River Road
National Register Listing
Street Address:
East of the intersection of Bohicket Road and Betsy Kerrison Parkway (S-10-20) and east of the intersection of State Road S-10-54 (Chisolm Road) and Main Road, Johns Island, SC (Charleston County)
NRHP Nomination Form
Record Number:
S10817710215
Description and Narrative:
River Road is a two-lane, C-shaped road on Johns Island constructed in the colonial period and first documented in 1770. It begins at Main Road to the north, curves southeast to southwest following the Stono River, and terminates at Bohicket Road (State Road S-10-20) and Betsy Kerrison Parkway. The road is approximately 16.8 miles in length and generally parallels the Stono River, running as close as fifty feet from the riverbank at the road’s intersection with Seabrook Farm Road and as far as 1.5 miles away from the river at its intersection with Edenvale Road. The road was paved in sections between 1938 and 1957 and has been widened at three areas with associated turning lanes and traffic signals. The southern section of the road, roughly between Plantation Point Road and Bohicket Road, was straightened in 1904. The nominated area includes Abbapoola Road and Plantation Pointe Road, which were part of the original road prior to a realignment of this stretch between 1925 and 1944. Abbapoola Road remains unpaved. River Road is significant to local transportation for its more than 250 years as a primary thoroughfare for residents and visitors of Johns Island. Construction of the road likely began in the mid-1700s to provide passage between the island’s colonial-era plantations and allow ferry access over the surrounding Stono River, which connected local goods and people to other Lowcountry sea islands and the mainland. The road was completed by 1770, and it continues to have the same basic C-shaped alignment as it did upon completion. One of the two oldest major public roads on Johns Island, River Road has been an integral piece of local infrastructure throughout its existence, serving as a vital conduit for the movement of people, crops, and goods across the island and touching countless aspects of daily life on the island. Listed in the National Register June 3, 2026.
Period of Significance:
circa 1770 – 1976
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Transportation
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
2026-06-03
Date of Boundary Increase:
No Boundary Increase
Location:
Johns Island;Charleston County
