passing, the tea bushes were transplanted to Wadmalaw Island and transformed into the “American Classic Tea” by the Bigelow and Hall families. Today, the Charleston Tea Plantation produces green and black teas, offers visitor tours of the farm, and sells tea related merchandise in its gift shop. Though sweet tea is synonymous with southern hospitality, it is not the only beverage crafted on Wadmalaw Island. The Firefly Distillery, famous for its sweet tea flavored vodka, manufacturers vodka, moonshine, whiskey, and ready-to-drink specialities. The distillery offers educational tours and taste tests, and Firefly Spirits sponsors several BBQ-related events throughout the Southeast. Deep Water Vineyards, which shares part of its facility with Firefly Spirits, is a 48-acre vineyard that not only grows its own grapes, but also manufacturers and bottles the vine on site. Like Firefly, Deep Water Vineyards offers tours of the facility as well as wine tastings.
Salt life lovers are overjoyed at all the water-focused activities on Wadmalaw Island. From finding fiddler crabs to casting nets for shrimp to paddle boarding down a tidal creek, residents are never short on relaxing things to do. The Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto (ACE) Basin is a designated wildlife refuge and land conservation project that currently protects 217,000 acres along South Carolina’s sea islands. Visitors at the ACE Basin enjoy kayaking or boating along the tributaries, biking the miles of dirt nature trails, or hunting for whitetail deer, wild turkey, and waterfowl during designated hunting season. Other attractions include annual events such as the Rockville Regatta, a sailing race dating back to 1890 and sponsored by the Sea Island Yacht Club; the Penn Center Heritage Days Celebration, a three-day festival honoring the cultural contributions of the Gullah / Geeche / and West African slaves through poetic readings, dances, and music; and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, a weekend event featuring a wide variety of exhibits, artists, and contests.
Affiliated with the Charleston County School District, children living in Wadmalaw Island attend Frierson Elementary School, Haut Gap Middle School, and St. Johns High School. Private school options include Charleston Collegiate School, James Island Christian School, Porter Gaud School, and the Charleston Day School.