Shem Creek

River

Shem Creek

Photograph of Shem Creek, circa 2011

Location
Country| United States
Physical characteristics
Mouth| Charleston Harbor

• coordinates

| 32°47′20″N 79°53′12″W﻿ / ﻿32.7888°N 79.8867°W﻿ / 32.7888; -79.8867

Shem Creek is a creek that runs through the city of Charleston and Town of Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of South Carolina, and empties to the Charleston Harbor. The creek's waterfront and boardwalk is a popular destination for restaurants, bars, and recreational activities.[1][2] The creek is also home to a marina, public and private boating docks, a fisherman's dock, and fish markets.[3][4]

## History

[edit]

Shem Creek was originally inhabited by the Sewee Native American tribe. The name of the creek is thought to derive from the Native American word Shemee.[5][6]

In the 1740s, Peter Villepontoux operated a lime kiln on the bank of the creek. During this period, several businessmen established ferries which operated along the creek.[7]

During the 1800s, several mills and factories were stationed on the creek, but commerce along the creek came to a halt during the American Civil War.[7]

In 1905, the Shem Creek Beacon was erected, which provided light to the creek and aided boaters. In 1937, a bridge was built over the creek.[8]

By the 1950s, the first shrimp dock was constructed along Shem Creek and the seafood industry became highly active along the creek.[9][6] Shelmore Oyster Products began working along the creek in the 1940s, and Abundant Seafood operates from the creek.[8][10]

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo, hundreds of boats in Shem Creek were left in derelict condition or capsized.[11]

In October 2011, the Shem Creek Boardwalk and Shem Creek Park opened to the public.[12] The Shem Creek Park and 3,000 foot boardwalk is maintained by the Town of Mount Pleasant.[13][14]

Photograph of Shem Creek Boardwalk, circa 2012

### Wildlife

[edit]

The creek is known for the variety of wildlife, including manatees, dolphins, egret, black skimmers, and American oystercatchers.[7][1]

## In popular culture

[edit]

Shem Creek is the setting in Dorothea Benton Frank's 2004 novel, Shem Creek: A Lowcountry Tale (ISBN 978-0425196083).

Many of the boating scenes in the Netflix series Outer Banks were filmed on Shem Creek.[15][16] The creek and boardwalk was also a filming location for the comedy series The Righteous Gemstones.[17]

## See also

[edit]

* Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Knich, Diane (2023-11-17). "Shem Creek, Old Village bustle with activity, charm". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
2. ^ Sigalas, Mike; Bigner, Melissa (2006-05-12). Moon Charleston and Savannah. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56691-752-0.
3. ^ "Waterfront at Shem Creek | Mount Pleasant, South Carolina". Experience Mount Pleasant. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
4. ^ "Shem Creek Park". Mount Pleasant, SC. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
5. ^ "Shem Creek History". SC Picture Project. 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
6. ^ a b Royall, Mary-Julia C. (2001). Mount Pleasant: The Friendly Town. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0690-6.
7. ^ a b c "Charleston County - Shem Creek". SC Picture Project. 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
8. ^ a b "Shem Creek History | Mount Pleasant, SC - Official Website". www.tompsc.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
9. ^ Shem Creek, Charleston Harbor, S.C.: Letter from the Secretary of the Army Transmitting a Letter from the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army, Dated September 30, 1958, Submitting a Report, Together with Accompanying Papers and Illustration, on a Survey of Shem Creek, Charleston Harbor, S.C., Authorized by the River and Harbor Act, Approved July 24, 1946. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1959.
10. ^ "Mark Marhefka". Southern Foodways Alliance. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
11. ^ Armstrong, Tim (September 21, 2014). "Hurricane Hugo". Wilmington, North Carolina: National Weather Service Wilmington, North Carolina. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
12. ^ "Shem Creek Park". SC Picture Project. 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
13. ^ "Go Fishing in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina". Experience Mount Pleasant. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
14. ^ "Enjoy the Shem Creek Boardwalk". discoversouthcarolina.com. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
15. ^ "16 Charleston Spots in Netflix's Outer Banks That You Can Visit". Explore Charleston Blog. 2023-04-19. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
16. ^ "Travel Like a Pogue with This 'Outer Banks' Filming Location Guide". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
17. ^ Connors, Samantha (2022-03-17). "LIST: Charleston locations in season two of 'The Righteous Gemstones'". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved 2024-05-30.

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