There are over a hundred homes, businesses, and churches predating 1935 in the historic district. The national historic registry has pictures and more information about many of them on their website .

New construction and home remodeling must be approved by an Architectural Review Board (ARB) to ensure that homes stay in keeping with the style of the rest of the Historic District. Zoning allows for new lots to be no smaller than 3/4 of an acre (1 acre for the rest of McClellanville), though many smaller lots were grandfathered in when the rule was created.

In the center of the Historic District on Pinckney Street is McClellanville’s quaint “downtown business district”, which consists of two restaurants, a handful of boutiques and artist studios, and our real estate office. Residents treat these local restaurants as social gathering places and catch up with friends and family dining on local seafood along side the weekend tourists.

Live oak lined streets are characteristic of the Historic District and the landmark Deerhead Oak stands above them all. Near the end of Pinckney Street lies the boat landing, Town Hall, Village Museum and playground. It is the site of the towns annual Shrimp Festival and many other public gatherings.

The Historic District is also home to the marina and the docks on Oak Street are where most of the shrimp boats dock and unload there fresh haul directly to the seafood markets.

There is obviously a lot going on in the Historic District, but above all is the community, which you can’t necessarily describe but you get a sense of it from the children riding bicycles and smiling faces and waves you get from passing pedestrians.

Click Here for Homes for Sale in Historic District

Click Here for Lots for Sale in Historic District

   My family recently bought a houseboat and my wife and I were lucky enough to participate in the first trial run.  My mother, sister, nephew, and niece had stayed at the beach the previous night and my wife and I were to stay the next night. We followed a long windy creek leading to the back of Sandy Point Beach in the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge just north of Bulls Bay.  Sandy Point and Lighthouse Island are the last spots of land before the Atlantic Ocean begins (similar to the Outer Banks of North Carolina) and have a beautiful sandy beach which remain unspoiled by development (unlike the Outer Banks).  The surf was a few hundred yards across the beach from the calmer inland side where we anchored the houseboat.

   Minutes after arriving I couldn’t fight the urge to try to catch what I knew was causing all the swirling and commotion under the water in the 20 foot wide tidal creek.  Within minutes I had landed a nice spot-tail bass (AKA red drum) on a cork and mud minnow.   Hours more of fishing proved to be fruitless so we went for an evening stroll on the beach where my wife was able to enjoy combing the beach for pretty shells.  You’ll see more shells in a square foot of beach in Cape Romain than you’ll find in a mile of tourist havens like Myrtle Beach.  Ghost crabs and fiddler crabs by the millions combed the beach for any left over morsels.  Clouds covered the sunset but the sky still glowed of beautiful reds, pinks, and oranges.

   We settled into our new home and passed the time with cards and books before turning in.  I awoke before the sun and the fishing bug biting at my toes (or was that a horsefly?).  I casted for bait and stopped back at the houseboat for my fishing rod just in time to witness a beautiful sunrise reflecting off the creek.  I headed for the surf and quickly found myself in a school of speckled trout, landing two in a few minutes time (both also on mud minnows).  I tried for an hour or two more and caught only small sharks.  My wife awoke only to find herself in the middle of a fish cleaning lesson (every girls dream, right?), something I myself hadn’t done in many years.

   More walks on the beach looking for the perfect shells for a new wreath and a little more fishing on the back side of the beach where I landed another bass (you guessed it, mud minnow again) and our trip was almost over.  We pulled up anchors and started home where we encountered a pod of four very friendly and curious bottle nose dolphins in the creek.  We killed the engine and they came right up to the boat to say “hi”.  I guess they’ve found that begging for food is easier than hunting it down and performed underwater spins and rose out of the water on their tails.  We resisted the temptation to feed these wild creatures and they grew tired of working for no pay and went back to feeding. 

