Sullivan's Island, South Carolina | |
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Sullivan's Island viewed from Fort Moultrie | |
Coordinates: 32°45′48″N 79°50′16″W / 32.76333°N 79.83778°W | |
Country | United States |
State | South Carolina |
County | Charleston |
Settled | 17th century (as O'Sullivan's Island) |
Named for | Captain Florence O'Sullivan |
Government | |
• Mayor | Patrick O'Neil |
Area | |
• Total | 3.44 sq mi (8.91 km2) |
• Land | 2.50 sq mi (6.47 km2) |
• Water | 0.94 sq mi (2.44 km2) |
Elevation | 9 ft (3 m) |
Population | |
• Total | 1,891 |
• Density | 757.01/sq mi (292.28/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 29482 |
Area code(s) | 843, 854 |
FIPS code | 45-70090[3] |
GNIS feature ID | 1231842[4] |
Website | sullivansisland-sc |
Sullivan's Island, historically known as O'Sullivan's Island,[5] is a town and island in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, with a population of 1,791 at the 2010 census,[6] and 1,891 people in 2020.[7] The town is part of the Charleston metropolitan area, and is considered a very affluent suburb of Charleston.
Sullivan's Island was the point of entry for approximately 40 to 50 percent of the 400,000 enslaved Africans brought to Colonial America, meaning that 99% of all African Americans have ancestors that came through the island.[8][9][10] It has been likened to Ellis Island, the 19th-century reception point for immigrants in New York City.[11] During the American Revolution, the island was the site of a major battle at Fort Sullivan on June 28, 1776, since renamed Fort Moultrie in honor of the American commander at the battle.
On September 23, 1989, Hurricane Hugo came ashore near Sullivan's Island; few people were prepared for the destruction that followed in its wake. The eye of the hurricane passed directly over Sullivan's Island. The Ben Sawyer Bridge was a casualty, breaking free of its locks. Before the storm was over, one end of the bridge was in the water and the other was pointing skyward. Sullivan's Island police chief, Jack Lilien, was the last person to leave the island before the bridge gave way.
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