Recently, the Charleston County School District sold the old Laing Middle School and its site, located here in Mount Pleasant, to corporate giant Home Depot. The building is still there as I write this article, as Home Depot has yet to tear it down, but I know it’ll soon be gone, and I’m trying not to be unhappy about it. While I never actually went inside the building, its … [Read more...]
That Long-Ago Mount Pleasant: Francis Graddick Looks Back
Looking at Mount Pleasant today, you might have a tough time believing that this ever-expanding town was once a small, quaint bedroom community where everyone knew everyone else’s name and life moved at slow and steady pace. Modern development has a way of changing all that, and, if not for a few history books and the recollections of those who grew up here, that idyllic … [Read more...]
Bringing Art to All: Perspective Gallery in Mount Pleasant
There’s a duality in the world’s view of art. On one hand, it is seen as a mere luxury afforded to those with financial means, while there are those who believe that to express oneself is a necessity and that enjoying the beauty and emotion captured in a painting or in print is an essential part of life. Under this premise, art is and should be accessible to everyone. The … [Read more...]
Mount Pleasant’s New Town Hall: Telling Mount Pleasant’s Story
There’s a decent chance that three quarters of a century from now, Mount Pleasant officials might be considering plans for a new Town Hall. Currently, however, the municipality’s public servants are thinking about and planning for the monumental task of moving most of the people who work for the town into a brand-new building that is just months away from completion – on … [Read more...]
The Stables at Boals Farm: Something Old, Something New
In an area where nearly all wedding venues are billed as “unique,” the Stables at Boals Farm stands out from the crowd. Although it opened to weddings and other events just two years ago, it has already become a favorite among couples, both locals and visitors. Weddings held here are a perfect combination of something old and something new. Ronald M. Boals Sr. established … [Read more...]
Road to Romance: Explore the Southeastern Locales of Some of Your Favorite Big Screen Love Stories
Classic tales of love are filled with intrigue and a healthy dose of conflict, and the locales where films are shot can become characters in their own right. Blooming cotton fields, oceanswept shorelines and azalea-clad plantations serve as the backdrop for lovers’ embraces and heated tiffs. The Southeast region provides many a storybook nook and cranny for directors to play … [Read more...]
Bennett Hospitality and Patriots Point: Well Worth the Wait
Patriots Point was in search of a large and steady stream of income to save its main attraction. Local developer Michael Bennett was looking for another place in or near his native Charleston to build “beautiful buildings.” A lease agreement that is expected to be approved by the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority sometime before the end of this year will … [Read more...]
Patriots Point: It’s More Than a Museum
Is Patriots Point a military museum, the home of three aging warships and one of the largest collections of airplanes in the nation and a monument to the men and women who kept the Axis Alliance from its sinister World War II goal of world domination? Or is it a high-tech, hands-on collection of science- and history-related exhibits designed to entertain and educate visitors of … [Read more...]
They’d Rather Be Flying – ECPA and the Mount Pleasant Airport
I park my car no more than 100 yards from what passes for an airport terminal, reveling in the realization that I won’t have to pull out a credit card when I leave the premises. I won’t be hassled by an overzealous TSA agent, nor will I have to decide which bags to check and which to carry on – there’s no room for either on this trip. And when I walk through the front … [Read more...]
Just a Hop and a Skip Up Highway 17 – Awendaw and McClellanville
Those of us who live in Mount Pleasant are fortunate to be surrounded by other coastal communities. It's easy to have the larger ones – Myrtle Beach, Beaufort – on the radar, but what about our smaller neighbors to the north – namely Awendaw and McClellanville? Spring and summer are the perfect months to take a leisurely afternoon and turn it into a fun-filled adventure right … [Read more...]