   After long hot showers at the house we were tired from all the fun and sun at the beach but we were also hungry.  I melted a generous helping of butter in a pan and coated two of the trout fillets in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper.  A few minutes on both sides and the fish was cooked to perfection.  I coated the other two fillets of trout with a mixture of thyme, paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper and black pepper to make a blackened rub and cooked them in a fresh batch of bubbling butter.  I’m not much of a seafood lover, but I have to admit that both were quite tasty and not “fishy” at all.  The fried trout tasty pretty similar to fried chicken but more delicate and moist, while the blackened trout was very flavorful and not as spicy as it sounds, but with a definite kick. 

    I was in high school the last time I camped at the beach and it was a welcomed opportunity to do it again.  After almost 5 years of marriage, this was the first time I’ve been camping with my wife and I was impressed with her ability to “rough it”…we’ll see how she does next time after a more lengthy stay with no air conditioning and running water.  Truthfully though, even in McClellanville, work can consume you and turn your life into a grind.  A trip to the beach is the perfect way to re-energize and reward yourself for the hard work. 

“I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate” – Elbert Hubbard

Lowest Priced McClellanville Waterfront Lot

26 Mouzons Bluff “ 1 Acre - $225,000

This beautiful waterfront lot is part of the Mouzons Bluff Community in McClellanville. This peaceful neighborhood in a quiet rural setting is just minutes from McClellanvilles historic district, shops, restaurants and boat landing. The lot has over 100 feet of frontage on Otter Creek which flows into Jeremy Creek near the Intracoastal Waterway. Otter Creek is a tidal creek that is about 50 feet wide at this property and accessible by boat on half tide and higher.

This lot will also enjoy use of the future community dock on the Intracoastal Waterway just a few hundred yards away as well as a natural creekside park. Views across the bluff to the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge may be possible from upper floors of your home. The lot is nicely wooded with many mature oaks and palmettos and has a 1/3 acre green space on one side. Please feel free to walk the property or call Daniel at (843) 513-2461 for a tour of the area or more information. DHEC septic Permit in hand.

Related Articles:
McClellanville Neighborhood Spotlight: Mouzons Bluff
Lots for Sale in Mouzons Bluff
A Paddle Down Otter Creek - Local Kayaking

Tags: McClellanville+SC, Mouzons+Bluff, Waterfront+Lots, Waterfront+Land, Intracoastal+Waterway

I got a postcard a few days ago from an area real estate company with the words The Power of Presence� printed across a map showing their various office locations through the tri-county area. Can you guess where there wasnt an office? Thats right, the closest office to McClellanville is over 30 minutes away. W.P. Baldwin & Associates is proud to be the only real estate company with an office in the heart of McClellanvilles historic district at 829 Pinckney Street. Real estate is much more than just physical presence though. W.P. Baldwin & Associates is a part of McClellanville, from the local event that we sponsor to the time we spend making the community a better place to work, live, and play. I know it sounds corny, but we care about the people that live here because theyre not just our customers, theyre our neighbors.

The Data

Personally, I dont think presence is something that should be bragged about, but it is important information for consumers to know when choosing a real estate company. The following charts were recently compiled from data collected from the Charleston Trident Multiple Listing Services (CTARMLS). MLS always qualifies their data by saying that it is deemed reliable but not guaranteed�, so I will too. The data presented includes both homes and land sold in McClellanville except those sold privately by owner. In MLS, McClellanville� is a user-defined term and often includes properties falling a few miles outside of the town limits, such as Tibwin. The data represents both the buyer agent and listing agent data from each real estate transaction and is broken down by real estate office.

Our Piece of the Pie

You can see from the charts that W.P. Baldwin & Associates has participated in far more real estate transactions in McClellanville than any other real estate company. Over the past three years we have gained a greater and greater market share. Although we are still leading in 2008, the data only includes properties sold from January 1^st to May 24^th and which is really too few sales to accurately draw a conclusion at this point. W.P. Baldwin & Associates recognizes that if not for the valued support of the community, we would never have achieved these goals and humbly thank you. We remain committed to the area and will continue to serve the current community as well as those wanting to join it.

