Breezy coastal charm and timeless elegance set the scene for unforgettable open-air meals at this historic Lowcountry retreat.
Story by Cara Clark, Photos by Carmen Ash
To understand Georgetown, South Carolina, a tide-washed town where time lingers and stories whisper from beneath centuries-old floorboards, a talk with Realtor Kevin Jayroe is in order. He could turn a five-minute chat into an afternoon on the front porch, sweet tea in hand, breeze blowing from the harbor, and the whispers of history rustling through the live oaks.
“My family’s been here for generations — since the 1740s. This isn’t just where I live. It’s where I belong,” Kevin says. “This area predates the United States. People always forget that part. We're much older than the United States of America.”
Growing up on his grandparents' plantation, Bienvenue, Kevin developed a profound appreciation for history and architecture. This town's stories are woven into its buildings, streets, and people.
Kevin’s 1739 home in Georgetown, built by William Fleming of Scotland, is a testament to the layers of history woven into Georgetown’s fabric. He shares it with his partner, Douglas Waldroup, who owns another 18th century cottage in downtown Georgetown.
“You’re never really an owner of these old homes,” Kevin says. “You’re just a steward. You take care of them for the next person.”
Kevin takes his role as a steward to heart. He’s a Realtor who treasures the opportunity to see a family ensconced in a treasured old home through Reside Realty. He also owns Swamp Fox Trolley Tours, continuing the legacy of his mother, who loved sharing Georgetown’s stories with every tourist she met.
“She’d take two hours just walking Front Street, stopping to chat with everyone,” he laughs. “That’s the kind of place this is. If you sit beside a local, they’re gonna start a conversation. And before you know it, they’re welcoming you to Georgetown.”
For Kevin, Georgetown is more than a hometown. It’s a living storybook, a porch light in the fog, a canopy of green that calls you back no matter how far you’ve gone.
“I lived in New York once,” he remembers. “I looked up in Times Square and the first thing I saw on a giant screen was a scene from Black River Plantation from (the movie) The Notebook. That’s when I knew — I needed the oak trees. I just needed to see a canopy of green. I needed home.”
And home, it seems, is precisely what Kevin has helped Georgetown become — for locals, newcomers, and anyone fortunate enough to find their way down Front Street. He opens his own home twice a year — for the annual Tour of Homes in the spring, hosted by Prince George Church, and for the local library’s Christmas tour, when 800 people or more might walk through the circa 1700s treasure he stewards.
“People just want to know the story of these old places,” he says. “I love being part of the history here.”
