President George Washington passed through Myrtle Beach on his tour of southern states in 1791?He dined in Little River, stayed at Jeremiah Vereen’s house near present-day Lake Arrowhead Road and U.S. 17, crossed Singleton Swash at the present-day Dunes Club, traveled south through Myrtle Beach on the old Kings Road near the ocean, ate dinner at George Pawley’s house, then stayed at Dr. Henry Flagg’s house at present-day Brookgreen Gardens.
Here’s what Washington wrote in his diary about each of these locations...
April 27 Dined at a private house (one Cochrans) about two miles farther [from the North Carolina/South Carolina line]
April 27 ...lodged at Mr. Vareens 14 miles more and two miles short of the long bay. To his house we were directed as a Tavern, but the proprietor of it either did not keep one, or would not acknowledge it. We were therefore en[ter]tained (& very kindly) without being able to make compensation.
April 28 Mr. Vareen piloted us across the Swash (which at high water is impassable, & at times, by the shifting of the Sands is dangerous) onto the long Beach of the Ocean; and it being at a proper time of the tide we passed along it with ease and celerity to the place of quitting it which is estimated at 16 miles...
April 28 Five Miles farther we got dinner & fed our horses at a Mr. Pauleys a private house, no public one being on the road...
April 28 ...being on the Road, & kindly invited by a Doctor flagg to his house, we lodged there; it being about 10 miles from Pauleys & 33 from Vareens.
Heading farther south, Washington next visited Clifton Plantation on the Waccamaw Neck and crossed the Waccamaw River (he wrote “Waggamaw”) to Georgetown, where he was greeted by a cannon salute.
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| This carriage in Mount Vernon's collection is similar to the one Washington would have employed on his southern journey. |
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