During slavery (1700s–1860s), enslaved Africans brought from the “Rice Coast” of West Africa (Senegal → Sierra Leone → Liberia) were forced to work the rice, indigo, and later cotton plantations on Edisto Island. By the mid‑19th century, enslaved Africans and their descendants made up over 90% of the island’s population.

State law enforcement said Monday that investigation remains ongoing, but so far “no evidence” has been found “to indicate the fire was intentionally set.”

Video shows an Oct. 4 fire that took place on Edisto Island, at Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein's home in Planters Retreat in the Jeremy Cay Community.

EDISTO BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — Three people were transported from the Town of Edisto to a local hospital as a result of a fire on Saturday, a spokesperson with Colleton County Fire-Rescue confirmed. The South Carolina Supreme Court released a statement regarding a fire at a residence believed to belong to Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating a house fire that hospitalized three people Saturday afternoon.

The Edisto Beach, South Carolina, home of Judge Diane Goodstein burned to the ground over the weekend, forcing her Vietnam War hero husband to leap out a window as first responders used kayaks to reach the scene.

Judge Diane Goodstein’s South Carolina home burned to the ground, and now she’s speaking out. The inferno shocked the Edisto Beach community, but Goodstein was reportedly “cheerful” […]