Why This One Little Town Is South Carolina’s Best Kept Secret

McClellanville, South Carolina is widely known for making national headlines more than 25 years ago when Hurricane Hugo swept in and washed through the small fishing community. But we say there's so much MORE to know about this one little town in South Carolina. Take a look.

McClellanville proper is less than 2.5 square miles and had a 2014 population estimate of only 525 people.

The northwestern side of town includes the much-traveled Highway 17. If you've ever traveled from Charleston to Georgetown then you've likely passed right through the northwestern part of this great little town.

McClellanville's history pre-dates the Civil War when some five years prior local plantation owners A. J. McClellan and R. T. Morrison began dividing up their property and selling off waterfront lots on the creek. Wealthy plantation owners to the west and south bought up the land to build summer homes.

Today, the town's historic district flows swiftly into Jeremy Creek, only steps away from the historic homes and buildings that line this old neighborhood.

Since the 2000 census, McClellanville has shown positive population gains, meaning it's a place people want to live and they're moving there to prove it. It's also a smart place. According to the website city-data.com, more than 62% of the people living here have college degrees and nearly 20% have a masters degree.

It's a quiet community but there are still many things going on.

Shrimp boats line Jeremy's Creek as commercial fishing has long been a mainstay occupation for McClellanville. Reportedly in the 1920s a contingent of Portuguese fisherman migrated from Florida to McClellanville and started fishing here. It wasn't long before the locals joined in and the town's fishing industry was born.

At the start of each shrimping season McClellanville holds their annual Lowcountry Shrimp Festival. The 40th annual festival is set to kick off on May 7, 2016. Enjoy plenty of local shrimp and then attend the Blessing of the Fleet, a ceremonial event where the captains and crews gather to celebrate the start of the new season. The event culminates with a boat parade featuring none other than the huge shrimp trawlers themselves.

Fishing aside, McClellanville is a hearty and lively historical waterside community with much to see, admire and do.

Park the car and stroll through the streets of this historic town admiring a well-preserved part of history.

This one little town in South Carolina is one of the state's best kept secrets. Have you ever been to McClellanville? We'd love to hear about it in our comments!

Thanks so much to realtor Daniel Bates of MCVL for use of the great photographs!