Lights Out For A Summerville Legend--Extinguished By The Hand Of Progress

near Sigma Road

A half a century ago, when I-26 construction began along the outskirts of Summerville, a story emerged that the resulting roadwork coaxed a ghost from the disturbed ground. An overpass bridge was under construction to reconnect the severed stretch of road known as Sheep Island. It ran from N. Main Street to 176. Thus, began the era of the ghostly Legend of the Summerville Light. It is a story Washington Irving would have coveted.

Then, on July 28, 2015, I posted a photo of Sheep Island Road (locals call it Light Road) along with its infamous story on Facebook. The ensuing response was prodigious; irrefutably confirming the Legend of the Summerville Light was Summerville’s most famous and beloved ghost story. It profoundly captured the local’s imagination over the years, mainly the younger generations, driven by their impetuous nature to satisfy their insatiable curiosity to know. Some of those who responded were doubters, but overwhelmingly many were believers. If you would like to read some of the comments, click on this link: Summerville Light. You will find the responses quite interesting.

There are variations in its telling. The following is a popular version. The story tells of a woman whose husband was a night conductor for the Summerville railroad company. Every night around midnight, you could see her faithfully waiting by the tracks with a lantern. Upon seeing the lantern, the train would make a special stop to let her husband off, and the two would then walk home arm and arm. One night the train was late. When it finally arrived and came to a stop, the workers informed her of an accident. Her husband was decapitated. His head was never recovered. Although they buried his remains, she never accepted the fact that her husband was gone. So, she went to the tracks every midnight with her lantern and walked up and down, waiting for him. Out of courtesy and compassion, the train would stop to tell her of the accident, but as time passed, it became too painful to recount it, and the train no longer stopped. People began to think she was crazy, but she continued this nightly ritual until her death. Even after the train was gone and the tracks eventually removed, the belief remained she still walked with lantern in hand, waiting for the train and her husband’s return.

If you go to where the tracks once were on Sheep Island Road just before midnight, you can hear the usual sounds of the night, crickets chirping, tree frogs croaking, and the breeze blowing through the branches. Then, at midnight, the sounds suddenly cease for some odd reason, as if a presence has suddenly quieted them. Then you see it. Usually, it is far off, a light coming your way. If you stick around for it to get closer, it will chase you, and if you are in a car, everything suddenly shuts off. It has been the case for every person who has seen the mysterious light.

In the November 12, 1970 edition of the Evening Post, Sandra Baxley wrote in a first-person account, “Nothing can match the feeling of amazement when you see what you had not expected to see.”

She continued, “Directly in front of the car, at what might have been 200 yards, was an orangish light about the size of a golf ball. The darkness around it had a hypnotizing effect, and I moved my eyes to the right and the left. The color slowly changed to a bluish tint and may have become larger.”

Baxley said she was dumbfounded to learn only two out of her five friends had seen anything. Then, she said, the light reappeared. “This time, we all saw it.” She concluded, “We saw enough to make us keep our rain boots handy.”

Bruce Orr, a retired criminal investigator of Berkeley County and a researcher of legends and lore, has appeared on Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. He wrote about his own experience with the Summerville Light in his 2011 book Haunted Summerville, South Carolina.

After a scary first encounter with the light one night, he related the occurrence to his wife, who didn’t believe him. He needed witnesses. The following is his second account.

“Back home, the disbelief continued. That weekend, I took my wife’s brother, who was in the Navy, and a friend who was in the Coast Guard out to Sheep Island Road. Both did not believe my story. I did the same thing, just as Johnny told me, and once again, I deliberately did not turn around. Sure enough, the light came so close that it lit the interior of the car green. It was the size of a basketball and hung in midair. As I listened to two grown men whimper, I was glad the seats in my cruiser were vinyl and prayed they wouldn’t test their waterproof capabilities. The light stopped about a car’s length away and burst into hundreds of firefly-sized lights that dissipated. We all started breathing again and went home. I never doubted Johnny ever again, and those two never doubted me again.”

