Ridgeville is a small town of about 1,500 residents with a peaceful, rural setting. With proximity to employers, highways and the bustling cities of Charleston and Summerville, it's on the verge of substantial growth. The Walmart distribution center, Volvo car plant and Resonac, a graphite electrode supplier, are major employers in the area. Area officials noted in the 2024 Downtown Master Plan that the area lacked grocery stores and expressed a desire to build a stronger town identity with a walkable and thriving village center. "Soon enough, it'll be the next hot spot," says Nick Crane, owner of Cobblestone Properties with Realty One Group. "There's going to be a lot of growth."
Historic renovation opportunities and new homes communities
Ridgeville's median single-family home price is $400,000 — significantly lower than Charleston's. There is also more space to grow. "It's just a little more elbow room than anything — the ability to not be so on top of your neighbors," says Crane, who has been practicing real estate in the Low Country area since 2017. Victorian, Queen Anne, bungalow and country cottage-style homes showcase this area's 18th- and 19th-century origins. However, many need repairs. The Master Plan recommends preserving these homes by listing them on the National Register of Historic Places. New home subdivisions are popping up around the area, but additional housing is still necessary.
Dorchester County schools in Ridgeville and surrounding towns
Dorchester County School District Four serves the area and gets an overall B-minus grade from Niche. It emphasizes cultural diversity, cutting-edge technology and innovative programs. The C-plus-rated Clay Hill Elementary School is the only school in town, but bus services are available to the upper schools. The district includes two middle schools and one high school in St. George and Dorchester. Woodland High School earns a B-minus and features several high-achieving extracurricular organizations.
Swimming, hiking and camping in the cypress swamp
The Edisto River and cypress swamps set the scene for outdoor activities. Givhans Ferry State Park is a popular spot to explore the natural setting, with campsites, hiking trails and a swimming spots. Ridgeville maintains one town park featuring new play equipment and a covered picnic pavilion. New parks are in Ridgeville's future. The new downtown plan aims to weave green spaces between the homes and shops, including a central park with a pavilion.
A few favorite restaurants in town, grocery stores out of town
Ridgeville has some well-loved gathering spaces, but is generally a desert for food, groceries, pharmacies, healthcare and childcare. Dukes Bar-B-Que, one of the few dining options, has been serving the area for about 40 years. It's a local favorite for the southern-style buffet on the weekends. Servers greet their regulars by name at Christina's Pizza & Subs. Carter's gas station has cold drinks and grab-and-go snacks, but locals drive about 6 miles to Food Lion and other grocery stores in Summerville. The weekly Sunday morning farmer's market helps meet the demand for fresh produce and groceries. The Downtown Master Plan points out future commercial plots in the town center. Proposed pedestrian pathways and inviting store frontage could help draw more businesses and foot traffic.
Holiday festivities and Sunday worship services
Ridgeville builds community ties with annual celebrations. The fall season includes trick-or-treating and a Moonlight Market, a Halloween-themed take on the Sunday farmer's market. Christmastime consists of a holiday market with vendor booths and a downtown parade. Ridgeville Baptist Church, dating back over a century, also brings neighbors together for Sunday worship services.
Interstate 26 leads to Charleston
Ridgeville is a car-dependent area since locals commute out of town for the essentials. Truck traffic from nearby industry remains an issue, which leaders hope to solve with a planned truck route on the future Campbell Thicket Road. Pedestrian safety is another future focus, with planned sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting. U.S. Route 78 and Interstate 26 are direct routes to Summerville and Charleston, about 35 miles southeast. Future multi-modal pathways could also connect to Summerville.
A typical day for Marshall Walker, Broker/Owner Marshall Walker of Marshall Walker Real Estate, can involve anything from selling homes to running meetings to...mowing lawns?
"It's important to take care of details, even the ones that you don't normally see real estate agents taking care of," Walker says. "One Sunday, a buyer client pulled up to his new home in a moving van and found me mowing the lawn! I just wanted the new owner to be happy."
Walker began serving people long before he entered the real estate business. He was an auto mechanic specializing in Rolls Royce and Bentley motorcars for 18 years, until arthritis forced him to switch careers. After being involved with several real estate transactions, he decided that a career in real estate might be just what he needed. And with that thought in mind, he started in November 2003 and rapidly developed one of Charleston's premier property Web sites.
Always thinking outside the box is what sets Marshall Walker apart from the typical real estate broker. He has renovated a gas station near Hampton Park into a café and sales office, Walker has turned a vision into a reality.
"In 2005, I was in London and visited a real estate office that operated within an Internet café," Walker says. "Today I've completed the environmental cleanup and renovation of an old gas station to ultimately house a neighborhood gathering space and real estate office where people can come hang out, search the Internet for homes, and visit with our sales staff."
In addition to his residential activities, Walker and his team have started to specialize in finding homes not yet on the market, oftentimes heir’s properties. We always ensure that both parties are represented to the highest ethical standards in these transactions. Many buyers want to find a great deal but quite frankly it’s so difficult to find these homes that buyers are paying market value or higher to get an untouched original home.
"Staying ahead of the technology curve used to be the difficult part" Walker says "with our office we started at the ground level incorporating cloud technology - this way we will always be agile enough to provide the services one will come to expect from a Full Service Real Estate Brokerage"
What’s the real goal? Walker does not hesitate “Being a viable neighbor by reinvesting in our schools, parks and community with resources and leadership. I feel it’s incredibly important to maintain a local office where consumers and neighbors can find us - in today’s technology age wouldn’t you find it reassuring to know your brokerage is just down the street?”
Contact Marshall Walker Real Estate to learn more about a variety of services and come see us on the corner of Rutledge Avenue and Race Street!
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
