Squire Pope, which encompasses areas along Squire Pope, Gumtree and Wild Horse roads, holds the distinction of being the largest Gullah neighborhood on the Island.
Standing for nearly three centuries, the Barnwell Tabby tells a story that continues to reveal its secrets. Once thought to date from the 1800s, this North Island landmark was actually built between 1730 and 1750 — predating the American Revolution and challenging earlier beliefs about Hilton Head Island’s colonial period.
From the oyster beds to the bateaux, from shrimp boats to the sentinel heron, Hilton Head Island’s waterways have shaped and sustained the Gullah way of life for generations. This post traces the intertwined stories of foodways, craftsmanship, and conservation—showing how oysters built communities, bateaux linked them, shrimp boats sustained them, and herons still guard them. Together these elements reveal a living culture of resilience, stewardship, and deep connection to the marsh. Dive in to experience the Gullah legacy that continues to define Hilton Head today.
In April 1970, a group of Black Hilton Head Island fishermen and members of the resort development community sailed to Washington, D.C., to deliver a petition with 45,000 signatures protesting the construction of a petrochemical plant on Victoria Bluff, near the Island. That trip was the culmination of a long and valiant fight to preserve the area’s natural environment that included environmentalists, developers, concerned citizens and the members of the Hilton Head Fishing Cooperative. Their courageous efforts successfully preserved the area’s natural environment and resources, which significantly contributed to the survival of the Lowcountry’s shrimping industry.