Concerning his two experiences, Bruce Orr said this, “I cannot say that what I encountered on Sheep Island Road in the mid-‘80s was the ghost of the conductor’s wife, but it is definitely something I cannot explain over twenty-five years later.”

Remnants of the road as seen from Sigma Road

At one time, Sheep Island Road was a favorite place for young men to take their dates to park for a little secluded romance, only to make a harrowing quick exit due to the intruding light.

In time, town officials blocked the road to travel and posted no trespassing signs. The picture I took in 2015 verified that fact. Isolated and dangerous, the local police patrolled it regularly. Only the foolhardy daredevil would consider venturing beyond the barricading dirt mound.

The original barricades

One of the original no trespassing signs

Subsequently, the unstoppable freight train called progress once again changed the landscape around the same I-26 real estate and quite possibly has closed the chapter on the Era of the Summerville Light. The Nexton I-26 connector was constructed. The overpass leading to the dark, overgrown, and wooded hollow is no longer there. Only remnants of the once haunted stretch of Sheep Island Road remain.

As you enter the Nexton Parkway exit off I-26 to go north, quickly look to your right, you may catch a glimpse of the remaining tattered pavement. It briefly touches Sigma Drive and then crosses Nexton Parkway extending northward parallel to the new Del Webb Community and on into obscurity.

There have been no recent reports of the Light. Perhaps, the old widow finally realized the futility of being stuck in the past and extinguished her lantern, possibly forced to do so due to the area’s changes. Additionally, the generation it fascinated has gotten older and moved on.

The Light, as with the North Main Street Arch, the Pine Forest Inn, the Arcade Theater, and the Summerville Railroad Station, is gone but not forgotten as a growing southern town 23 miles outside of Charleston re-imagines itself as it closes one chapter to open another.

Flowertown Players A Doublewide, Texas Christmas--So Good You Can't Pass It Up

Now showing at the James F. Dean Theatre, A Doublewide, Texas Christmas is as wacky as a play can get and despite a couple glitches, after all was said and done, it all ended up putting a doublewide smile on the opening night audience.

A Doublewide, Texas Christmas, written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, is a comedy about the newest and tiniest town in Texas with double trouble. Not only are the trailer park residents dealing with the stress of the holiday season, but they've just discovered that Doublewide's official incorporation papers are in jeopardy. So, to bolster their legitimacy, this enclave of eccentric Texans determine to throw themselves into the County-wide "Battle of The Mangers" competition and then, conspire to win this contest with their "Nativity At The Alamo" entry, by any means possible.

Certainly, Mayor Joveeta Crumpler has her hands full, but there is more. She has to somehow wrangle in her celebrity-obsessed mother, deal with her besieged brother who is being harassed by a army of vengeful Santa Anna raccoons, and attend to a best friend who has been dating every loser this side of Tugaloo and Tinsel. To make matters worse, Joveeta finds herself increasingly wary of the newest fresh out of the loony bin resident, Patsy Price.

With his foot propped up on a chair and dressed in festive pj's at final dress rehearsal, veteran Larry Spinner did what is expected of director's; he honed the finer details of the crazy chaos about to be unleashed unto the opening night stage and orchestrated the capable kookie cast with carefully employed suggestions. But, he did not accomplish this on his own. He was assisted by the very talented queen of wacky, Heather Hogan. A stand out from one of the funniest shows of the year, The Red Velvet Cake Wars, Heather is usually seen on stage. This was her first go at assistant directing.

If being wacky was a prerequisite to land a part in Doublewide Christmas, each of the cast members fit the tone of the script nicely. Jennifer Post as Big Ethel Satterwhite superbly set the tone for the play in her opening address with a slew of one liners.

Courtney Bates stole the show in her portrayal of the frazzled Mayor Joveeta Crumpler, who found herself in compromising positions on a couple occasions, one being on an exercise ball with Texas sequenced across her Doublewide ars, the other manifested her prowess to think on her feet.