David Vs. Goliath

One drive through town and you can see for yourself and W.P. Baldwin has more land and homes for sale than any other company. You might think that this kind of market share would only be possible from a large national chain or a huge team of agents, but W.P. Baldwin & Associates remains a small company with a handful of local agents invested in the future of McClellanville. Our size allows us to customize our services with each individual the same way my grandfather did almost 50 years ago when he founded this company. You can count on personal and professional treatment when you come in our office or call us on the phone and not to be treated like a number or a lead�. The national chains like to brag about about exposure and their ability to sell but W.P. Baldwin & Associates has a proven marketing strategy and chooses to let the numbers speak for themselves.

Fewer Days on Market

I think the most powerful information that I found while compiling this data was when I looked at all the property sold in McClellanville from 1/1/05 to 5/24/08. W.P. Baldwin & Associates listed 62 properties which sold after an average of 101 days on the market. All other real estate companies combined listed 81 properties which sold after an average of 152 days on the market. W.P. Baldwin & Associates listed 43% of the property sold in McClellanville since 2005 and sold them in 1/3 less of the time of the competition. I would say that those are numbers you can take to the bank�, but when you list with W.P. Baldwin & Associates, your house will sell faster and you will go to bank a lot less often to make those mortgage payments.

Tags: McClellanville+SC+Real+Estate, McClellanville+Market+Statistics, Buying+and+Selling+McClellanvile+Homes

You cant drive through McClellanville without noticing the landmark Deerhead Oak on a cleared lot at the corner of Pinckney Street and Oak Street. The tree is easily the most photographed attraction in town and everyone growing up in McClellanville has climbed up into its cradling arms at least once. The town is blessed with hundreds of ancient live oaks, their limbs draped with Spanish moss, but the Deerhead Oak holds a special place in everyones hearts.

The Deerhead Oak is both larger in circumference, 30.6 feet, and height, 67 feet, than the famed Angel Oak on Johns Island, SC estimated by some to be more than 1500 years old and thought to be the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi River. Of course, it is hard to estimate the age of these ancient trees, which predate the discovery of America by the Europeans, because boring samples are not reliable due to a tendency for the live oaks heart wood to rot.

It takes some creativity to see the deer head, with its knobby eyes and nose and long antler branches, but no matter if you cant. The value in the tree comes not from its likeness to an animal, but from its beauty and history.

One thing is for sure, the Deerhead Oak was well established when it first saw the founding fathers of what would become the village. McClellanvilles very first store was built in the shade of the tree by William P. Beckman. But even before the European settlers, the Deerhead Oak was probably climbed by the local Seewee Indians for hundreds of years.

The oak tree has long been known as a symbol of strength and triumph, so what better image to use to represent the community of McClellanville. The village has a tight-knit community which pulls together in good times and in bad. Like the mighty oak, McClellanvilles family tree has large long limbs that intertwine with each other. Our roots grow deep in the rich coastal soil and our history reaches back to the founding of this country.

On May 10th, 2008 the Deerhead Oak was dedicated as South Carolinas 2007 Heritage Tree of the Year. The McClellanville Tree Committee sponsored the event held in the shady branches of the towns landmark live oak at the corner of Oak Street and Pinckney Street. A plaque commemorating Deerhead Oak as the Heritage Tree for 2007 was unveiled as well as a second plaque honoring the Beckman family (the owners of the land on which Deerhead Oak rests) for their gracious contribution to McClellanvilles greenspace and the towns history.

Ed Farnworth, of the Tree Committee, made introductions and then Bud Hill, director of the Village Museum, spoke about the history of the tree. Danny Burbage, the Vice President of the SC Urban and Community Forestry Council, officially bestowed the honor to the Deerhead Oak. Mrs. Anne Beckman Rumer spoke about her familys history and said that the land surrounding the Deerhead Oak would remain a public greenspace for the enjoyment of the town that she loves so dearly. Jimmy McClellan read the following excerpt from his poem The Voice of the Deer Head Tree:

A giant oak stands in the town,
Its known as the Deer Head Tree.
Surely the oldest living thing
Within our community.

