Murrells Inlet, SC

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Murrells Inlet, SC
Murrells Inlet, SC

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Visit www.JakeLeeRealEstate.com/Murrells-Inlet to search Murrells Inlet Homes for Sale . Moving to the Inlet? Selling your home in the Inlet?

This page is managed by The Jake Lee Real Estate Team for informational purposes about the area & not affiliated with the local city or county government Call your local real estate expert, Jake Lee 843-240-0431, to get started today! Visit www.JakeLeeRealEstate.com for more info and a list of foreclosures in Murrells Inlet! - No doubt about it, Murrells Inlet is legendary. It's the place where hushpuppies were invented, where Blackbeard and other pirates of the high seas stashed their ill-gotten b***y. It's the place where local and visitor alike have reported the chance meeting with one of the Inlet's local ghosts. History in our community began writing itself long before this area was officially named Murrells Inlet by the post office in 1913. The origin of this name remains a mystery with theories resting in passed-down legends of pirates and fishermen and incomplete records of landowners, plats and maps. The pages of Murrells Inlet's past are graced with footprints of Native American tribes, 16th century Spanish explorers and English colonists in the 17th century. In the 1700s and 1800s, large land tracts were cultivated into successful rice plantations. By 1850, almost 47 million pounds of rice were produced in the Waccamaw Neck, an area that includes Murrells Inlet. South Carolina rice planters were far wealthier and more powerful than the to***co, sugar and cotton plantation owners of the southeast. One rice planter, Joseph Alston, even became South Carolina's Governor. Also in the 1800s, pirates sailed our coastline and hid in the Inlet's winding creeks, waiting to plunder England-bound ships. People who summered in Murrells Inlet in the 1800s generally traveled to Conway or Georgetown by train, then picked up a steamboat that docked at the Wachesaw river landing. A horse and buggy or oxen cart carried travelers and their belongings to their cottages. The river steamboats were known for serving excellent food. Many of the steamboats' cooks settled in Murrells Inlet and opened their own restaurants, giving the area a reputation for savory cuisine long ago. The Civil War came to Murrells Inlet's shores in 1863. Union warships attacked the Confederacy's blockade-runners that used the Inlet as a port to sneak cotton and other products to England in exchange for war materials, food and medicine. The war caused the decline of the rice culture. Though some rice plantations partially recovered, they could not survive the devastating hurricanes that followed. By 1916, the last remaining commercial rice grower was out of business. By then, commercial fishing was a popular industry with catches shipped north on schooners. Recreational fishing also became part of the landscape. In 1914, captain-led fishing excursions out of the Inlet on 20-foot skiffs cost $5 per person for a day trip. At the height of the Great Depression, Murrells Inlet's economy was spurred when Archer Milton Huntington from New York, spent millions of dollars to develop his 9,000-acre homestead and gardens. He hired local brick masons, painters, landscapers, carpenters and other craftsmen to create his dream of a Spanish castle. He even built a church, medical clinic and community center for the residents of Sandy Island, an island community between the P*e Dee and Waccamaw rivers. The Huntington home, Atalaya, was built with 22 fireplaces and 36 rooms, one of which was an oyster-shucking room. In their outdoor statuary gardens, his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, displayed her sculpting work, for which she was known nationwide. Theirs was a private estate until Mr. Huntington's death in 1955. Today, Atalaya is part of Huntington Beach State Park and their garden, now Brookgreen Gardens, is the largest showcase of American figurative sculpture in the country, displaying 68 of Mrs. Huntington's pieces, including the Fighting Stallions at the entrance. More restaurants, marinas and private homes have emerged in our South Carolina village, but residents are not quick to forget what drew them here in the first place. Front-porch tales, ghost stories and a variety of local tours keep alive the history so deeply rooted in our marsh creeks, sandy banks and river landings. Names of local streets and neighborhoods are reminiscent of the people, plantations and cottages of yesteryear: Hermitage, Sunnyside, Vaux Hall and Wachesaw are but a few of the nostalgic familiarities that make Murrells Inlet the quaint seaside community it is today. Call 886-9232 or visit the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce website. Tell them you are interested in the Murrells Inlet / South Strand area.

10/29/2026

The moon hung low over the tranquil waters of Murrells Inlet, casting an eerie silver glow across the marshes. The night was calm, the air thick with the scent of saltwater and ancient secrets. Locals knew to stay away from the Inlet after dark, for it was whispered to be haunted, and all knew the story of Drunken Murrell.

