Charles Fraser transformed Hilton Head. Now you can buy his own private island
Sometimes, an island isn’t enough.
Every now and then, you might need an island within an island.
That’s exactly what Gull Island is: a 9.5-acre island within Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island. The island was once owned by Charles Fraser, one of Hilton Head’s first developers who masterminded the Sea Pines resort.
As of last Thursday, the island is for sale — along with an 8,500 square-foot home, guesthouse and pool — for $8,450,000.
Decades before the house was built, Fraser stayed in a cabin on Gull Island whenever he needed an escape. Tennis champion Stan Smith bought the island from Fraser, but he never built any new structures.
Two owners after Smith, the island had fallen into disrepair, said Stephanie Lemke, who grew up one street over on Gull Point Road. She remembered seeing empty kegs on the grounds of the island, remnants of party kids.
In 1999, Lemke’s father, Dudley King, decided to put down $1,850,000 and buy the place.
King had a plan for fixing up the island — he bought architecture books and stared envisioning a home in the style of shingle houses in New England. He enlisted the services of architect Neil Gordon to design the house.
Three years later, in 2002, construction was complete.
“People would buy the property, and they had plans to build,” King said. “But for one reason or another, they never built anything. So I guess it was meant for us.”
Once built, the home included six bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half-bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen inside, an outdoor kitchen with a fireplace and a secret passageway that leads from the office to the master bedroom.
King’s favorite part of the house is the wine cellar, while Lemke has fond memories of the treehouse.
If your budget doesn’t quite make the $8.5 million cut, you can visit the island virtually. Gull Island has its own website, with a video tour and several photos.
King mainly used the home for family get-togethers. The family would gather on Gull Island to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. They played yard games, raced relays, smoked meat, barbecued, ate Thanksgiving dinners and rang in new years.
“I love the house, and I love the property,” King said.
But it’s time to downsize and let the property go, he conceded.
This story was originally published July 23, 2018 at 2:33 PM.