History of the Port Santorini Community

The Port Santorini Association community was established in 1974 and was named for Santorini Island by the Aegean Sea of Greece.   The sparkling waters, reflecting the blue Mediterranean sky, reminded the developer, S. Bruce Rochester, Sr., of the cool refreshing colors he often watched from the shore of Lake Keowee.    

Prior to the arrival of settlers from Europe, the area around Port Santorini and Oconee County was inhabited by the Cherokee people and was Cherokee Indian territory until 1785, when it was surrendered in a treaty.  After the American Revolution, settlers from other parts of the state began moving in and began farming.

The Cherokee developed a trail along the Cherokee Path, which was used as a trading path by the Native Americans and British through the Cherokee Nation.  Portions of the Cherokee path parallels present day Cherokee Foothills Highway 11 for several miles. To mark the path, the Cherokee left numerous curiously bent trees marking the forest trails to various towns. Travelers were thus able to follow a pre-established trail by continuing in the direction indicated from one bent tree to the next. Port Santorini community is fortunate to have one of these historic trees.

The Cherokee language continues to remain prominent with present day landmarks in the area such as the city of Seneca, Tomassee and Lakes Keowee and Jocassee.   Oconee County takes its name from the Cherokee word "Ae-quo-nee" meaning "land beside the water", a local Cherokee town that was situated on the main British/Cherokee trading path.  Located in the foothills of the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, Oconee County encompasses rivers, lakes, and forests.

In 1974, Duke Energy Corporation finished construction of the Oconee Nuclear Station on the Keowee River in Oconee County, SC. The construction project included the two man-made lakes Keowee and Jocassee. The largest, Lake Keowee consists of 18,500 acres of water and 300 miles of shoreline and is a valuable source of energy and recreation in northwestern South Carolina.  Today Oconee County has 884 farms encompassing 67,871 acres, a growing manufacturing industry, and tourism as a basis for a solid economy.

The Oconee History Museum and the Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina, both located in Walhalla, provide a wealth of information on the history of Oconee County.