The Folly Beach History Museum, a small single-exhibit display museum tucked away in the library on Center Street, opened its second-ever exhibit on Nov. 5.
Titled “Shifting Sands,” the exhibit explores the long story of Folly Beach’s changing shoreline. The main focus: beach erosion.
“The history of Folly Beach is inextricably linked to the story of beach erosion,” said Nicole Elko, a longtime Folly resident and sponsor of the local historical society. “It’s a fascinating exhibit that really tracks the economy and the way of life out here. And the beach tracks with it.
“The beach eroded totally in the ‘80s, and the economy was total crap,” she said. “Now, the beach is thriving, and the city is booming.”
The exhibit is designed to blend the past and future. On opening day, the museum hosted a panel discussion from residents reflected on the past, and a “future” element where guests were able to tell city leaders what they would like to see in the future for Folly Beach.
A long history
The story of beach erosion on Folly started as far back as the late 1800s, Elko said. Construction of three-mile-long jetties in Charleston Harbor between 1878 and 1895 diverted sand that used to feed Morris Island and Folly Beach to Sullivans Island instead.
“There was no tourism on Folly Beach then, either,” Elko said. “People were worried about navigation. Shipwrecks were rampant during the Civil War, and coastal engineering at the time didn’t understand what sort of lasting impact these developments would have.”
Without that sand, the beach began a slow, gradual decline. For decades, storms and development further north of the barrier island ate away at the city’s sandy shores.
In 1943, longtime resident Marlene Estridge moved with her family to Folly. She was 8 at the time.
“I remember I learned to drive on the beach,” said Estridge, now 92. “There weren’t many houses at the time. It was dirt roads, well water we couldn’t drink, and a vegetable truck that came in from town.”
Then, the tides were quieter and lower, she said. Just a few weeks ago, Estridge’s street was flooded as the tides rose to her front door on the river.
“It was nothing like that in the past,” she said. “We bought this house in 1962 for $15,000, fully furnished with a dock. Now, they’re across the street putting in a huge pump from some other country to help slow the tide.”
Continued efforts
In the 1950s, state officials began renourishment efforts, installing about 50 groins on the beach to slow sediment loss. But after Hurricane Hugo took its toll on the barrier island, waves reached the doorsteps of Folly’s homes.
Renourishment efforts since then have increased, with sand being imported to grow the shoreline, dune reinforcement and more.
“That’s what took Folly from an eroding beach to the beach we have today,” Elko said. “The edge of America is really coming back from the brink.”
At the opening of the “Shifting Sands” exhibit on Nov. 5, guests were invited to give their feedback on what beach renourishment should look like moving forward. The input will be used to inform an updated state-mandated plan that keeps Folly involved in the state-run renourishment program.
The Local Comprehensive Beach Management Plan covers erosion, public access, dune and wildlife protection and storm preparation. A plan approved every five years keeps Folly Beach eligible for state beach renourishment money.
The city said the final submission of the plan to the state will be in 2027. The S.C. Department of Environmental Services conducts a 30-day public comment period, considers comments, and then approves, modifies or returns the plan for revisions.
Meanwhile, Elko said the story of Folly Beach’s fight against beach erosion is surprising, since many of its earliest residents never imagined people would want to live there — and certainly never imagined the bustling beach town it is today.
“I loved it more back then, I think. I wish it could go back,” Estridge said. “But I have wonderful friends that have been so good to me. And everything changes. I don’t know of any one place I would rather be.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: The Folly Beach History Museum is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sundays inside the Folly Beach Community Center at 55 Center St.
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