New Year's Day Charleston Area Polar Bear Plunges--Join in on the Fun

Come Freeze Your Bills Off - 8th Annual "Bill Murray Look-A-Like Polar Bear Plunge"

We will pay homage to one of Charleston's funniest residents, Bill Murray. All attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Bill Murray character and "freeze their Bills off." Murray's Bob Wiley character in "What About Bob" is my favorite followed by Phil Connors of "Ground Hog Day." The Polar Bear Plunge rounds out the weekend of New Year festivities of Folly Beach including the Flip Flop Drop and Fireworks on New Year's Eve.

The annual plunge will take place beachside at the Tides Hotel and will include a costume contest, commemorative t-shirts, and of course, a plunge into the "chilly" Atlantic! All attendees are encouraged to come in costume, especially as your favorite Bill Murray character, and be ready to 'freeze your bills off'. See you there.

Saturday, January 1, 2022, 11 am - 2 pm

Beachside at the Tides Hotel

Dunleavy's New Year's Day Polar Plunge

Kick off the New Year in the COOLEST way ever. Proceeds benefit 30,000 athletes in SC.

The "Dunleavy's Pub Polar Plunge" has been around for 19 years and since 2003 the Pub and their patrons have helped raise thousands of dollars for Special Olympics South Carolina. Dunleavy's Pub on Sullivan's Island will open at 9:00 am and the plunge takes place at 2:00 pm. For this cold dip, you are encouraged to create a costume for this one or simply show up in your favorite swim suit.

Jan 1, 9 am

Dunleavy's Pub

2213 Middle St # B, Sullivan's Island, SC

Polar Bear Plunge at Kiawah Island

Plunge into the New Year at Kiawah Island Golf Resort's Polar Bear Plunge. Come and celebrate new beginnings with us as we gather on Kiawah's beach, just in front of the hotel to take a dip into The Atlantic. All participants must bring their own towel to this event.

This event is complimentary, and no reservations are required.

January 1, 2022 at 11:45 am - 12:45 pm

The Riddle of the Holy City

See the mark others may not, it's on the wall

Do you believe yourself to be good at solving riddles? If you do, I challenge everyone from Edisto Island to Cape Romain to solve this Holy City riddle. If you think yourself not to be, take a shot at it anyway. You will be surprised. It is a riddle of the ages with a prize at the completion of a successful journey buried just below the surface at the final marker in a capsule. It won't be an expensive ruby or a golden owl, but it does have monetary value.

Whether you be a resident or a Lowcountry visitor, the challenge will be an enjoyable hands-on quest to some of Charleston's most cherished sights, where you must collect vital information by way of embedded clues needed to take you all the way to the secret location. I am aware there are people who have an extensive knowledge of our charming city over others who may be new to the area. The equalizer, I believe, is the clues. They make it a level playing field for everyone.

Many of the riddle's puzzling verses, such as the "ghostly drink," "the telling ball," "the door goes round and round," "an iron gate of ebony," and others can be found in my books, The Charleston Lowcountry: Soak in the History - Bask in the Amenities  and The Town of Summerville: Soak in the History - Bask in the Amenities, now on Amazon.

Charleston is brimming with stories full of mystery, intrigue, and historical importance. Whether fact or fiction, they are an integral part of its persona. They breath life into every brick, plank, cobblestone, and iron gate that have been fused together into the mass of buildings and homes that form today's Holy City. They are spouted from every corner and doorstep. They are inescapable as their mosquitos once were.

People no longer come to Summerville to escape the oppressive heat and voracious mosquitoes of the coastal lowlands or for the cooling touch and healing scent of its sacred pines. Today, people come for its charm, its southern hospitality, its sense of community, and its rich history. A history as colorful as the town's famous azaleas and refreshed with the lifting of every flavorful glass of sweet tea.

So, challenge your wits and at the same time, have some fun doing so. "May the force be with you and the odds be ever in your favor."

Opening photograph: This famous wall is located on Legare Street. It is etched with the colors of history. On your journey through Charleston, stand before the wall and immerse yourself into its diverse textures, knowing its patterns just could help you see what others may not.

