Fripp Island is a 6.546 sq mi (16.954 km2) barrier island and census-designated place (CDP) located along the Atlantic coast of the lowcountry part of South Carolina. It was first listed as a CDP in the 2020 census with a population of 963.
It is approximately 21 miles from Beaufort, 96 miles south of Charleston, and 65 miles north of Savannah, Georgia. Some of the neighboring islands include Hunting Island, Harbor Island, Saint Helena Island, Lady's Island, and Pritchard's Island. The island mostly serves as a residential vacation resort, but several hundred residents make it their permanent home. It is also the most seaward of the South Carolina Sea Islands. Fripp is renowned for its resort amenities and natural conservation.
History
Although it has had several names over its history, the island is presently named after Captain Johannes Fripp, a British sailor charged with protecting the Carolina colony from Spanish attacks. Local folklore history has long suspected Fripp to be the location where Edward Teach, the pirate known as Blackbeard, had stowed away some of his treasures. There may have been pirates who stopped at the island, but treasure was seldom buried by 18th-century sea rovers.
Due to its relatively remote location, the island was utilized primarily as a private hunting range for most of its history. In the mid-20th century, completion of bridges connecting Beaufort with nearby Hunting Island State Park, investors looked to develop a residential resort community on Fripp. Upon securing bonds and establishing a public service district, a bridge was built in 1961 that connected Fripp with Hunting Island, U.S. Highway 21, and nearby Beaufort and began to stimulate residential development. Within 10 years, developers had built the Ocean Point Golf Links, a Racquet Club for tennis, a marina and a variety of homes and condominium units that would serve as the benchmark for development for the next thirty years.
In 1994, the island underwent its final major development phase on its southwestern end. Ocean Creek Golf Course designed by Davis Love III was built, as well as a new amenities center. Additional housing styles were offered and the marina was expanded. Though the island will not undergo any future expansion, nearly one-third of the lots on the island remain undeveloped.
Island Services
Fire Department
The need for a fire department was determined in 1962 by legislation establishing the Fripp Island Public Service District. Originally, the fire department and first fire truck was housed in a three-sided building. The fire department started as a volunteer effort and was later recognized by South Carolina as a volunteer organization. In 1982, a new fire station was built to park the two trucks owned by the department. Four years later the Public Service District hired its first professional Fire Chief to operate the department on a daily basis. The fire station that serves as the island's current station was built in 1999. A full-time paramedic was later hired by the county in 2001. The department is composed of 34 volunteers and 19 paid personnel. The department has owned two fire truck pumpers, a squad truck, a Quick Response Vehicle, and a 6-wheeled Beach Rescue ATV since 2006. The fire department's main services include Fire Suppression, Search and Rescue, Medical Emergency Response, Vehicle Extrication, Top Water Rescue, and Fire Prevention and Public Fire Education.
Water System
In the early days of the island's population, all drinkable water had to be transported onto the island. St. Helena Island started to pump water into Fripp's central water tank by 1965. By 1980, all water was bought from the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority and pumps an average 172 million gallons a year into the island for use by the public.
Fripp Inlet Bridge
The main bridge leading to Fripp Island was completed in 1964. The legislation authorizing the 2,067 foot bridge called for a two dollar toll; it is now toll-free. The bridge is owned and managed by the Fripp Island Public Service District.