The honorary title of most wacky goes to Chase Graham as Baby Crumpler. From the moment his character got zapped by the Christmas lights to being harassed by menacing raccoons, he convincingly appeared to be having fun as he energetically ran from scene to scene like he was one sweet potater away from a certifiable psychotic breakdown, and the two-legged elf hat he wore was the crown of wackiness.

The character, Lark Barken, is wacky sprinkled with sweetness and Maddie Latham was the perfect choice. Her facial expressions are priceless and delivers her lines laced by a matching overtone with a lilting inflection. Maddie's character is pivotal to a plot that gets muddled in all the wackiness, until the end, when like a balloon suddenly springing a major leak, drops out of nowhere.

Erin Larsen plays the part of vengeful Patsy Price who is said to be about as fun as a case of shingles by her brother, Haygood Sloggett, portrayed by John Lowther. Unlucky in love Georgia Dean Rudd is played by the hard working Joy Springfield. As Joveeta's wanna-be celebrity mother, Caprice Crumpler, Debra Glovier's moment in the spot light was when she sang a solo outfitted in a sparkling red dress and Jonathan Quarles carried the double role of Nash Sloggett and Texas' gift to women, Harley Dobbs.

A Doublewide, Texas Christmas is sure'nuff funny, but that ain't all there is to the play if you are able to dig through the "-ness" of "a few pickles short of a barrel." Larry Spinner summarized it this way, "Through the laughter, it reminds us of the need to be compassionate and forgiving. Anger and revenge are self-destructive, and everyone deserves a second chance. Most of all, I feel this show is a story of hope: never give up hope for a better future."

As a Texan would say: A Doublewide, Texas Christmas--"you can't beat that with a stick". So, "you have two different buckets of possums"--first, picking your day to see the show and then, purchasing your ticket.

Purchase tickets.
November 29, 30, December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14 at 8pm, December 1, 7, and 14 at 3pm

Stage Manager/Sound Operator-Alexa Jordon, Costume Designer-Patti Kelly, Props Master-Nicole Coke, Set Design-Ernie Eliason and Courtney Bates, Lighting Designer-Ernie Eliason, Sound Design-Larry Spinner and Courtney Bates, Set Construction-Ernie Eliason and Chrissy Eliason, Wardrobe Assistant-Emma Wood, Set Construction/Lighting Operator-Ayla Camp

'Tis The Season To Ice Skate--The Town Of Summerville And Summerville DREAM's Gift To Its Residents And Visitors

This past week snowbird winter made an early surprise visit to Summerville and the Lowcountry. However, if you are a reader of The Old Farmer's Almanac, you were anticipating Old Man Winter's sudden early arrival. So far, the long range forecast for the Southeast Region has been spot on.

According to the weather prognosticator, it prognosticates "Winter will be warmer and rainier than normal, with below-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be in mid- to late November, early to mid-December, and early and late February. The best chance for snow will be in late February in the north." I have always said, "If it is going to be cold, I'd rather see it snow."

There is a certain beauty in freshly fallen snow. How it fondly clings to the needles of the pine tree branches and blankets the landscape with a sense of tranquility. The quiet is so overwhelming you can hear the air. It is the perfect time to grab the shovel and head to your favorite lake or pond, scrape away a section of snow from off the crystal clear frozen water, and strap on the ice skates. It is one of the simple pleasures of the season.

Snow is a rarity in Summerville and the Lowcountry, even when it is cold enough. Usually, when it is cold enough, there are no clouds to produce the needed precipitation. Though it adds to the aura, you don't need snow to ice skate. All you need is the ice. With that having been said, aside from the arrival of the early Southern style winter weather, something else is coming this month of November. Summerville will have their very own ice skating rink thanks to the Town and the imagination of Summerville DREAM.

The overflow parking lot at 208 S Ceder Street just south of West Richardson is being transformed into an 40' by 80' outdoor ice skating rink just in time for the holidays. "The boxed structure comes with all the piping. It's a glycogen system. It runs through a chiller," said Steve Doniger, the executive director of Summerville DREAM. DREAM has been overseeing the building and will handle the operations for what is called Summerville Skates.

