SI Mag 3.3

16 www.SullivansIslandMagazine.com | www.SullivansIslandHomes.com [ Feature ] The Quarantine Island In 1698, the quarantine procedure for ships coming into Charleston Harbor involved a health inspector boarding the ship about a mile offshore and asking the captain if there were any sick people on board. If there were, the ship would be “riding at anchor” in that spot until the allotted time that it was determined it was safe to dock. According to Butler, the procedures were vague, and many merchants complained about the time their ships were riding at anchor, especially those with perishable goods, because it was costing them money. As a solution, a separate quarantine facility, or pest house, was built in 1707 on Sullivan’s Island. This was not a large building, but likely had four to six small rooms. Now any sick people on board a ship would be brought to the pest house for quarantine while the rest of the ship and its cargo could continue on their route. Records show that the first pest house was destroyed by a storm and rebuilt in 1712. The second building was hit by a hurricane within a couple years and wasn’t rebuilt for 30 years. Although no documents survive that show exactly where the pest house was on the island, it is thought that it was located in the area formerly known as Moultrieville. In 1744, a state law was passed that forced every African to go through Sullivan’s Island for quarantine. But Photo by Pamela Brownstein. 843.330.8156 | www.sealandsports.com 2120 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482 RENTALS LESSONS APPAREL “A Healthy Addiction” KITE PADDLE SURF SKATE