Bradley Beach

Bradley Beach stands out as a prominent historic Black beach on Hilton Head Island. In 1949, Dr. Stephen Maxwell McDew Jr., a Savannah-based gynecologist, and his wife, Mary, purchased approximately 10 acres of land from the Gullah Christopher family. This property stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to what is now Highway 278, in the area currently known as Bradley Beach Road. Named in honor of Mary’s late brother, John Bradley, the beach became a cherished retreat for the McDew family and their community.

Recognizing the importance of land ownership and safe recreational spaces during the Jim Crow era, Dr. McDew developed the area to include a motel and sold parcels to friends and colleagues, fostering a close-knit community. Bradley Beach also became a cultural hotspot, hosting performances by renowned artists like Ike and Tina Turner as part of the Chitlin' Circuit in the early 1960s.