Ashley River Park Update--Pictures and Video

Ashley River Park off of Bacon's Bridge Road on the Ashley River was supposed to open late summer, but it is obvious that did not happen. On my previous picture updating excursion, August 25, it was beginning to look like Jurassic Park. Even though slow progress was being made on the buildings, the newly constructed activity area had become overgrown with tall weeds, there was no grass as of yet, and the roads were not completely paved.

The park's designs include an interactive play fountain meant to look like a map of the Ashley River, two dog parks, open lawn areas, playground and picnic areas, and an event space which holds a pavilion and tiered lawn by a large pond with fishing piers and boardwalks.

On my most recent visit, November 18, a huge change had taken place with the roads and landscaping. It is beginning to look like the Ashley River Park the county envisioned. Opening now is set for 2022. Enjoy the updated pictures and video.

Charleston's Preeminent Luxury Boutique Hotel--Ghostbusters Welcomed

Battery Carriage House Inn 2018

The house sits in one of the most visited areas of Charleston. Hundreds of picture-taking tourists stroll past its black wrought iron fences and broad porches on a daily basis. Caravans of horse-drawn carriages filled with visitors pause in front of it everyday while animated guides mesmerize them with stories explaining the mystique and grandeur that oozes from its windows and doors. Cataclysms of the destructive kind have befallen it. Owners have showered it with renovations. Its place of abidance is its name, 20 South Battery.

As you view the house today, while standing on the fringes of White Point Gardens, it would be difficult to imagine when first built, it had a front-row view of the Charleston Harbor. The year was 1843, the builder was broker Samuel N. Stevens. The main home and carriage house reflected the prosperity that was prevalent in South Carolina during this era.

In the Civil War beginning 1863, the house survived the longest bombardment of a civilian population in the history of warfare. Though severely battered, the structure remained intact. Colonel Lathers of the Union Army purchased the property in 1870. He hired John Henry Devereaux, a well-known Charleston architect, to renovate the house in the New York fashion of the time. A mansard roof was added, which housed a library. A new ballroom was also constructed.

The Simonds family purchased and lived in the house until 1912. In the 1920's, the rear outbuilding was converted into a "motor court" by the Pringle Family and the once-private residence became a more recognizable place of hospitality. Its newly rentable rooms for the most part catered to a patronage of rowdy and carousing sailors of the United States Navy and during the 1960's college students.

Famous Charlestonian Drayton Hastie and his wife purchased 20 South Battery in the 1980's and restored it to a Charleston Historic District hotel. The main house was the Hastie's private residence and they opened the rooms in the carriage house to guests. The well known Battery Carriage House Inn came to host a clientele of more than just paying guests. During the ensuing years, the inn would become known as the most haunted hotel in downtown Charleston.

Reportedly, it's home to several ghosts. While the owners have never seen the otherworldly inhabitants themselves, guests and employees have had some odd encounters. Curiosity seekers would bring all kinds of equipment and light meters and heat meters and set up cameras in the rooms hoping to catch a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary. Room 3 is known for a couple's cellphone waking them up making a loud and odd noise even though it was shut off. They witnessed glowing shapes floating about the room the nights they stayed at the inn. Room 8 is the most ominous of the rooms. One visitor was waken by a disturbance and confronted by a headless torso. He decided to reach out to touch the lumbering spirit, only to retract his hand upon hearing it let out an animalistic growl, which is odd in itself, seeing it had no head, thus no mouth. Room 10 is occupied by The Gentleman Ghost, known for graciously sharing his room with any and all comers. It is described as a grayish shadow, average height and build, and tends to glide about the room rather stylishly. It likes to recline in the bed with the patrons, minus any hanky-panky.

Hurricane Hugo struck on September 21, 1989 producing the highest storm tides ever recorded on the East Coast, causing catastrophic damage to homes along the water, 20 South Battery included. It continued to be a favorite haunting stop for walking tours and horse-drawn carriages. The stories persisted and its haunting fame continued to grow.

Dr. Jack Schaeffer purchased the inn in 2018 with passion and an intent for restoring and maintaining historical integrity. The property has undergone extensive preservation efforts in a labor of love revitalizing it to its former grandeur. On September 10th, 2020, Dr. Schaeffer and the staff unveiled 20 South Battery hotel to their first guests.

