Have you ever heard of Cherry Grove Manor? If you have lived in North Myrtle Beach or been going to Cherry Grove for more than 7 years, then you may remember the hotel resort in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach, SC. Based on recollections of some that have been in this area longer than me, it was a small Mom and Pop type Family owned hotel resort located at 21st Avenue and North Ocean Boulevard.
Manor is Closed and Gone
They had 43 units available rent by the night or by the week. It is no longer standing and has been gone for several years.
Why am I Writing About Cherry Grove Manor?
You may ask why I chose to write about this property, being that it is no longer standing on its previous NMB location. I was doing some research about Cherry Grove and ran across the name of this resort and thought it was odd that there was virtually nothing about it on the web that I could find. People seemed to be looking for it quite a bit. It is not located on Little River Neck Road as some pages may suggest. Google even has it located there, but I think that may be a mistake that has not been corrected. I decided to post this article in case anyone was interested in commenting about this resort. Did your family ever stay there?
Fast Forward to 2015
What is located at 21st Avenue now? You will find Wyndham Vacation Resorts Towers on the Grove in the former location of Cherry Grove Manor. They offer ocean front condos and suites with lots of amenities; lazy river, pool and of course the beach.
Stay in Cherry Grove
Cherry Grove is one of my favorite sections of North Myrtle Beach. It used to be it’s own township before joining with the other townships to become North Myrtle Beach. Cherry Grove is a more laid back section with lots of choices for family vacations. You will find many great oceanfront homes and cottages. If you prefer a condominium, you will find both small boutique type condos as well as the BIG Resort condo buildings with lots of extra amenities.
Attractions in Cherry Grove
If you are looking for lots of activities other than the attraction of sun, sand and surf, you may find yourself frequently in your vehicle. Cherry Grove is convenient to a lot of restaurants and things to see and do, but few are located in Cherry Grove. You have the fishing pier, a few dining options, putt putt and shops. Most will find what they are looking for just a short drive to other sections of NMB, like Ocean Drive, Windy Hill and Crescent Beach. The sights and sounds of Myrtle Beach is not far south and may give you more even more things to see and do.
Cherry Grove Rentals
If you are looking for a place to stay in NMB. Check out our lodging and accommodations section.
Dear Keith,
I really liked the 1970s, the ’60s and ’70s were the best music and entertainers still being played today, & can remember many things as if yesterday. I remember enjoying playing chess with your father Ralph Helmer Sr. in the evening out front on the right side of the building if I recall ground floor can’t recall if that was like an office or living room as the focus was on chess. I also remember eating my first grits in your kitchen at Cherry Grove Manor, at the time your cook that was fixing us breakfast was a big nice black woman who I was amazed could break so many eggs with both hands at the same time as I was used to breaking an egg with both hands for one egg.
Also never forget them showing Jaws at the theater at Myrtle Beach stopped me from going into the ocean.
Prior to that I used to body surf into the shore with Dad or lay on a raft in front of Cherry Grove Manor.
I remember times on the raft the water underneath me would turn dark and not knowing what was down there, I pulled my feet out of the water, not that it probably would have done any good for any creature that really wanted me but at least that was my quick reaction at the time.
One time I remember being offshore & your beach lifeguard yelling at me that I was too far out, that I should get back to shore & evidently there must have been some type of undertow or something gradually pulling me out to sea.
I remember trying to swim hard on the raft to get back to shore like the lifeguard told me but making very slow progress as I started towards some rocks further up the beach which I avoided, but by the time I finally got to shore I was way up the beach towards your Cherry Grove Pier I believe it’s been a long time.
Remember one night my dad had a bag full of fireworks & my brothers & I went with him along the beach setting them off having fun as Dad gave us three punks to light & use them to ignite the fireworks. Glad Dad did not get hurt, but I think my youngest brother put in a lit punk into his bag of fireworks & it was funny when they started to go off in the bag that Dad was holding which Dad quickly tossed the whole bag into the ocean that night.
Another time I remember I thought I’d be clever with the bottle rockets & create 3 stages to gain altitude, grouped together so that they would go higher, if I recall I believe you and Ralph Jr were with me when I was doing it & helped with my brilliant idea.
