History
Now a private gated community, the island's rich history dates as far back as 12,000 years ago, when it was inhabited by Native Americans, and it has continued to lure Lowcountry residents to call it home. Its more recent history picks up in 1682 when the Lords Proprietors of Carolina granted Dataw Island to Caleb Westbrook, who ran a deer-fur trading post. After several transactions of the land, it was purchased in 1783 by William Sams, who built the home that still stands today. He began cultivating Sea Island Cotton, ushering in the Antebellum Period. As the family grew and the land was divided amongst the generations, the various other structures were constructed. The island flourished until the mid 1800s, when the Civil War divided the nation. Since its purchase by ALCOA for development as a gated community in 1983, attention has been given to maintaining and protecting the historic ruins on Dataw Island along with the island's natural beauty. Its 1050 homesites feature golf views
Specialties
Dataw Island is a gated golf, tennis and boating lifestyle community located fifteen minutes outside of historic downtown Beaufort. The island features two recently-renovated golf courses by designers Tom Fazio and Arthur Hills, a tennis center, a community center with workout and massage facilities, three restaurants and impeccably-maintained croquet lawns, plus bocce quarts, kayaking, a fitness center, art studio, and more. The community has also been named a USTA