On the Cover: Patrick O’Brien
T
he Kiawah River was named for a branch of
the Cusabos tribe, one of the Native American
groups who inhabited the area long before
explorers happened upon it. Eventually the
Kiawah tribe was pushed westward, and the name of the river
was changed for a time to the Ashley River.
The river flows from the Atlantic Ocean on the west
through Captain Sams Inlet, fed by drainage from Captain
Sams Creek, Haulover Creek, Bryans Creek, and Chaplin
Creek to the eastern edge of the Island, where it merges with
the Stono River.
Early Kiawah settlers transported cotton and indigo to
the wharves in Charleston in small barges and canoes along
the Kiawah River. Fortifications during the War of 1812
were built on Kiawah’s east end facing the Kiawah and Stono
Rivers. When Arnoldus Vanderhorst II built his plantation
house on the site where his father’s house had stood before
the British burned it to the ground during the American
Revolution, he situated it so the rooms in the second story
would overlook the river.
In truth “river” may be a bit of a stretch as a name for
this narrow body of water. It is actually more of a salt marsh
estuary, subject to the ebb and flow of the Atlantic’s tides. No
matter what we call it, this beautiful body of water plays many
roles in the days of Kiawah residents and visitors. Our pod
of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins push fish and shrimp onto its
banks, following close behind, engaging in a feeding exercise
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unique to our area known as
“strand feeding.” We launch
kayaks and canoes from
its shores so we can spend
time with the numerous
birds and varied wildlife
that make their homes along
the river. In the evening we
relax on a riverside dock
with a glass of wine to watch
a magnificent sunset. The
Kiawah River separates
Kiawah Island from the rest Patrick O’Brien
of the universe, providing us
with a place where memories are made every day.
We were fortunate to find a local professional
photographer, Patrick O’Brien, who captured our river with
his camera and shared the image that graces our cover.
Patrick’s career began 15 years ago in Washington, D.C.,
as assistant to National Geographic photographer Steve
Uzzell. Over the years he established himself as a leading
photographer for developers, landscape architects, and
golf course designers. Five years ago Patrick joined Kiawah
Partners full time to help the marketing department further
establish Kiawah’s brand as the best in its category. To see
more of his photography of Kiawah and the Lowcountry,
visit his blog at http://blog.pobphoto.com. NK
Photo by Patrick O’Brien