Live Oaks: The Oldest Citizens of Conway South Carolina

Nestled along the banks of the winding Waccamaw River is one of South Carolina’s oldest towns. Conway, the seat of Horry County, began life as Kingston in 1732 and by 1735; the first settlers had arrived. Though these folks have long gone on to their reward, Conway is still populated with the majestic Live Oaks, some of which may have stood as a silent sentry to those first families. Conway is extremely protective of their Live Oaks, lovingly dubbed their ‘Oldest Citizens,’ even going so far as to build some of the town’s streets around the trees.

The Live Oak, scientifically known as Quercus Virginiana, rarely grows taller than fifty feet, but the limbs can spread to an impressive 150 feet across, providing a canopy of shelter. The wide, protective limbs of the Live Oak are often gracefully adorned with Spanish moss and, contrary to popular belief, the moss is not a parasite and causes no harm to the trees. In 1975 the trees were mapped and inventoried and 217 of them were found to have a circumference greater than seven feet, with the largest measurement being 20 feet and 7 inches. The trees were measured again in 1997 and the average circumference growth was a little over a foot each.

Many of the Live Oaks in Conway have historical significance and the Visitors Bureau has put together a tour of the more historical trees. Here are a few highlights from that tour.

The Wade Hampton Oak. This tree was once part of a grove of oaks that stood on the front lawn of the residence of Thomas W. Beaty. Mr. Beaty was a signer of the Ordinance of Succession, served as First Lieutenant with the South Carolina Regiment in the Civil War and later served as a state senator. General Wade Hampton, during his campaign for governor, gave a speech in this grove of trees to an estimated crowd of 2,000 in 1876. It is considered that the Reconstruction Era in South Carolina ended during Governor Hampton’s term in office. Some ten years after Governor Hampton’s election, workmen prepared to lay tracks for the first railroad to enter Conway. Mary Beaty, wife of Thomas, reportedly stood in front of this oak with a shotgun and threatened dire consequences to the man who attempted to cut it down. As a result, the direction of the track was changed and the tree was spared.

The Alligator Oak. The Alligator Oak stands in the cemetery of the First United Methodist church. The wall around the cemetery was built to accommodate a portion of the tree’s massive root system. The name comes from an unusual pattern in the tree’s bark. A large knothole on one limb resembles the eye of an alligator, the snout can be seen pointing down the main trunk and it seems as if an alligator tail is wrapped around the upper section of the limb.

The Confederate Oak. The Confederate Oak is Conway’s monument to her confederate soldiers. It is marked by a simple granite marker with four lines of poetry written by Former State Poet Laureate, Archibald Rutledge.

The Hanging Oak. The Hanging Oak is located across the street from the Conway City Hall and is the site of the last legal hanging that took place in South Carolina in 1909.

For more information on Conway’s Oldest Citizens, contact the Conway Visitor Program Office, Conway, South Carolina.