20 South Battery today with haint blue porch ceilings

The luxury boutique hotel is the home of unique and rare antiques from all over the world and various different time periods, some dating back to the 1500's. The Grand Ballroom has gold leaf trim surrounding a metal tile ceiling with a skylight and crystal chandeliers. The Grand Parlor showcases bright red antique furniture contrasting the white walls. A spiral staircase runs up all four stories of the home. One of the oldest pieces in the house is the decorative handrail. The original Italian Mosaic tile flooring was restored piece by piece. Crown molding and marble fireplaces are unique to each space. Metal tile ceilings, ornate chandeliers, and antique sconces are also a common element throughout the home.

The Concierge Level in the mansion features the Lathers, Pringles and Simonds Suites. The Stevens Suite is located on the ground floor and faces White Point Gardens. The Devereux Suite is the former cistern and wine cellar. Blacklock-Ravenel King Room is located on the first floor. The Battery Carriage House has suites on the first floor and rooms on the second floor. Originally built as a private residence for $4,500, Handsome Properties listed it on the market in 2017 for $4,250,000. It is worth far more than that now.

Dr. Jack Schaeffer apparently has embraced the stories that have become a part of his beautiful hotel. He seems to know them well as seen in the following video by CountOn2.

Just how the apparitions feel about their upgraded surroundings, you will have to reserve one of the rooms and ask them. The headless torso may be speechless for obvious reasons.

Battery Carriage House Room

Enjoy the Ghostbuster Package-Prepare for a Ghostly Adventure at 20 South Battery and Charleston! Built in 1843, 20 South Battery has seen its share of reported friendly ghost encounters. This experience is for you if "You ain't afraid of no ghost!"

PACKAGE INCLUDES: "Ghostbusters of Charleston" souvenir book. Stay in the reported haunted room 8 or 10 (based on availability)2 tickets to a walking ghost tour with our friends at Bulldog Tours

The Spellbinding Story of Charleston's Famous Unknown Resident

Some late December evening, you are walking on the Battery's waterfront after enjoying a dinner at one of the downtown's fine restaurants. At some point, you stop to look out over the darkened harbor waters. Suddenly, you feel a chill in the already cool air. Then, you realize you are not alone. In the corner of your eye, appears a figure. You turn, it is a petite young woman dressed in a full length white dress wrapped in a soft haze. You try to convince yourself the strange aura could be the result of the moonlight. You sense she is distressed. Out of concern you inquire, but she offers no response. You perceive she wants to be left alone and you move on. It was an unusual encounter to be sure.

Did this rendering give you a chill? The following true account is so chilling that after reading it you will exclaim, "Burrrrrrr." It is a story that has no resolution and to this day, remains a famous unsolved mystery. The characters are well-known historical figures with a Charleston connection. It involves the tragic disappearance of Theodosia Burr Alston.

Theodosia was born June 21, 1783. Her father was the third U.S. Vice President, Aaron Burr and her mother was Theodosia Bartow Burr. She was schooled on a curriculum meant for a future scholar, fluent in several languages, and equipped to handle herself in just about every subject, from math to music. Unfortunately, she struggled with intense bouts of grief after her mother died when she was eleven years old. In 1801, she married Joseph Alston, a wealthy landowner from South Carolina and a person known for a having a kind and caring demeanor. They lived at 94 Church Street, a fine house built by Thomas Bee in 1730.

94 Church Street

Theodosia was very devoted to her father and corresponded often, their letters numbered in the thousands. Her life grew more difficult in 1804 when her father fatally shot former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel in Weehawken, NJ on July 11. Aaron Burr went on trial for murder with her full support and was acquitted. In 1807, he defended himself against a conspiracy charge and again she fully supported him. During this time, she traveled back and forth between Charleston and New York. After a year long, difficult trial, her father once again won acquittal, but due to opposition, left the United States for exile in Europe.

Theodosia returned to South Carolina. She remained a strong advocate for her father, writing letters to Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin and to Dolley Madison in an effort to secure a smooth return for her father to the United States. The date for his return was set.

Theodosia's health had become more fragile, and when her son died of malaria in June 1812, she collapsed. She wrote her father, "Less than a fortnight ago your letter would have gladdened my soul. Now there is no joy, and life is a blank. My boy is gone-forever dead and gone!"