The skating rink is owned by a husband-wife team called Ice Games 88. Wayne Seybold, along with his sister Natalie, performed around the world and represented the United States at the 88 Calgary Winter Olympic Games in the couples competition. The brother/sister team was the first to successfully land the throw triple lutz. Jennifer Seybold has performed in shows around the United States including an ice show at the Carowinds amusement park. Clearly, they bring to the table 40 years of experience in the area of Figure Skating and 20 years in the portable skating rink business. They were present when the work of laying out and assembling the system began.

Listening to Doniger talk about the planned rink, you can tell the DREAM team is dedicated to making it a success. The rink will afford the opportunity for the community's families and kids to enjoy something different this coming holiday season. "We want to do interesting things to show the quality of life in Summerville is such that they want to grow up here and invest here." Of course, its overall success will depend greatly on the residents themselves and a little cooperation from the weather.

Molly Willard, Director of Development/Promotion and Design, provided a proposed layout she has been working on to give an idea of what the finished seasonal ice rink will look like. There will be parking available on site, bleachers for seating, picnic tables, sponsored concession stands, and a possible split rail fence. My fanciful idea: How about a snow making machine for one of those rare cold days. Wouldn't that make for a interesting picture.

Summerville Skates will be open to the public, birthday parties, group events and community fundraisers throughout the winter season. The Flowertown Players have already scheduled an event to promote their production of Disney Frozen Jr due to open in March. In fact, auditions for the production will take place on the very day the rink opens, Saturday, November 23rd at 6 pm. So, stay up to date by checking out Summerville Skates' web page or their Facebook page.

So participants can get the most out of their experience and for safety reasons, the maximum number of people on the ice at any given time will be limited. You will need to reserve your day and time to guarantee your spot. General admission is $8 and an additional $4 to rent skates, but with the discount opportunities planned, Doniger said the average cost for a family will be $20 to $25.

Summerville Skates will run from November 23rd through January 11th. Over three hundred pairs of skates will be available for rent. Group sales and rink rental packages will be available. Hours of operation will be Monday-Friday 3-9 pm and Saturday and Sunday 11 am-9 pm.

Summerville Skates' slogan is Happiness is... ice skating. Enjoy the video.

Immerse Your Tea-buds Into Summerville Tea Emporium's Extensive Inventory Of Loose Leaf Tea

Enter through this door located at the corner of N Magnolia St. and E 2nd N St. in Summerville and you will embark on a journey into the diverse world of loose leaf tea brought to you by Old Barrel Tea Company and hosted by proprietor, Maggie Brooks. With blends like Pumpkin Pie Chai, Blood Orange and Lemongrass, and Coconut Black and Vanilla Rooibos, all you Lowcountry tea lovers wouldn't want to miss it for all the tea in China.

Old Barrel Tea Company is a female run, family business, and there is nothing dainty about this group of tea vendors. For this mother/daughter collaboration, Dana Huffman and Bailey Riddle, tea is more than just an afternoon break. It is a way of life. "We drink tea and tisanes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all the time in between. We don't put our pinkies up while drinking tea," is part of their motto. Rounding out the tea cadre are Dana's daughter-in-laws, Paola and Nenada. Paola does all of the blending at the business's warehouse.

Old Barrel Tea Company had its beginnings in Ruidoso, New Mexico, but through the endeavors of Maggie Brooks, it is fitting O.B.T.C. has found its way to the place where in the early 1700's tea bushes, also known as Camellia Sinensis, first arrived in the United States from China and in due course, through the efforts of Dr. Charles Shepard and Summerville's Pinehurst Tea Plantation, American grown tea become a reality by 1888.

Maggie grew up in Florida and like most Southerners drank sweet tea. She attended Jacksonville University where she acquired a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Science. After graduating, she moved to New Mexico and worked for the White Sands National Monument--the world's largest gypsum dunefield with glistening white sands engulfing 275 square miles of desert making it one of the world's great natural wonders. She was there for four months.

