Georgetown And The Winyah Indigo Society


In the 1740's, wealthy indigo planters in the Georgetown area organized the Winyah Indigo Society, an agricultural and social club that met on the first Friday of each month in the Old Oak Tavern in Georgetown.

Winyah Indigo Society

By 1757 the society became prosperous enough to sponsor a school attended by children of the planters, townspeople, and the poor.

At the turn of that century, the Winyah Indigo Society sponsored the organization of the Georgetown Library Society. This group was tasked with purchasing books and securing newspapers and gazettes from London as well as the major metropolitan areas of the Colonies such as Boston, New York, Richmond, and Savannah.

Georgetown County Library

Prior to the Civil War, the Georgetown Library Society transferred its collection to the recently constructed Winyah Indigo Society Hall. It received some damage while that building was occupied by Union troops during that conflict. What has been returned, restored and preserved is now housed in the Georgetown County Library.


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