Enjoy Daufuskie Island

Daufuskie Island in many areas looks just like it did 200 years ago. With no bridge to the mainland and only a few paved roads, the island is steeped in a simpler time.

So when Wick Scurry had an opportunity to salvage two pieces of history, he took it.

Scurry, captain and operator of Calibogue Cruises Tours & Adventures, purchased the Bloody Point Lighthouse and Silver Dew Winery last summer and since then has been breathing new life into the buildings and land.

“The buildings were privately owned and off-limits to visitors. We’re really looking forward to opening the lighthouse and the winery to the public,” Scurry said.

Recently-completed overhauls include redecorating and repainting the house, as well as tending to the landscape. The lighthouse, which at one point was the clubhouse for Bloody Point Golf Course, is now a gift shop and a museum with old photos and island artifacts. Both the lighthouse and winery are now open for tours.

One of the centerpieces of the museum includes a 300-year-old wooden canoe that was salvaged from the island’s waters and previously on display at the Old Daufuskie Crab Company at Freeport Marina.

“Bloody Point Lighthouse is one of the most historic things on the island that’s still there,” Scurry said.

Originally built on the ocean in 1883 to light the southern end of Daufuskie, the lighthouse consisted of two pieces: the front-range house light and a rear-range skeleton light that sat about a mile inland. Boaters would line up both lights to keep out of the Savannah River, Scurry said.

The lighthouse faced its share of disasters. The house was rattled by an earthquake in 1886 and was flooded by a hurricane in 1893. Over the years, much of the beachfront property had washed away from erosion, and in 1899 the lighthouse was moved inland.

“Workers used a team of mules to drag the lighthouse over timbered logs to its current location,” said Scurry.

Along with the lighthouse, Scurry is re-opening the Silver Dew Winery and will use grapes grown on the property to make scuppernong wine.

Originally constructed in 1883 to store oil for the lighthouse lamps, the brick wick houses were converted into a winery in the mid-1900s by Pappy Burn, who made a name for himself with his scuppernong wine. Silver Dew was the first registered winery in the state but it closed in 1956, Scurry said.

Paying homage to the island’s rich agricultural history, Scurry has also planted Sea Island cotton, Carolina Gold rice, and indigo on the land.

“In the fall, we’ll pick the grapes, make the wine, harvest the rice, make dye, and let people pick the cotton if they want to,” Scurry said. “It will be a really cool experience.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2016 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Enjoy Daufuskie Island."