I remember after assembled we launched at poolside and boy did it go up slowly because of the weight, but forgot one thing. All bottle rockets had report when the lower two stages should not have had any report so that when our creation started to go up slowly at the pool side, after we lighted the lower stage first, then the second stage, then lighted the third stage last.
Unfortunately when the lower stage bottle rockets report kicked in, it of course separated all the bottle rockets that we had tied together, & those bottle rockets started going all over the place around your pool. It was a funny memory because no one got hurt mainly scared to death haha ?.
But I will say this, the look I remember getting from my father was a killer. Keith, those were the days my friend we thought they would never end. Take care, Blake
We stayed at Cherry Grove Manor for several years, usually the second week of October, with children, then grown children and grandchildren. Les & Kay Doggett. We were sick when it was torn down. We have not found a place for family beach trips since. We really miss it.
Kay, yes many people including our family feel the same way. Keith, Ralph Jr, & their parents really made Cherry Grove Manor a terrific vacation resort a home away from home, treating everyone like family with many making reservations for the next year during their vacation like my parents used to.
I thought the same thing, wondering if there is another vacation place like that anywhere, because thanks to the Hellmer family, it was great!
FYI, Ralph Helmer Sr & his wife Vera worked hard along with their sons to make it a nice place. Ralph Sr started another business back around 1972 or so called the Carolina Resorts Realty, renting out cottages to vacationers.
If you remember Keith, Keith & his wife Melanie & sons have been running his father’s business Carolina Resorts Realty for the last 30 years, the business his Father founded.
Passing this along to you & others in case you have a family looking for a place to spend your family vacations, you may want to look up our old friend Keith Hellmer North Carolina Resorts Realty. Although our favorite place Cherry Grove Manor is gone, I am confident that my good friend Keith and his wife Melanie, may be able to assist you with your vacation plans.
But yes I agree, I do not know of any other terrific place like Cherry Grove Manor was which was mainly in part thanks to the Hellmer family making you feel so at home every year. Surely do not know how they put up with all those hurricanes, our family evidently got lucky on timing on vacations there!!!
Blake
CHERRY GROVE MANOR
Dear Keith, Hi, I probably already said this but thanks to You, Ralph, & your parents & Cherry Grove Manor you made it such a wonderful place full of wonderful memories like a home away from home on vacation for many many people.
I can’t even imagine how many families that your family had a tremendous impact on, a lot!
It really tells you something, when years after Cherry Grove Manor sadly no longer existed, for someone like Bo the Web Guy to post an internet article about Cherry Grove Manor history as he wondered why there were so many people trying to locate it on the internet even though it no longer existed. Fortunately he posted that nice article allowing many past guests and Friends leaving comments on the website.
I’m pretty sure Ralph Sr & Vera knew of the tremendous wonderful impact that your family’s work provided to so many, as I remember my parents & other families poolside around July 4th already making reservations for next year during the middle of our vacation.
It sure would have been nice for them to see that article of your family’s legacy, as hard as your family worked to give so many families a wonderful vacation.
My dad was somehow very good at finding diamonds in the rough his whole life. I’ll never forget one time asking him as he invested in some company on the other side of the planet, I’ve never heard of that company why are you investing in it. Dad made me laugh when he said, the Chinese are buying up the whole planet, the Chinese want it, & he wanted anything that Chinese wanted haha ?
Take care, your friend Blake
Turner, I read your post & made me sad too that Cherry Grove Manor was torn down, as yes, it was a very nice place to stay, in fact one of our favorite vacations thanks to the Hellmer family that owned & operated it & was so good to see Keith, Ralph Jr, Ralph Sr, & Vera over the July 4th holiday for many years as they made you feel right at home there. I remember we always stayed in one of the two ground floor kitchen efficiencies next to the beach, either side of the swimming pool. After this pandemic was hoping one day to visit Cherry Grove Manor once again & see my friend Keith, Ralph Jr, Ralph Sr, & Vera.
Keith, Melanie, & sons for decades have been operating CAROLINA RESORTS REALTY for rentals started by his father, Ralph Hellmer Sr way back around 1972.
