Who owns mysterious UFO house along the Grand Strand? It’s not a famous wrestler
It has long been an oddity along the Grand Strand.
Known by locals as the “UFO house” or “The Flying Saucer House,” the round, white Garden City home looked like something out of a sci-fi film when it was built in 1976 – a stark difference from the cute beach cottages and homes that surrounded it.
For nearly 50 years, it has overlooked the Murrells Inlet marsh, withstanding several major hurricanes, which was the purpose for its odd construction.
Walden Graham, one of the two men responsible for its construction, used the home for weekend beach getaways for his family.
The home was to be a model for other such designs across South Carolina.
But Graham, who died on Sept. 5, 2025, couldn’t have anticipated that the spaceship-shaped home would garner so much attention and become a must-see for both locals and visitors.
The last of its kind
The idea for the home came during a time when Graham, who worked in construction, and his friend, Kenneth McDowell, an engineer from Murrells Inlet, were looking for something for their crews to do in between jobs.
“At the time, (there was) a hurricane or two close to Myrtle Beach, this got our attention,” the Galivants Ferry resident said in an interview with The Sun News in September 2024.
McDowell saw a home that could withstand a hurricane in Popular Mechanics magazine.
“His crew didn’t have anything to do, and I didn’t have anything to do,” so the two men went to Florida and watched them build it,” the 91-year-old said.
The home was designed by Miami architect Peter Vander Klout and was an early attempt to construct a hurricane proof home that could withstand winds as high as 300 mph.
Klout’s design was used to build several homes in south Florida.
At the time the Garden City home was built, it was one of only six in the world, according to Graham’s son, Kenneth.
His father actually had acquired the franchise to build similar homes in South Carolina, but the style never took hold, Kenneth Graham said. The Garden City home was the only one built.
It is believed to be the last remaining house in the U.S. with that design, as many of the similar homes in Florida have been abandoned or demolished.
Does Ric Flair live there?
Kenneth Graham is amused by what people say about the home that the family calls The Round House.
“I’ve heard all kinds of stuff,” Kenneth Graham said. “I like looking on the internet and see what people say about it.”
In addition to it being referred to as the UFO house, Kenneth Graham said other people have noted that former WWE wrestler Ric “The Nature Boy” Flair lived in the home.
The truth is that the home on South Waccamaw Drive is owned by the Graham family, who used it for vacations and holidays.
The home gathered a crowd when it was being built and people would often ask to see inside, Kenneth Graham said.
Nothing has changed inside or outside of the four-bedroom, two-bath home. It has remained a time warp, stuck with its 1970s decor, including shag carpet.
And while the original carpet remains, it has faded somewhat over time. “It was green,” Kenneth Graham said, “now it’s kind of yellow.”
“We haven’t changed anything,” Michael Graham said.
The brothers would often accompany their father to the Garden City area and end up staying the night at the home. Their father owned Walden B. Graham Construction and G & C Mining, which the brothers now operate.
The home has withstood several storms and hurricanes over the years. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo made landfall along the Grand Strand, bringing with it 140 mph winds. Many homes were demolished or severely damaged in the Garden City area, however, the Round House suffered no damage.
“It was supposed to be hurricane proof,” Kenneth Graham said of the Round House.
Now that their father has passed away, sons Kenneth and Michael Graham say they have no intentions of selling it.
“We’ll keep it in the family,” Michael Graham said.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 7:05 AM.