Aaron Burr returned to New York after four years of exile. He looked forward to seeing his pride and joy. Deeply concerned about his daughter's health, he convinced her to come to New York for the holidays. The United States and Great Britain were now at war. Her husband was sworn in as governor of South Carolina on December 10 and couldn't leave. Her health continued to deteriorate.

Alston was uneasy about sending her on what would be a five to six day voyage by ship. Adding to his concern were rumors circulating around the Carolinas about pirates operating along the North Carolina Outer Banks. Theodosia begged her husband to allow her to reunite with her father and after certain conditions were met, he consented. Alston wrote a letter to the British Navy blockading the coast, asking for safe passage for his wife and a doctor and close friend of Burr named Timothy Green was assigned to accompany her.

Theodosia, carrying a recent portrait of herself that she intended to give her father as a Christmas gift, Dr. Green, and a maid climbed aboard the schooner Patriot moored in Georgetown and set sail on December 31, 1812 into the dimension of both shadow and substance and crossed over into the Twilight Zone. The Patriot, crew, and passengers disappeared without a trace into oblivion. Thus, the chilling tale of Theodosia Burr Alston was born.

Joseph Alston wrote letters seeking information on whether his wife had safely arrived, only to receive the devastating news. Her father, Aaron Burr, accepted the theory the ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic in a raging storm that battered the coastline on January 2 and 3 near Cape Hatteras, but rejected the astounding rumors of the legendary kind that circulated and morphed with the passage of time into today's legend.

Wild stories were theorized. Some claiming pirates, such as Dominique You aka "The Bloody Babe," took over the ship and made every passenger walk to plank. Others say Theodosia was captured, taken prisoner and transported everywhere from the Caribbean to Texas.

Then, there is the tale of the portrait, discovered in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the 1860s, that many believe to have been the very one Theodosia took with her to be a Christmas gift for her father. While never verified, it's owner claims it was salvaged from a shipwreck that washed ashore on the barrier islands.

Yet, another story claims a Karankawa warrior came upon the wreckage of the Patriot and a dying white woman, who gave him a gold locket bearing the inscription "Theodosia" and told him that if he ever met white men, he was to show them the locket and tell them the story.

Legend has it her ghost is eternally chased by three pirates on the shores of Bald Head Island as she still frantically searches for a way to escape. Some versions even say those pirates are headless, beheaded for their incompetence in guarding her. In recent times, she is seen dressed in a flowing emerald-green gown, but most of the time she's dressed in all white, the outfit she is said to have slipped into before pirates made her walk the plank.

In Charleston, as reported by those walking the waterfront near the Battery and the Edmonston-Alston House in the evening during the winter month around Christmas, they claim to have seen a woman dressed in period attire, specifically a hoop skirt. Those who tried to approach the woman said she had a cold look and would continue staring out into the harbor. When shown a photo of the Nag's Head portrait, witnesses say they believe Theodosia is the woman they saw staring into the harbor.

Ghost Walk Tours

Charleston Tours

Ghost Walking Tour and Pub Crawl in Haunted Charleston

Narrated Haunted Ghost Cruise of Charleston Harbor

The Women Behind Summerville's Squirrel Inn and a Resident Writer's Story

Famous author and diplomat Paul Hyde Bonner wintered as a guest at Summerville's Squirrel Inn. He came to own the house at 127 West 5th South Street in 1954 and lived there for ten years. He wrote the best-selling novel called The Life of Llewellyn Jones while a town resident. It was released for publication on January 1, 1960.

The main character of Bonner's story is F. Townsend Britton, a career diplomat of fifty-odd years who carefully charts his disappearance from an authoritative, rich wife to become the widowed, retired, middle-western Liewellyn Jones, a good enough impersonation that fools everyone except Terry, a girl he meets in Cincinnati. To escape further entanglements, Jones retreats to a town in South Carolina where there is an establishment called Redbird Inn. He begins to sketch as a pastime before he fully realizes his serious ambition to become an artist. Europe is one step further from Terry, and in Paris, he finds the ideal house and a perfect maid who is also the model and the mistress to best serve his talent. His bold naturalism attracts the attention of a leading dealer and collectors, among them his wife. She retracts her vindictive threat to expose him, and finally, he is secure in the life he has made for himself, which now allows room for Terry.

The South Carolina town in Bonner's story was inspired by Summerville, and the Redbird Inn was a reflection of the well-known Squirrel Inn he wintered at as a guest.

