Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Surfside Beach is a town in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. Its nickname is "The Family Beach". The population was 3,837 at the 2010 census, down from 4,425 at the 2000 census. It is considered a part of the Grand Strand.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau Surfside Beach has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.1 km²), of which, 1.9 square miles (5.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.02%) is water.
History
Surfside Beach was first incorporated in 1964 with 881 residents. It was previously known as Roach's Beach and had only a few buildings surviving the hurricane of 1893. Principal industries were lumber and feed farming for the 30 or so horses and mules in the area. The new owner, Mr. George J. Holiday, renamed the area Floral Beach for his wife, Flora, and daughter, Floramay. In the late 1920s, a group from Columbia purchased and partially developed the land. In 1952, most of the land changed hands again and became known as Surfside Beach. The undeveloped beach area was covered with sand dunes; a one-lane sandy road led from the highway to a quiet beach.