On what island does Poe's story 'The Gold-Bug' take place?

Poe's story “The Gold-Bug” takes place on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. The island setting is more than a backdrop: Poe had been stationed at nearby Fort Moultrie from 1827 to 1828, giving him firsthand knowledge of the landscape and local stories associated with the coast.

In the tale, William Legrand lives in a remote cabin on Sullivan's Island with his servant Jupiter. After finding an unusual gold-colored beetle, Legrand becomes convinced that it is connected to a buried treasure. A mysterious parchment, invisible ink, a skull, and a substitution cipher eventually lead the group toward treasure associated with the pirate Captain Kidd.

The story was published in 1843 after winning a writing contest sponsored by the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. Poe received a $100 prize, probably the largest single payment he earned for one of his works. “The Gold-Bug” became his most widely read prose story during his lifetime and helped popularize cryptograms.

Readers sometimes confuse the story's island setting with the mainland location where the treasure is ultimately dug up. The adventure begins on Sullivan's Island, while the final excavation takes place across the water on the mainland.