Dunes West
Dunes West is a gated community, conveniently located in the heart of Mount Pleasant SC in a picturesque setting between Wagner Creek and the Wando River. This beautiful 1000 acre track of land began as a grant given to Landgrove Edmund Bellinger in 1696, soon thereafter being purchased by Captain John Vanderhorst, Joseph Vanderhorst and Thomas Lynch. They developed the land over the next several decades into a plantation known as Four Men’s Ramble. The plantation had a rocky start, being bought and sold several times and nearly ruined after the Civil War. In 1930 Henrietta Hartford, one of the nation’s wealthiest widows, purchased the land and built a beautiful 32 room house, a guest house, stables and beautiful gardens, some of which you can still find today. Ms. Hartford married Prince Guido Pignatelli, a New York broker and member of the Italian nobility, and soon thereafter, the main 32 room house mysteriously burnt to the ground. Sold again in 1947, the plantation remained with O.L. Williams Veneer Co until the development of the current club in 1991 and the opening of the Arthur Hills designed golf course.
Knowing this history has given me a greater appreciation for the classic streets of Pignatelli Crescent and Colonel Vanderhorst, and the amazing line of historic grand oaks which lead you to the old plantation house grounds, now the current golf club. Dunes West is an amazing site for weddings, rehearsal dinners and even prom pictures. With over 1200 homes sites (and still building) Dunes West currently offers 3 large pools, a semi-private golf course, 8 tennis courts, ample walking trails, boat storage, a boat launch, a community dock on the Wando River, a fitness center, and resort-style social activities and neighborhood events. The main pool, famously known as Thomas Lynch Hall, is filled with laughter as families gather around the mushroom fountains, the zero entry pool and the oversized waterslide. All of this and much more make Dunes West a highly sought after gated community, rich in history but still offering modern, resort-like amenities.
