Family Beach House - the craziest project I have dreamed up yet

Cherry Grove Beach, SC, circa 1950

Would you fork over a small fortune for a slice of your family’s history? Even if that slice looks like it hasn’t seen an update since the Eisenhower administration? The asking price is a jaw-dropping $950K. Now, would that price tag make you reconsider if that piece of history was just a hop, skip, and a jump from the ocean? I know I would (if I could). After all, I’m married to a handyman who’s too busy saving the world—one paying customer at a time—to entertain my wild ideas!

Meet My Great-Grandfather, Jonah

My great-grandfather, Jonah, was born in 1885 in a rural North Carolina county. He was a jack-of-all-trades: a farmer, a Gulf oil distributor, and the proud owner of land and rental properties throughout the county. Not to mention, he had 8 sons and 1 daughter. Talk about a full house! One of his sons, Claude Daniel, tragically passed away in 1918 at the tender age of 3. His first wife, Lillar, died in 1935. It’s a heartbreaking piece of family history that makes you appreciate the good times even more.

The Tough Guy

My mother remembers Jonah as a tough character—tougher than a two-dollar steak! There's a story that he purchased an organ for the church for my great-grandmother, Lillar, to play, and he would take the bench home after the service to prevent anyone else from playing it. He was particularly strict with his sons. Nonetheless, I think he would have felt both proud and anxious about sending three sons, a grandson, and his son-in-law to fight in World War II. After all, he must have had a soft spot for the family when he bought the beach house.

The Beachfront Bargain

Somewhere around 1950, Jonah decided to invest in a piece of land in Cherry Grove. If you’re not familiar, Cherry Grove is the northernmost beach in North Myrtle Beach, SC. After some sleuthing, I discovered that Cherry Grove was developed in the 1950s, so I like to think he was riding the first wave of coastal investment. Surf’s up, Jonah!

The iconic Cherry Grove Pier was built in the 1950's.

Prime Real Estate

Just steps from the beach, the 4,791 sq ft lot is prime real estate today. In fact, today’s Zillow listing claims the home was built in 1965, but we know better. Family lore tells us that my grandfather and his brothers built that two-story, 4-bedroom house on 29th Ave that still stands today. It was originally painted brown with orange trim (Gulf Oil colors). My mom has a treasure trove of memories from beach trips with the entire extended family. Seriously, I can’t even imagine how they all fit in that house together. It must have been like a clown car! She reminisces about her Aunt Bess’s cooking and those cozy nights sharing a bed with her mom and sister—talk about family bonding!

The house today.

Hurricane Hazel and the Mystery of the Missing Records

Now, back to that Zillow listing stating the home was built in 1965. My mother can’t pinpoint the exact year, but she does remember that the second floor was wiped out during Hurricane Hazel in 1954, so we know it was definitely there before then. As for the property records before 1980? Well, they haven’t been digitized, which means I had to channel my inner detective and email the county's register of deeds to dig up more information. Fingers crossed they don’t charge me a fortune for the privilege!

Passed out of the Family

Unfortunately, Jonah passed away in 1962. He bequeathed all his possessions to his sons, but his second wife challenged the will and obtained the beach house. It is believed that she sold it in 1965.