Comfortable relaxation was the charge in the late 1800s which resulted in the Pawleys Island hammocks and hammock swing chairs we enjoy today. A riverboat pilot named Joshua Ward, who barged rice and supplies, needed a replacement for his hot and uncomfortable grass-filled mattresses on his boat. He sought to weave a cotton rope hammock for coolness and luxury. His design, which he tried, tested and modified, resulted in the famous Pawleys Island, South Carolina classics known as Pawleys Island rope hammocks. He created a design with a continuous latched weave and wood spreader bars. His hammock handcrafting is still used by Pawleys Island with custom designed spreader bars which are cut from seasoned hardwood, steamed, bent, drilled, sanded and varnished. Today, Pawleys Island offers cotton rope hammocks, polyester rope hammocks, a fabric hammock line, hammock swing chairs and the Castaways of Pawleys Island line of hammocks, swing chairs and hammock accessories. Fine craftmanship and quality materials define Pawleys Island hammocks.