✅️ SPONSORED BY Jake Lee - Myrtle Beach & Pawleys Island Top Realtor

Long ago, in the days when pirates and privateers ruled the Carolina coast, there was a notorious buccaneer named Captain Murrell. His real name was lost to history, buried beneath a mound of rum-soaked tales and forgotten crimes. Captain Murrell was infamous for his love of two things: plundering merchant ships and consuming vast quantities of rum.

📸 Jim Arnold / Seajimrun Photography

One fateful night, as the legend goes, Captain Murrell and his crew anchored their ship near the Inlet. They had heard rumors of a hidden treasure buried deep within the salt marshes. With a map in hand and rum coursing through their veins, they ventured into the dark wilderness.

But the Inlet was treacherous, and the marshes unforgiving. As Captain Murrell and his crew stumbled through the murky waters, the tide turned against them. A fierce storm erupted, and the crew found themselves trapped, lost in a labyrinth of marshland.

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Desperation took hold, and Captain Murrell, in his drunken stupor, led his men deeper into the Inlet, convinced that the treasure was close. The night was filled with the howling wind, the cries of lost souls, and the captain's mad laughter.

When the sun finally rose, the pirate ship was nowhere to be seen, and Captain Murrell and his crew were never heard from again. Some say they found the treasure but paid a terrible price. Others believe they were claimed by the very marshes they had hoped to conquer.

To this day, those who dare venture into the Inlet at night speak of ghostly apparitions, shadowy figures moving through the marshes. And on the darkest of nights, when the fog rolls in, they say you can still hear the drunken laughter of Captain Murrell echoing across the water, a haunting reminder of the pirate who vanished into legend.

10/29/2026

Photo courtesy of Photography by Chad LeFevre Search the hashtag on Facebook to browse more than 38,000 posts of LOCAL! Local news, local history, local photography, and amazing local real estate.

10/28/2026

Murrells Inlet, SC has its share of people whose names come up over and over....on the MarshWalk, at the restaurants, in local groups, or just around town. Here are 20 from the area that most of us have crossed paths with or at least know of:

Bubba Love (Jerome Smalls), the longtime MarshWalk personality a lot of people call the unofficial mayor, known for his stories and still looking after the goats on Goat Island.

Stacy Johnson, executive director of Murrells Inlet 2020, the one coordinating cleanups, the Inlet to Intracoastal path, and a lot of the work focused on the marsh and community.

Rev. Will Malambri, senior pastor at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church, who leads the annual Blessing of the Inlet and stays active on local boards.

Ashton DuBose, co-owner of Lee’s Inlet Kitchen, carrying the family’s seafood restaurant into its fourth generation on Business 17.

Adrian Dorman, her sister and co-owner at Lee’s, helping keep the local catch and recipes that have drawn people there since 1948.

Willie Lee, co-owner with Melissa of Lee’s Inlet Apothecary and Good Deed Goods, the local shop that’s been part of the community for years and gives back with every sale.

Fire Chief J.R. Haney, heading the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District and the crews covering the inlet and nearby areas.

Jennifer Watkins, owner of the Murrells Inlet General Store, who restored the old Strickland’s building and keeps a piece of local history going.

Cindy Sellers, behind Shug’s By The Inlet, the jewelry shop known for its unique pieces and community involvement.

Zach Baker, the restaurateur who brought Neal’s Creekhouse to the MarshWalk and keeps expanding with new concepts nearby.

Principal Ryan Poston, leading St. James High School and the Sharks, focused on new programs and student pathways.

Capt. Jason Burton, the Murrells Inlet native who runs fishing charters and knows the creeks and nearshore waters from a lifetime on them.

Jake Lee, the go-to real estate expert for the Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, SC , and the entire Grand Strand area, known for helping locals and newcomers alike and for regularly supporting community events, local history, and causes across the inlet.

Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, the state senator with deep local ties who represents the area in Columbia.

Rep. Lee Hewitt, the House member whose district includes Murrells Inlet and who stays active on coastal issues.

Pam Dawson, Horry County Board of Education member for District 6, representing the Murrells Inlet side of the school system.

Suzanne Goins, chair of the Murrells Inlet 2020 board, helping guide the group’s work on beautification and the marsh.

Rev. Tim Melton, senior pastor at Christ Church Murrells Inlet, serving the congregation and local ministries.

Dr. Chris Spires, lead pastor at Coastal Church (the former First Baptist Murrells Inlet campus), involved in the area’s faith community.

Gene Connell, chairman of the Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire District Board, overseeing the district’s direction.

Spotted any of these folks lately or got a story? Drop it in the comments. Who else belongs on a future list and why? We love hearing what makes the Inlet feel like home to so many of us.

