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 itâll soon be gone, and Iâm trying not to be unhappy about it. While I never actually went inside the building, its … [Read more...]
Veggie Tales: Heath Farms in Mount Pleasant
Once upon a time, the main thoroughfares of Mount Pleasant were not gateways to the beautiful neighborhoods we recognize today but expanses of fertile land where hardworking farmers grew scores of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other staples of Southern produce. It was, of course, long before I moved to this area â even before I was born â but, as I spoke to Douglas M. Heath … [Read more...]
Surrounded by East Cooper’s Past: Local Cemeteries
What is it about old cemeteries that we find so intriguing? Maybe itâs the serenity and natural beauty. Maybe itâs the history. Maybe itâs thoughts of the hereafter. Regardless, the East Cooper area has more than enough historic graveyards to evoke any of these pondering. Quite a few are in some rather unlikely places. Myrtle Grove is barely noticeable on busy Venning Road, … [Read more...]
The Legacy of Tony Page
This Fatherâs Day will be one of the hardest days of my life. My father, Tony Page passed away on March 25. More than 700 people showed up to our family's visitation just to share the love they had for him. Why would so many people take time from their busy lives? I can come up with many reasons, but the best explanation is that he lived his life for his family and … [Read more...]
Snow in 1989 â Remembering the Fun
Back in 1989, Mount Pleasant was a different place in terms of population, businesses and real estate â but one thing was just about the same: the community of people who like to have a good time. And a good time was had by all during the great snow of 1989, which, right on the heels of Hurricane Hugo in September, finished that year off with a bang and a White Christmas for … [Read more...]
Up, Up and Away – Mount Pleasant’s Own Airport
If you werenât actively looking for the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, youâd be hard-pressed to notice that it even exists. Its somewhat remote location is marked only by a modest green sign with white lettering along the U.S. Highway 17 roadside, just north of Park West. Mount Pleasant has its own airport? Whatâs that all about? Where did it come from and where … [Read more...]
War of 1812 – Mount Pleasant, SC
June marks the 200th anniversary of the onset of the War of 1812. While there was no significant combat on South Carolina soil during the two-and-a-half- year conflict, soldiers in Mount Pleasant played an important role early in the war. First a little background. In June 1812, the fledgling United States of America was embroiled in an ongoing conflict between longtime … [Read more...]
A Stormâs Unwelcome Visit to Sullivanâs Island: Sergeant David J. Priceâs Tale of Survival
If Sullivanâs Island Police Sgt. David J. Price could erase a period of his life, he would certainly eliminate the last two weeks of September and the first two weeks of October 1989. During those four weeks, Price lost 99 percent of his worldly possessions, protected a devastated jurisdiction, shared the grief and sorrow of his fellow islandersâ losses and worried about … [Read more...]
The Voyage Back to an Island Rocked by Hugo: One Resident Remembers the Hardest Ride of His Life
Itâs 8 a.m., Sept. 25, four days after Hurricane Hugo. Following an all-night drive from Atlanta, Iâve boarded the harbor-tour boat at Patriots Point for a return to the devastated Isle of Palms. Standing there in a gloomy downpour of rain, weâre a ragtag crowd gathered from all points of shelter. Iâve run the curfew gantlets, dodged fallen trees and avoided dangling … [Read more...]
A Look Back on Hurricane Hugoâs Devastation
Directly after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, Publisher Bill Macchio revealed his limited-edition magazine entitled âHurricane Hugo: Storm of the Centuryâ to residents of Mount Pleasant and the surrounding islands. Take a sneak peek at some of the articles here, and then head over to our website, mountpleasantmagazine.com, to continue reading these awe-inspiring, sometimes … [Read more...]