After leaving White Sands National Monument, Maggie worked at a high school for 2 1/2 years. It was there she met Bailey, who introduced her to her first loose leaf tea experience--a Pu-Erh tea. It was then her career would take a different path. With passion in her voice, she recounted how she petitioned O.B.T.C. with the request, "Please let me work for your company." Her heart felt plea did not go unanswered. Maggie considers herself the adopted daughter of the Huffman clan.

With a husband in the military, Maggie, along with their daughter, ended up stationed in Myrtle Beach. While doing a Google search for festivals in South Carolina, Summerville's Sweet Tea Festival popped up. She came in contact with Summerville DREAM and a partnership was entered into. The Summerville Tea Emporium was created. Wine barrels were brought in and iron pipe topped with wood shelving were installed on the walls. Over 30 different blends of tea with emphasis on flavor and wellness are offered along with raw, unfiltered honey and various other products.

Summerville Tea Emporium is a neatly arranged, welcoming space. Maggie greets you with a warm smile and possesses a commanding knowledge of her products. Her love and conviction for O.B.T.C. and its goods is unmistakable. Of the three taste offerings presented on my visit, the Blood Orange and Lemongrass--a lightly tart blend full of citrus flavors and naturally caffeine free--was my favorite. The color of the brewed blend was inviting to the eye and the flavor was soothing to the palate. The shop's blends are so voluminous that even the most discriminant tea drinker will not go away unsatisfied.

Old Barrel Tea Company's web blog is called A Dose of PositiviTea and is managed by Maggie. Check it out by clicking here. You will find recipes, product summaries, tea suggestions, and a boun-tea of loose leaf tea trivia.

Summerville Tea Emporium's official opening will take place with a ribbon cutting on Friday, October 25th at 3-6 pm. On Sunday, October 27th, there will be a Garden Tea Party at 1-4 pm.

The Symbol Of Hospitality In A City Of Hospitality--From A Fence Post To A Famous Landmark

I succeeded at producing one of these tasty fruits after pampering its parent plant for two years in a container pot with sweet results. The seed-bearing structure looks like a giant pine cone and shares a name with another popular fruit, the apple. Thus, this colorful, cylindrical edible has become known as a pineapple.

You might question the seed-bearing reference because what you buy at the market has no seeds, but there is a reason why and it will be explained later. And, aside from being a cherished delicacy the world over, it has been a colorful symbol in America's social history.

The pineapple is native to southern Brazil and Paraguay where wild relatives occur. The indigenous tribes eventually spread it up into South and Central America and from there to the West Indies. In 1493 Columbus found the fruit on the island of Guadalupe and carried it back to Spain. since, it was spread around the world on sailing ships of various countries.

In the wild, pineapples are pollinated primarily by hummingbirds, but certain wild pineapples are foraged and pollinated at night by bats. Interestingly, one of the primary places where pineapples have been cultivated, hummingbirds are banned. Hawaiian State law forbids hummingbirds. Pollination by these small birds is not wanted. If the flower pollinates then seeds will develop and that is not desirable in the fruit for the market. Instead, pollination is performed by hand. Ananas, Nanas, and Pina are other names it is known by. The Tupi word Nana meant "excellent fruit."

European explorers coined the name pineapple, referenced for the first time in 1664. In the colonial days of America, legend says when a sea captain returned to his home from a long voyage, he would spear a pineapple on his fence post to let his friends and neighbors know that he had returned safely. They would come over for dinner that night to drink and the captain would entertain them with tall tales of travels to exotic new lands. Through this practice, the pineapple earned its symbolic meaning as a sign of welcome and hospitality.

As the tradition and legend of the pineapple spread, colonial innkeepers added the pineapple to their signs and advertisements. Bedposts carved in the shape of a pineapple were a common sight at inns across the colonies.

