History

Local legend claims that when the Marquis de Lafayette reached the shores of DeBordieu, he exclaimed, "This land is so beautiful, it must be the borderland of God!" The French translation is "D'aborde Dieu." The Southern translation became "Debidue." Lafayette's description (whether fact or fiction) of DeBordieu still applies.
As one of the oldest coastal communities on the East Coast, DeBordieu enjoys a rich history. Pre-Civil War, DeBordieu was at the center of the 2nd largest rice-producing region in the world. The area prospered and the wealthy rice plantation owners built a colony of homes at DeBordieu.
The end of the Civil War also brought an end to the plantation owner's colony. At the end of the 19th century, wealthy businessmen from the North bought the land and built winter homes and hunting retreats. Dr. Isaac Emerson, the "Bromo-Seltzer King" purchased many of the plantations, which eventually were inherited by his grandson, George Vanderbilt. They remained in the family until 1970 when Lucille Vanderbilt sold a portion of this magnificent property to Wallace F. Pate who began developing the property into what you see today.
Everything changes. Nothing changes. While the owners of DeBordieu have changed over time, one constant has always defined DeBordieu - the preservation of its beauty.
Today, DeBordieu has only 1,250 homesites on 2,700 acres and hundreds of undeveloped acres that have been established as a wildlife preserve in perpetuity. The beauty is eternal.