Ask anyone from Charleston or the surrounding areas, "What do you remember about Folly Beach?" and you will get a remarkable array of answers. For some, Folly Beach is a memory of youthful days of freedom; for others it is where the avant-garde, bohemian types lived. Having hosted plague victims, playwrights and maybe a pirate or two, Folly has had a checkered past.

Folly Beach today is a locale for upscale homes and condominiums. In spite of this shift from a blue-collar retreat to a chic destination, Folly has remained Charleston's wild cousin and hosts more bars and churches per square...