Island exploring: Ted Turner used to own this 4,700-acre island
Although named St. Phillips Island, the nearly 4,700 acre spread is best known for another name -- Ted Turner.
The media mogul billionaire has owned the private island, located just south of St. Helena Island, since 1979. His family and friends have used it as a retreat for sailing, fishing and entertaining for decades.
Just last year, however, the house was listed on the market for a cool $23.7 million.
"It's still on the market, but don't think we are trying to sell it too quickly," said Turner's son, Teddy Turner of Charleston, who has visited the island since he was a teenager.
Teddy Turner said he and some of his family will visit the island, accessible only by boat, for the July 4 holiday weekend.
With its towering pines, stout live oaks, old Tabby ruins and big alligators, visiting the island is like taking a trip back in time, he said.
"It's kind of like Jurassic Park meets Fripp or Hunting islands," he said. "When you explore the island, the best time is to do it in the winter when all the creepy crawly things are in bed."
"There's no telling what's out there," he joked. "Maybe Big Foot."
While there have been no Big Foot sightings, Teddy Turner said a cougar was once spotted roaming the island between houses.
The family's favorite spot on St. Phillips is the sand bars in the creeks on the island's south end.
And one of the best views on the whole island, he said, is the screened in porch on the main house with its 12 rocking chairs and a hammock.
The property also includes a separate home for a caretaker.
The future owner will have to love the island's natural feel, too. Future development is restricted by a conservation easement Ted Turner has with the Nature Conservancy, limiting construction on the property to 10 additional homes.
It's a special place that deserves protection, contend the Turners.
Part of what makes the island so unique, Teddy Turner said, is that half of it is a barrier island that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean while the other half is protected by Pritchards Island.
That gives St. Phillips a mixture of different types of beaches, plant life and marshes to navigate.
As much as the family loves the island -- and even though it is for sale -- they are not quick to tout its qualities.
"When people ask me about the Lowcountry and the island and what it's like, I tell them about all the bugs and the humidity and tell them they wouldn't like it," Teddy Turner said. "We gotta keep this paradise a secret."
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This story was originally published July 2, 2015 at 10:35 PM with the headline "Island exploring: Ted Turner used to own this 4,700-acre island."