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10/28/2026

Where Did the Big Blue Fish Go? A MarshWalk Mystery

You’ve walked the MarshWalk. You’ve eaten the seafood. And if you were here a few years ago, you probably remember the fish.

The big blue one. Silver-bellied, tuna-sized, standing tall on the boardwalk near J. Peters like it owned the place. Kids pointed at it. Tourists took photos with it. Locals used it as a meeting spot (“meet me by the fish”).

Then one day… it was gone.

The rumors started almost immediately.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROVIDED BY Jake Lee - Myrtle Beach & Pawleys Island Top Realtor

Some people swore it was stolen in the middle of the night. A couple of guys with a truck, they said. Classic MarshWalk heist. Others claimed Hurricane Ian took it... swept right off the railing and into the marsh, never to be seen again. A few insisted it was “just on vacation” and would reappear with a tan. And of course there was the inevitable theory that someone simply got tired of looking at it and had it quietly removed under the cover of darkness.

None of those stories were ever confirmed. No police reports. No news stories. No triumphant “we got the fish back” posts. Just silence… and a lot of people still talking about it.

Scroll through old MarshWalk history posts and you’ll still find the comments:

“Please bring back the large fish hanging on the boardwalk by J. Peters.”

“Does anyone know what happened to the big blue fish?”

“That thing was a landmark. Why’d they take it down?”

It turns out the truth is a lot less dramatic than the rumors and a little more bittersweet.

The fish was never public art or a county-owned sculpture. It was a private decorative piece put up by the restaurant that occupied that stretch of the MarshWalk (the same spot that used to be Capt. Dave’s Dockside, then Catfish Johnny’s, now J. Peters). When the restaurants changed hands and the area dealt with storm damage and regular wear from coastal weather, the fish came down. No theft. No conspiracy. Just a restaurant decoration that was removed and never put back.

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The Bubba Love statue is still out there doing the heavy lifting as the MarshWalk’s official photo-op. But a lot of people still miss the big blue one.

So now you know the story. Or at least the version that matches the evidence.

Do you remember the fish? Got an old photo of it? Or are you still holding out hope someone quietly puts it back one of these days? Drop it in the comments.

10/28/2026

📸 Jimmy Dreamz Photography Search the hashtag on Facebook to browse more than 38,000 posts of LOCAL! Local news, local history, local photography, and amazing local real estate.

10/28/2026

📸 Jimmy Dreamz Photography Search the hashtag on Facebook to browse more than 38,000 posts of LOCAL! Local news, local history, local photography, and amazing local real estate.

10/27/2026

A creek rat is a local, endearing term for the kids who grew up playing, fishing, swimming, and exploring the creeks and salt marshes of Murrells Inlet. The classic description? A true creek rat comes home covered in mud from head to toe after a day on the water.

➡️This article is supported by Jake Lee - Myrtle Beach & Pawleys Island Top Realtor , preserving and sharing the heritage of this extraordinary region.

That mud is usually pluff mud.. the soft, sticky, nutrient-rich (and famously aromatic) marsh mud that forms the foundation of the Lowcountry salt marsh. It’s made from decaying spartina grass, sediments, and organic matter. It smells a bit like rotten eggs to visitors, but to many locals it’s just the smell of home. It also supports the incredible ecosystem that makes Murrells Inlet, SC the Seafood Capital of South Carolina..oysters, shrimp, crabs, fish, and all the birds and critters that live along the marsh.

Being a creek rat wasn’t just about getting dirty. It meant learning the tides, knowing the creeks, catching blue crabs with a chicken neck and string, and spending summers with saltwater in your hair and pluff mud between your toes. It’s a badge of local pride.

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You’ll also see the name on Creek Ratz, the waterfront restaurant on the MarshWalk. They took the local term and turned it into a casual spot for fresh seafood, cold drinks, and views of the very creeks that created so many creek rats in the first place.

So… were you a creek rat? Still one at heart? Drop your favorite mud-covered memory below.

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10/27/2026

It's a little wet today in Garden City, SC thanks to the good Ole King Tide 🤴 Photo courtesy of bart ender

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10/27/2026

Good morning, Murrells Inlet, SC ❤️ Photography by Andrew Stanley 📸 Search the hashtag on Facebook to browse more than 38,000 posts of LOCAL! Local news, local history, local photography, and amazing local real estate.

Address

Murrells Inlet, SC
29576

Telephone

(843) 240-0431

Website

http://www.JakeLeeRealEstate.com/Murrells-Inlet

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