Georgetown County, SC

History

Georgetown County and its county seat, Georgetown, were named for King George II of England. Spanish explorers are believed to have visited this coastal area in 1526, but no permanent settlement was established. English planters and their African slaves moved into the region in the early eighteenth century, building large rice and indigo plantations. The town of Georgetown, which was established in 1729, was a busy port serving the surrounding plantations.

Georgetown District was created in 1769, encompassing the parishes of Prince George's, Winyah, All Saints, and Prince Frederick's. In 1785, the "overarching District" was divided into four counties: Liberty (which became Marion District in 1800), Kingston (which became Horry District in 1801), Williamsburg (which became a separate district in 1804), and Winyah (which was renamed to Georgetown in 1800).

During the American Revolutionary War the troops of Brigadier General Francis Marion often hid in the swamps of Georgetown County while waging guerrilla warfare against the British and local Loyalists. Marion finally wrested the occupied town of Georgetown from the British on May 28, 1781. Rice planting declined after the American Civil War, and many of the old plantations became wildlife or hunting preserves.
Source: Carolana Website

Modern Day Adjacent Counties

Horry County - northeast
Marion County - north
Williamsburg County - northwest
Berkeley County - west
Charleston County - southwest

Gleanings from