Hidden along the banks of the Savannah River in Jasper County, South Carolina, lies one of the state’s earliest, yet least remembered, settlements—Purrysburg. Once a hopeful colonial community, today it is little more than a cemetery, a monument, and fading traces in the soil. Purrysburg is now considered a ghost town, but its story remains an important chapter in South Carolina’s history.
A Vision of Prosperity
Purrysburg was founded in the early 1730s by Jean-Pierre Purry, a Swiss entrepreneur who dreamed of building a thriving colony for Swiss Protestant settlers. He convinced nearly 600 families to follow him across the Atlantic with promises of fertile land and opportunity. By 1736, Purrysburg had around 100 houses and close to 450 residents.
Its location on the Savannah River gave it strategic value, and for a brief moment it looked as if Purrysburg might grow into a bustling town.
Struggles and Decline
But the settlers quickly realized that the Carolina wilderness was unforgiving. The hot, humid climate brought waves of malaria and yellow fever, devastating the population. The land, while rich in some areas, proved difficult to farm. At the same time, nearby Savannah, Georgia—just across the river—thrived and drew away trade and settlers.
By the mid-1700s, Purrysburg was already in decline. Families began abandoning the settlement, and many of the original Swiss immigrants moved inland or into Georgia.
Role in the Revolution
Though it never became the prosperous town its founder envisioned, Purrysburg did not disappear entirely. During the American Revolutionary War, the settlement briefly served as headquarters for General Benjamin Lincoln and Continental Army troops. This gave the fading colony one last moment of importance before it slipped further into obscurity.
What Remains Today
Modern visitors to Purrysburg won’t find a town—only quiet reminders. The Purrysburg Cemetery, located off Purrysburg Road near Hardeeville, marks the resting place of early settlers. In the 1940s, the Huguenot Society erected a stone monument to commemorate the site. Archaeologists have studied the area, uncovering remnants of its short-lived existence.
Though the settlement itself is gone, Purrysburg survives as a memory—a symbol of the difficulties faced by early colonists and the fragile nature of their dreams.
Purrysburg as a Ghost Town
Today, Purrysburg is listed among South Carolina’s ghost towns. Unlike some ghost towns that died in the 19th or 20th century, its abandonment goes back nearly 250 years. It’s a haunting reminder of how disease, environment, and competition could erase entire communities, leaving behind little more than a name and a few stones.
✨ Location: Purrysburg is located in Jasper County, South Carolina, just a few miles north of Hardeeville, along the Savannah River opposite Savannah, Georgia.
