Getting to Know Hope Ramsay’s Magnolia Harbor
Tour guide Hope Ramsay welcomes us to Magnolia Harbor, South Carolina and tells us all about its roots.
Population: About 2,000 permanent residents, more in the summertime.
Inspiration: Magnolia Harbor was inspired by Roanoke Island, North Carolina and Bluffton, South Carolina. I spent time as a child visiting relatives in Bluffton before it became a suburb of Hilton Head. I fell in love with the coastal inland waterways of that part of the country. I also fell in love with the picturesque town on Roanoke Island where I spent a summer vacation a few years back. So I combined what I loved about both places and set the town south of Pawley’s Island and North of Hilton Head in Georgetown County. If you were trying to find a real place, you might look at Winyah Bay near Georgetown, South Carolina. In my original proposal for the book, I used Winyah Bay as a location point, but decided later that renaming the bay to Moonlight Bay was a bit more romantic.
Magnolia Harbor’s backstory: In 1710 a young Englishman named William Teal arrived in what is now Georgetown, South Carolina, where he met Rose Howland, the daughter of a local planter. They fell in love, but Rose’s father forbade her to marry the penniless William Teal. Teal, determined to prove his worth goes to sea where his ship is captured by pirates who sailed the waters off the Carolinas in the early 18th century. Bill Teal becomes a pirate himself, and eventually the captain of the pirate ship Bonny Rose. For three years he plunders British and Spanish shipping, amassing a fortune. In September of 1713, he decides it’s time to return to Georgetown to seek the hand of the woman he loves. Unfortunately, he enters the waters of Moonlight Bay just as the Hurricane of 1713 hits. Bonny Rose and all but one of the pirates aboard are drowned. The sole survivor, Henri St. Pierre is rescued by Rose Howland herself. In the years William was at sea, Rose has fallen on some hard times. She’s had William’s son out of wedlock, and her father banished her to the small island west of his plantation. She lives alone in a small cabin. After William’s death, they say that Rose lost her mind. In any event, she nurses Henri back to health and the two of them plant daffodils all over the island as a tribute to the men who were lost in the hurricane. The island becomes known as Jonquil Island.
Rose is eventually reunited with her family, her son goes on to found a successful rice plantation. Years later, the Howland family and many other families of the rich plantation owners build houses on Jonquil island in order to escape the inland summer heat. After the Civil War, their emancipated slaves also come to the island, buy land, and become farmers. The descendants of these formerly enslaved people are known as the Gullah people of South Carolina. For many decades the Gullah people were the only ones living on the island. But in the 1920s a bridge was built, the old summer houses restored, and a small resort village was founded that became Magnolia Harbor.
Memorable hangout spots: There are a few, including: Rafferty’s Raw Bar is located right on Harbor Drive in downtown Magnolia Harbor. It’s patio provides a stunning view of Moonlight Bay and the mainland to the west. The restaurant serves all sorts of seafood, but one of the favorite items on the menu is the Everything Burger. In the summer, it’s not unusual to find a bunch of sailors hanging out on the back deck. Magnolia Harbor is home to an active dinghy racing community. Annie’s Kitchen is located off the beaten track and is frequently overlooked by the many tourists that flock to the island in the summertime. But if you’re looking for authentic Gullah cooking, Annie’s is the place to eat. Their fried pork chops are renown but even a vegetarian can find plenty of beans, rice, and okra dishes that will make your mouth water. The Yacht Club is for members only. It’s pretty stuffy and the food is only memorable because it’s uniformly overcooked. Only the rich and stuffy eat dinner there.
What’s one thing that might surprise visitors about Magnolia Harbor? Without question the main thing that’s interesting about Magnolia Harbor is the large population of people living there who are of the Gullah Culture. Magnolia Harbor is one of the few remaining places where you can hear Gullah—a creole language composed of both English and African words—still spoken. It’s also a wonderful place to see sweet grass baskets being made in the same way as they were made on the west coast of Africa.
What else should visitors know? The residents of Magnolia Harbor are a little bit obsessed with pirates! Famous pirates like William Teal and Blackbeard himself sailed on Moonlight Bay. The shipping in and out of the harbor of Georgetown was rich in plunder. So naturally Magnolia Harbor has its share of pirate souvenir shops, as well as a pirate cruises on the sloop Synchronicity three days a week, weather permitting. The pirate cruise takes visitors out to the inlet where William Teal’s boat sank in 1713. Visitors can also book rooms at Howland House, the historic house that’s still owned by Rose Howland’s descendants. Rumors abound that the ghost of William Teal haunts Howland House, although Ashley Scott, the inn’s current owner insists this is untrue.
Nothing makes Jude St. Pierre feel more alive than racing on the open sea - at least, not until Jenna comes strolling down his dock asking for sailing lessons. But it feels wrong to be attracted to her - especially when he learns why she came to town. Jude knows she deserves the truth but can he help her discover it without losing her and the family he's come to think of as his own?
Includes the bonus story "A Wedding on Lavender Hill" by Annie Rains!
When an event planner is asked to create the perfect wedding in just three days, she must turn to the last person she wants to ask for help - the infuriating owner of the house on the hilltop.