Developers from China, Thailand visit Sea Pines Resort | News

Sea Pines Resort was the beginning of modern day Hilton Head Island and it is used as a model for resort developers all over. A group of developers from China and Thailand recently visited the island to get ideas on how to use the development philosophies of Charles Fraser, founder and developer of Sea Pines.

Fraser's vision was centered around preserving the natural environment, long before the green movement became a part of pop culture. Fraser's nephew, Charlie, says he got to take a helicopter ride once and when he looked down at Sea Pines, all he could see was trees.

 

"You had to plan your home around the trees. They redid all the plans of this harbor and built it around this one tree. It's called the LIberty Oak," remembers Charlie Fraser, ReMax Realty.

 

No one knows just how old the Liberty Oak is but the entire harbor town plan was re-done to save the tree. 

 

Sea Pines began in 1956, when Charles Fraser convinced his father to sell him the land so he could develop it using his environmentally friendly vision. Initially, Fraser's dad was going to use the land for timber.

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