For centuries rooted in place,
Watching the seasons pass.
No telling just how old it is,
Or how long yet it may last.

I sometimes wonder if this old tree
Had senses and wit ad tongue,
What stories it might tell us,
Of events since it was young.
~By James O. McClellan

Related Article: Deerhead Oak Rooted Deeply in Community

Tags: McClellanville+Attraction, Deerhead+Oak, Heritage+Tree, Live+Oak

If you own a home in McClellanville that is vacant some of the time (or know of someone who does) and would like to discuss the possibilities of renting your home, I am happy to offer my services as a full service rental manager. Renting your home can seem like a scary thing and it isnt for everyone, but it is a great way to put some extra cash in your pocket for home repairs or to help you pay off your mortgage. Obviously rental rates vary greatly depending on size, condition, and location of your homes, but most homeowners can expect to meet their monthly mortgage payment by renting their home in todays market.

Tags: McClellanville+Rental+Homes, Vacation+Rentals

You can learn much more about the 32nd Annual Lowcountry Shrimp Festival at ARAs official website.

Tags: Lowcountry+Shrimp+Festival, McClellanville,+SC, Archibald+Rutledge+Academy

Tidal Waterfront 1750 sq.ft.

Starting Bid of $340,000

Sold for $340,000

161 Liberty Street

1190 sq.ft. built in 1940

Starting Bid of $140,000

Sold for $140,000

941 S. Pinckney Street

1390 sq.ft built in 1964

Starting Bid of $125,000

Sold for $145,000

Vacant Lot on Liberty

3/4 acre building lot

Starting Bid of $80,000

Sold for $80,000

These were truly some great deals, but there are still plenty of other great deals on the market available today without waiting and without the restraints of government auctions. Its a buyers market out there with high inventory, low prices, good interest rates, and many sellers willing to make concessions to sell their home. Weve seen a huge increase in the number of buyers over the past few weeks and offers are being made and properties getting snatched up. Dont wait for all the great deals to be gone, give your local real estate expert a call today to schedule a tour or search all the local MLS listings for free here.

It doesnt look like much on the map but otter creek is an exceptional trip that shouldnt be missed if youre a nature or wildlife lover. Its short length makes it the perfect way to wind down in the afternoon and early evening or start your morning off on the right track.

Directions: From blinking light McClellanville, take Pinckney Street into “The Village”, near the end of Pinckney Street turn right at the Town of McClellanville sign into the McClellanville Boat Landing. Access to Otter Creek is possible from any dock or other Jeremy Creek entrance point, but this is the most convenient launch point and is open to the public. Otter creek entrance is on the opposite side of the Jeremy Creek than the boat landing and slightly more to the south (toward the Intracoastal Waterway).

Requirements: Canoe or Kayak, PFD (life jacket), paddle, bug spray (if the bugs are bad), and a camera (if you can juggle one in a boat without dropping it in the water). No need for much else because its so short.

Special Notes: Otter Creek is a tidal creek which runs completely dry at low tide. The entrance at Jeremy Creek is shallow and only accessible at about a half tide or higher. Consult a tide chart, if the tide is low and going out dont risk getting stranded in the middle of the creek.

Trip Length: 1.5 – 2 miles (including paddle back out). An hour if you paddle slow and enjoy every breathtaking moment.

Difficulty: Easy – This isnt a paddle thatll impress the guys back at the office, but it is quite scenic and natural. Very short and calm waters on the most windy of days.

Sites to See: Lots of Nature – From the moment you enter Otter creek keep your eyes peeled for egrets, herons and other wading birds. Ive seen ducks, kingfishers, and a green heron. Palmettos, cedars, and honeysuckle can also be seen along the banks.

I guess I have to put some kind of liability statement in here to protect myself. Watersports are inherently dangerous, Im not responsible if you somehow manage to get hurt or die, so dont come after me with any lawsuits.