Hardeeville’s origins can be traced back to 1738, when a Swiss and German settlement was established on the banks of the Savannah River. The hardships encountered by those early colonists, along with competition from Savannah, drove many of them away. The few that remained formed the core of the town that grew up in the 19th century around a settlement established by North Carolinian Isaac Hardee.

When a new railroad from Charleston to Savannah came through the area, Isaac’s son, Whyte William Hardee, built a depot on the line, both it and the surrounding area became known as Hardee Station. By the time the town was officially established in 1911, the name had become Hardeeville.

The presence of a railroad line between two major seaports – one that also connected to main rail lines across the continent -- spurred the growth of lumbering in the Hardeeville area. In fact, one of the largest logging operations in the world was centered around Hardeeville – the Argent Lumber Company.

Though the lumber industry began to decline through the 20th century, the routing of both the Ocean Highway (locally, Highway 17) and, later, Interstate 95 into the Hardeeville area introduced the business of tourism to the area.