Hardeeville in Jasper County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Purrysburg Township
In 1731, Jean Pierre Purry, of Neufchβtel, Switzerland, persuaded the British government to subsidize a Swiss migration of colonists to Carolina. On September 1, 1731, King George II granted 20,000 acres of land at Great Yamassee Bluff on the Savannah River, between Savannah and Palachacola, to Purry for the establishment of a town and township. In 1732, an advance party of settlers cleared the site and laid out the lots in the new town. A 1735 plat map of the town of Purrysburg that shows that 455 town lots were designated. Many of the settlers were intended to settle at Purrysburg, but quickly left for other parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The settlers suffered from heat, disease, and lack of viable agricultural ground.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Purrysburg became in important steamboat landing and stagecoach stop where passengers were transferred to continue their journey by boat or coach.
Upon a bluff overlooking the Savannah River, just one 1/2 mile north of this location, stands a stone cross depicting the site of the original town or Purrysburg. The monument was erected in the 1940's by the Huguenot Society of South Carolina.
Further Recommended Reading:
"Lands of True and Certain Bounty - The Geographical Theories and Colonization
this page online
"To Make this Land Our Own" by Arlin C. Migliazzo (2007).
Erected by William G. Pomeroy Foundation; the Emily Geiger Chapter, NSDAR; and the City of Hardeeville.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is September 1, 1731.
Location. 32° 17.213′ N, 81° 7.059′ W. Marker is in Hardeeville, South Carolina, in Jasper County. It is on Millstone Landing Road south of Purrysbburg Road (South Carolina Road S-27-34), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 55 Millstone Landing Rd, Hardeeville SC 29927, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Battle of Purrysburg (a few steps from this marker); Maroons of the Savannah River During the Revolutionary War (a few steps from this marker); Sherman's Troops in Purrysburg During the Civil War (a few steps from this marker); Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (within shouting distance of this marker); Nearby Skirmish
Credits. This page was last revised on May 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
