McClellanville, SC

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Hurricane Hugo muddied McClellanville’s timeline. The town has made anamazing comeback and it’s finally to the point that you don’t hear that four-letter word in everyday communication now. I certainly couldn’t say that 10 years ago. Time was still measured in terms of “before Hugo” and “after Hugo”, but that past is becoming more and more distant. This anniversary will come and go and my phone will cease to ring from reporters who read my first article about Hugo looking for an interview, maybe a before and after article or a “Where are They Now” piece to catch America up on what the little Village that could has been up to. They want me to point them in the direction of the best scoop, the biggest tear-jerker, or most triumphant return from despair. Well the truth is that’s the whole Village, that’s McClellanville. Read the rest at MyMcClellanville.net

The Power of Presence?

I got a postcard a few days ago from an area real estate company with the words “The Power of Presence” printed across a map showing their various office locations through the tri-county area. Can you guess where there wasn’t an office? That’s right, the closest office to McClellanville is over 30 minutes away. W.P. Baldwin & Associates is proud to be the only real estate company with an office in the heart of McClellanville’s historic district at 829 Pinckney Street. Real estate is much more than just physical presence though. W.P. Baldwin & Associates is a part of McClellanville, from the local event that we sponsor to the time we spend making the community a better place to work, live, and play. I know it sounds corny, but we care about the people that live here because they’re not just our customers, they’re our neighbors.

The Data

Personally, I don’t think presence is something that should be bragged about, but it is important information for consumers to know when choosing a real estate company. The following charts were recently compiled from data collected from the Charleston Trident Multiple Listing Services (CTARMLS). MLS always qualifies their data by saying that it is “deemed reliable but not guaranteed”, so I will too. The data presented includes both homes and land sold in McClellanville except those sold privately by owner. In MLS, “McClellanville” is a user-defined term and often includes properties falling a few miles outside of the town limits, such as Tibwin. The data represents both the buyer agent and listing agent data from each real estate transaction and is broken down by real estate office.

Our Piece of the Pie

You can see from the charts that W.P. Baldwin & Associates has participated in far more real estate transactions in McClellanville than any other real estate company. Over the past three years we have gained a greater and greater market share. Although we are still leading in 2008, the data only includes properties sold from January 1^st to May 24^th and which is really too few sales to accurately draw a conclusion at this point. W.P. Baldwin & Associates recognizes that if not for the valued support of the community, we would never have achieved these goals and humbly thank you. We remain committed to the area and will continue to serve the current community as well as those wanting to join it.

David Vs. Goliath

One drive through town and you can see for yourself and W.P. Baldwin has more land and homes for sale than any other company. You might think that this kind of market share would only be possible from a large national chain or a huge team of agents, but W.P. Baldwin & Associates remains a small company with a handful of local agents invested in the future of McClellanville. Our size allows us to customize our services with each individual the same way my grandfather did almost 50 years ago when he founded this company. You can count on personal and professional treatment when you come in our office or call us on the phone and not to be treated like a number or a “lead”. The national chains like to brag about about exposure and selling power but W.P. Baldwin & Associates has a proven marketing strategy and chooses to let the numbers speak for themselves.

Fewer Days on Market

I think the most powerful information that I found while compiling this data was when I looked at all the property sold in McClellanville from 1/1/05 to 5/24/08. W.P. Baldwin & Associates listed 62 properties which sold after an average of 101 days on the market. All other real estate companies combined listed 81 properties which sold after an average of 152 days on the market. W.P. Baldwin & Associates listed 43% of the property sold in McClellanville since 2005 and sold them in 1/3 less of the time of the competition. I would say that those are numbers you can “take to the bank”, but when you list with W.P. Baldwin & Associates, your house will sell faster and you will go to bank a lot less often to make those mortgage payments.

On May 10th, 2008 the Deerhead Oak was dedicated as South Carolina’s 2007 Heritage Tree of the Year. The McClellanville Tree Committee sponsored the event held in the shady branches of the town’s landmark live oak at the corner of Oak Street and Pinckney Street. A plaque commemorating Deerhead Oak as the Heritage Tree for 2007 was unveiled as well as a second plaque honoring the Beckman family (the owners of the land on which Deerhead Oak rests) for their gracious contribution to McClellanville’s greenspace and the town’s history.

Click Here for more information about McClellanville's Deerhead Oak.

October 4, 2008
17th Annual McClellanville, SC Inshore Fishing Tournament
"The Creek Slam"


Entry fee $45/angler
50% of the entry fees are returned as prizes.
All proceeds go to Archibald Rutledge Academy.

Haddrell's Point Youth Angler is also awarded to the angler
under 15 on the team with the highest point total.

Register "early" by September 19^th and receive a free T-Shirt

Forms are available to download:

Entry Form

Tournament Rules

Sponsorship Form


The tournament starts at sunrise, 7:13 AM. Low tide is at 5:12 AM, so we start fishing the incoming tide. High tide is at 11:38 AM. Last year we had 76 boats and first place took home $1990. We are also a little earlier this year, October 4th, which will help everyone with the elusive flounder. The allowable fishing area is bounded on the north by the South Santee River and the South by the Isle of Plams connector bridge. Each boat fishes as a team, and weighs in the largest of each species. All fish must meet the South Carolina rules and regulations for sizes and limits.

South Carolina Fishing Regulations

Call Malcolm Baldwin for sponsorship and entry information:
(843) 697-4340, or email malcolm@wpbaldwin.com

There are several different camping in the Francis Marion National Forest. If you don't want to really rough it, the Buck Hall Landing site is for you. There is a bath house with hot showers and flush toilets. There are 14 camper hook-up sites with camp pads, fire rings, picnic tables and 5 tent sites. The camp ground is on the Intracoastal Waterway and there is an on-site boat ramp. It is a beautiful setting with great access to fishing and shrimping in the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge.


There are several primative camping sites including the Elmwood Camp ground, 8 miles north of McClellanville on Hwy 17, turn left onto Rutledge Rd, and 4 miles on the left. This site serves as a DNR check station during hunting season. There is water and toilets available. This site is used by hunters during hunting the season. Also available is the Honey Hill site. This is located at the base of the old look out tower that is no longer in use, approximately 8 miles west of McClellanville on Hwy 45. This site is near the motorized trails.