Time passes quickly, Best Wishes, Blake Baker
I Stayed at Cherry Grove Manor when Hurricane Bob hit. Hurricane Bob was a mild hurricane and still the plate glass window on the beach side was bowing in the room in it’s frame. People were crowded on the Cherry grove pier beside it. They were cheering and the hurricane to come in. When the first wave of the wind and rain hit. They were getting off the Pier really fast. I was watching them as the first band of the hurricane hit. It was like somebody with a giant towel swept cross the plate glass window so much and run down like a water fall. We closed the curtains and Slept in the shield second room because we were afraid the Plate Glass window would explode into the room. When the sun came up the next morning there was a foot of water in the main street. Told my wife as soon as the water went down, we were heading home. The beach was a mess and the swimming pool was full of sand and trash. I was told that Hurricane Hugo wash half the Cherry Grove Manor away and that is why it was torn down. Made me sad, because it was a nice place to stay.
I worked at Towers on the Grove for several years. In the hallways of the tower, they had some very old photos from Cherry Grove Beach and Windy Hill. There was one or two photos of the Manor also. One from the roadside thats a pretty close photo. The sign was visible, some really old vehicles out front, I’m guessing 1950s to 60sish. I think the other was an aerial photo. Crazy how close they built the houses to the water back then. I bet they had to rebuild quite a bit back in those days when the storms came through. Great post. Best wishes.
Dear Keith Hellmer, wanted to share one of the best one-page writings I’ve ever read called “The Dash” written by Linda Ellis in 1996. I had never heard of it before but strangely enough I received a one-page copy in the mail with the coupons when Dad died. Amazingly well written, It can be found with a quick Google search & is extremely worthy of a quick read so much so I wish I knew Linda Ellis! Keith, until I saw your post to a Jeff I thought he was your son or Ralph’s? I thought your parents originally built Cherry Grove Manor in 1964 & were the only owners? I was thinking of revisiting You & Your family at Cherry Grove Manor & was shocked when I read the Manor was torn down. So much gets erased! Past places of employment & restaurants have been torn down! We used to eat at Johnny Kans Chinese Restaurant in Chinatown, San Francisco but maybe closed. Tarantino’s Restaurant (Est 1946) on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco one of our favorite restaurants still open! Blake
SUN 7/18/2021
Dear Keith, Hi don’t know what prompted me to look at https://explorenmb.com/cherry-grove-manor again today, strange? It was really good to hear from you today from your SAT 7/17/2021 post yesterday what are the odds? My kids & I communicate by text instead of email anymore. Like you, first time I looked for Cherry Grove Manor on web was 2021 when I was thinking of You & Your family & made a post in May for some reason & kept short for web. As one of my best friends You & I could write a book, so many memories from eating my first grits from your cook, going to the country club in your Volvo, beach, & nighttime activities. Sorry you didn’t have more time with your parents. I lost my grandmother about 10 years ago, & parents a few years ago after taking care of them through many surgeries, & great cousin last year. Hurts losing loved ones! Oldest daughter’s family was transferred to Colorado! 2021 has been a pleasant surprise! In addition to You, another old best friend contacted me & my son & daughter are bringing in 2 more grandsons to the family! Blake
Blake for whatever reason my phone open this page up. I’m not sure if I can reply with my contact information but my cell phone is 843-222-4722 and my email is Keith hellmer@iCloud.com. I see that you mentioned our chef twice at Cherry Grove Manor! His name was Lehman Smith. Oddly he died at 39 years old not too long after you guys came to the manor. I have two boys. One is Lawton and he is in real estate and works with my wife Melanie. Our youngest son is Graham and he’s finishing up at coastal Carolina University I would certainly love to hear from you and hope that you’ve been well my friend. It sounds like life is treating you well. I will look forward to catching up. Keith
Cherry Grove Manor was our favorite family vacation place for many years every July 4th in early 1970s before college, work, marriage, etc consumed us, thanks to such wonderful owners, the Helmers, they were family! The Helmers were terrific. I had such wonderful times double dating with Keith Helmer at least until the year we saw “Jaws”. Stopped surfing all together. As a kid, enjoyed beating his father at chess as he was pretty good. I remember one time helping Keith when he got electricuted changing a light bulb as back then they did NOT have polarized plugs. Was thinking about cherry Grove Manor when I saw online that it was stored down, sad, what a loss to everyone. But it was Keith, Ralph, parents, cook, the people that made it so wonderful. I have always missed them in the good times we had together God bless the Helmers
Blake I hate to admit it but this is the first time I have looked for the Cherry Grove Manor on the web. There I found your great post regarding the Manor and my family. Both my mom and dad died in the early 2000s. Ralph is living in Virginia and I am still in Myrtle Beach running Carolina Resorts Realty. It was a joy to meet and know some really wonderful people and we have some great memories of those people including with your family Ralph. Marilyn and Brian. Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. Ralph and I talk often about the Manor and there are many things that we miss to this day. We would like to extend a sincere and warm greetings to all of the Cherry Grove Manor family and friends and I would love to hear from all of our past friends. Much love to all! Keith Hellmer
There is a postcard on ebay now: Cherry Grove Manor – the original one.