The practice of using it as a symbol of hospitality is still carried on today by hotels and service industries.

The Maxwell Hotel in Seattle incorporated the pineapple as a symbol and it is found throughout the hotel. It is located at 300 Roy Street.

The Pineapple Inn is a Nantucket Luxury Hotel in the heart of the Nantucket Historic District offering suites for all needs and tastes since 1838. It is located on 10 Hussey Street, Nantucket, Maine.

As you wander through the stately homes of historic Charleston, you will observe it carved by artisans and craftsmen into fireplace mantels, sculpted into lintels and on some pieces of jewelry.

It became a favorite motif of architects. You will see it displayed throughout Charleston's historic landscape. It can be spotted on doors, atop gates, and most notably in one of the city's most popular destinations, Waterfront Park. The Pineapple Fountain opened in 1990 and has been a focal point of the park. It is one of Charleston's most photographed landmarks. Children are frequently seen splashing in the fountain, where wading is not only permitted but welcomed.

Around 1800, Francis Simmons, a Johns Island planter, built the neoclassical house located in the lower peninsula of Charleston at 14 Legare Street. It is famous for its large, brick gates with decorative wrought iron. The gates were installed by George Edwards, who owned the house in 1835. They bear his initials and include finials that were carved to resemble Italian pine cones. The finials are frequently referred to as pineapples by locals and the house has become known as the Pineapple Gates House.

If you should be driving in the historic district of Summerville on West Carolina, you will pass two houses with stone pineapples mounted on their brick fence entrances. As you drive passed, recall the old story of the sea captain spearing a pineapple on his fence extending hospitality to his neighbors.

Another place in the historic district of Summerville you will catch a glimpse of this custom being portrayed at an entrance is on W. 2nd S. Street.

On E Richardson sits a house built in 1858. The house has been recognized in several magazines and has been awarded a certificate from the Summerville Preservation Society. With an entrance flanked by red pineapples, It was at one time a bed and breakfast.

From a sea captain's fence post to colonial inn bedposts, the pineapple has invoked a sense of hospitality. It has inspired inn keepers to use it as a symbol on their establishments and architects and artisans to incorporate it into their works of art found throughout early American colonial history. Its supremacy as a welcoming symbol continues today. How sweet the "excellent fruit" is.

Sullivan's Island Beach Castle--A Sumptuous Landmark And Bastion of Hospitality

On any given day in the summertime, the short stretch of Middle Street from 22 1/2 Station to 22 Station is a sea of ravenous visitors packing inside and out the restaurants lining the busy Sullivan's Island thoroughfare, the most popular being Poe's Tavern. Continue on from there toward historic Fort Moultrie near the western tip of the island and you will in short time approach an old grey-stoned Gothic-styled structure on the left.

Before I continue with the particulars, there is nothing better than a good Scottish riddle to wet the wits, and is as follows. Upon first glance do not assume what you are seeing is what you think it is because what you think you are seeing actually was what you are thinking but is not now. Baffled? Not really. And, yes to what you think. It was a church. The Chapel of the Holy Cross was its name. It is now a privately owned beach castle named Mugdock.

The name Mugdock conjures up thoughts of legends and fantasies straight out of the pages of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. Notwithstanding, the island property's distinctive name was inspired by a another castle in faraway Scotland bearing the same name, which was built in the mid 14th century by the Clan Graham. It is located in the county of Stirlingshire on the northern outskirts of Greater Glasgow. Interestingly, Mugdock Castle on Sullivan's Island is owned by a Graham who purchased the property in November of 2002. The history of the property on which Mugdock Castle sits is as mystical as the ruins of its far distant counterpart.

In the days Edgar Allan Poe walked the beaches of Sullivan's Island while stationed at Fort Moultrie in 1827, the Grace Church stood on this property. The church was consecrated in 1819 and served the parish until 1863. It was destroyed during the Union’s 545-day bombardment of Sullivan's Island and Charleston. Nothing was built on the property until almost thirty years later when a stone structure characterized by a formidable square tower was built. It became the Church of the Holy Cross and held its first service in 1892.

