South Carolina Family Reaches Settlement in Ancestral Land Lawsuit

ASouth Carolina family fighting for its ancestral land has settled with a real estate developer. After a lengthy lawsuit, the family countersued the developer, fighting to keep the Hilton Head land they’ve owned since after the Civil War.

According to reports, the family’s matriarch, Josephine Wright, lived on the property for over 30 years with her husband, attorney Samuel, until he died in 1998. Wright, who died in January at 94, had been leading the fight to retain rights to the land before her death.

Court documents show that the Hilton Head land had been in her husband’s family since the Civil War. According to South Carolina Radio, an enslaved ancestor who gained freedom purchased the property. The battle for the land began when developer Bailey Point Investment, LLC acquired land in Hilton Head in 2014. Court documents state the land surrounds Wright’s 1.8-acre property. The company, developing a 147-home subdivision in the area, reportedly offered to buy Wright’s property for $39,000.