The back of the postcard is inscribed with this text:
“Cherry Grove Manor, Cherry Grove Beach, S.C.
2 miles from Intersection of Highways U.S. 17 and S.C. 9.
New Ocean Front Hotel on America’s Widest, Finest Bathing Beach – Every
Room with Ocean View – Private Bath – Informal, Congenial Atmosphere –
American Plan.”
Just search for “Cherry Grove Manor” or “Manor Hotel” and you will find it.
That is pretty cool. Thanks Rusty!
We were at the Manor the day Hugo came. The National Guard knocked on our door that morning and we evacuated of course. Went back in November and room we stayed in on lower level was gone and pool was totally collapsed in. The pier was also gone but we loved this place and many memories with the children and fishing off the pier.
Thank you Pamela for adding your memories of the Manor.
I had 5 kids , way back in the late 80’s and early 90’s …this was my favorite place to stay …it was so family . Infact we got our sixth child there! I have some pictures of my kids taken in the pool area over the yrs .
Hi Pam, it’s Keith Hellmer. I remember that day very well at the Cherry Grove Manor. It was a gorgeous day that week and many of our guests did not want to check out because it was so pretty. Regretfully they had to go as Hurricane Hugo hit us really hard. I remember you and appreciate your patronage at the manor. I am part of the Hellmer family there in the motel from 1964 to the end of 2002.Thank you, would love to hear from you. Thanks for the memory, Keith
You may remember my grandma, we always came to visit. The Joyners. Beatrice Joyner and her brothers and sisters loved Cherry Grove. I sure do miss the manor and would give anything to see it again.
Thank you for the article. Our family stayed at the Manor several times in the early 90’s. My mom moved from Indianapolis to Charlotte and part of our trips to see her included visiting Myrtle Beach. After a couple of trips we found the Manor and fell in love with it. It reminded us of a similar vacation spot in Fort Walton Florida (the Blue Horizon) that like most beach hotels that are mom and pop they sell out and are replaced with high rises. One of our enjoyments about the manor was that many family’s like ours stayed there. Many from Canada and it always seemed they had small children like ours which kept our kids busy for hours. Oh well, like most good things time passes on. Thanks again for reminding me of our good times.
Thanks Sean for taking the time to add your comments about the Cherry Grove Manor
MANY a fond family memories…Many photos from many trips annually.. Thanks for the info.
My Grandparents used to own the Hotel.
If you have any old pics I would love to have some copies
Jeff,
Myself and my family stayed at the manor for several different years. We will be back in cherry grove the first week of June. this will be my first time back since the Manor has been gone. We loved that place. My mom & dad had became very good friends with your grandparents. Even sent each other Christmas cards for years. ill include my email address, send me an email sometime and remind me and I will send you some of our old family pics taken at the Manor.
Sincerely
Chris from Indiana
Hi Jeff, I am just wondering who your grandparents were? My family, the Hellmer family owned the property from 1964 to 2002. The Manor was torn down several years later to make way for the Towers on the Grove.
I hate to hear it’s gone. But we keep the memories! Do you remember Eric Sustar and his family? Regulars there too!
My family and I often came and stayed at Cherry Grove Manor when I was a kid. My favorite part of every beach trip was walking from the main office to the pool door outside and seeing the pool and the ocean back drop. Even thinking back on it now brings back so many memories of joy. If you have any photos of the manor, I would LOVE to see them, I’m all about nostalgia. I’ll leave my email here – liquatic87@gmail.com