In 1898, the federal government began enlarging Fort Moultrie. In the process, the Chapel was forcibly acquired despite the objections of the Episcopal Diocese for the paltry sum of $6,000. With the loss, the Diocese built a new Church of the Holy Cross two miles east.

The confiscated stone structure served as the Post chapel until Fort Moultrie was deactivated in 1947. At this time, St. Mark's Lutheran Church acquired the building. In 1972, the chapel was deconsecrated and transformed into a private residence and owned by M and I Trust of Jeansville, Wisconsin.

In 2002, a man named Vince Graham took an interest in the property with plans to move the building to the I'On neighborhood in Mount Pleasant and re-establish it back as an Episcopal church. Not wanting to lose the old building with deep roots in Sullivan's history, the island's council took steps to block the move. Graham dug in for a fight, but backed down at the request of the Diocese for fear political repercussions might disrupt construction of a new sanctuary. Graham rolled with the punches. He moved to acquire the property in November of that year despite having to change his plan. He was mesmerized by the old building with a new vision.

With a updated plan to turn the former chapel into a beach castle, renovations were started in January of 2003. Modifications made by the previous owner were removed and structural integrity was restored. The church altar was removed in April and put in storage. With renovations completed by July of 2004, the Gothic landmark reinforced with two foot thick Georgia granite walls was christened the Winter Hall and North Tower where a bedchamber resides with a casement above it. In the casement, a ship's ladder ascends to the northern ramparts and a spectacular view of everything Charleston.

Four years later in 2008, foundations were laid for an addition and the beach castle expanded to include a colorful Summer Hall and southern ramparts with a Romanesque influence.

If you think the exterior facade of Mugdock is magical, step inside and you will be transported into the pages of medieval history experienced today only in the cinematic fantasies of Universal Studios.

The Winter Hall houses the kitchen, dining hall, library, buttery, throne room, and minstrel gallery. Wood crafted vaulted ceiling, candled chandeliers and a mind blowing medieval fireplace are notable features. The fully equipped kitchen features a brilliant deep blue cast iron Aga stove, Bosch, Sub-Zero, and Fisher and Paykel appliances. The North Tower accommodates a small bed chamber as well as the casemate above. In the casement, a ship's ladder ascends to the northern ramparts and a spectacular view of everything Charleston.

The whimsical and white stucco Summer Hall has aged in the southern sun. Inside, it has battered masonry walls, two and a half feet thick at the base. It houses the undercroft(a wood-beamed, white pillared ground level open area), the castle laundry, six bed chambers with associated wardrobes, and 5 1/2 garderobes (bathrooms). There are two south facing porches complimented with colorful shuttered arched doors. The porches provide access to additional dining facilities located atop the southern ramparts.

The Winter Hall and Summer Hall are connected by a central stair tower and bailey. Amenities include A/V and technology equipment such as stereo, wireless Internet, and a 7' diagonal projection television. There are bicycles for sightseeing and kayaks to explore the surrounding waterways. Mugdock's grounds feature the Morning Courtyard to the east and Summer Lawn and Olive Groves to the south. There is also a pool.

You can rent Mugdock Castle with a minimum 28 day stay. Interestingly, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, along with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have vacationed at Mugdock. There is also the occasional wedding reception and special event. Arrangements can be made for house keeping and concierge/chef services.

Mugdock Castle arouses the imagination. It is another example of the many unique and captivating Charleston area landmarks. Many people, Lowcountry residents included, are probably unaware of what lies beyond the old grey-stoned structure at 1401 Middle Street.

Next time you are on Sullivan's Island to enjoy its sandy beach or visit one of its well known eating establishments like Poe's Tavern, take a moment and drive to the western tip near Fort Moultrie. You just might catch a glimpse of the Earl of Mugdock roaming the grounds of this bastion of hospitality greeting visitors with an enthusiastic Scottish wag.

You can contact Mugdock Castle here.