Squirrel Inn opened around 1912. It became known for its hospitable atmosphere and distinctive cuisine. In 1941, Jeanne and Eugene Sutter bought the inn. Under their ownership, it received a nomination in 1957 for being one of the top forty rural inns in the nation. It continued to be a noted inn with fine cuisine until 1966. The building was renovated for condominiums in 1979.

Helen and Raven Lewis had the Squirrel Inn built, but Helen is seldom mentioned with her sister Raven as part-owner of the inn. In fact, the two sisters were inseparable. Lifelong companions, Helen having never married left her entire estate upon her death to Raven.

Helen (1852-1933) and Raven (1862-1940) were the daughters of John Williams and Anna Raven Vander Horst Lewis, a prominent Charleston family with a rich history who lived at 28 Chapel Street in Charleston. They were the great-great-granddaughters of New Yorker Lewis Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; great-granddaughters of Arnoldus Vander Horst, governor of South Carolina (1794–95); and granddaughters of Elias Vander Horst, a signer of the South Carolina Nullification Ordinance of 1832. They spent their cushy childhood dividing their time between the home in Charleston and their father's rice plantation, Ravenswood, on the Ashepoo River. Their fairy tale life would end.

28 Chapel Street

The Civil War erupted and Charleston was in the Union's crosshairs. The family remained in the city and vicinity until January 1865. With many of the buildings in ruins, they fled to Columbia with her mother, grandmother, two sisters, a brother, and a faithful family servant. When General Sherman's troops arrived in Columbia, they witnessed the burning of the city. Their mother, advanced in pregnancy, died there after giving birth to a son. The grandmother, Anne Elliott Morris Vander Horst, returned to Charleston to seek aid, leaving the children in the care of a black woman. Fearing the constant danger in Columbia, the woman took the children to Aiken, where they had cousins. According to family tradition, they made the journey on foot. During the 1890s, Helen and Raven established residence in Asheville, where they taught music and ran a boarding house.

Portrait courtesy of Clint McCrory-Mountain Xpress

The more famous of the two, tall and stately Helen was a force to be reckoned with during the 1890s in the women's suffrage movement in the South and organized the first woman's rights association in North Carolina. While in Asheville during the year 1894, she sponsored a public meeting on women suffrage, the first-ever held in the state. An equal suffrage association was organized with Helen as president.

The contemporary thinking of the day "framed women as intellectually unsuited to vote, and when not questioning women's smarts, opponents of the suffrage movement pointed to the unruly nature of politics itself as a reason to keep women clear of the process." Helen spoke out against such rebuttals and championed for equal consideration regarding women's pay. Ashville's Daily Citizen was so impressed by one of her addresses, it wrote in November of 1894: "It is very seldom that audiences in Asheville are addressed by a lady as 'fellow citizens.' That was the beginning of Miss Lewis' address and it sounded well." Her crusading zeal for woman's rights set its sights on other states. In 1895, she was part of a group of women who toured South Carolina on behalf of "votes-for-women."

Her public persona did not go unnoticed. In 1896, she was surprised to learn that she had received five votes for the office of representative in the U.S. Congress even though she was not a candidate for that or any other post. The votes came from an unlikely source. Five men, for reasons undisclosed, voted for her, which was unheard of in the 1800s. Three years later, she announced her candidacy for the position of superintendent of waterworks for the city of Asheville. She became the first woman in North Carolina to seek an elective office.

Helen and Raven gave up their home in Asheville and returned to Charleston in 1906. In 1912, they established the Squirrel Inn in nearby Summerville at the height of its Golden Age. In 1923, Helen bought a house in Asheville. The sisters spent their summers there during the next decade.

A contemporary described Helen Morris Lewis as a woman of "queenly beauty and grace." She was an accomplished public speaker who often received standing ovations from her audiences. She was also a talented musician and a writer who procured local notoriety from her often published articles in the Charleston News and Courier.

Visit Summerville

An Early 1900s Mount Pleasant Horticultural Attraction--Pierates Cruze and an Epic Story

Interwoven into the early history of Mount Pleasant is a story similar to Shakespeare's epic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. The interchangeable components include two star-crossed young lovers and an age-old feud between two powerful families that erupts into bloodshed.

The story takes place in Charleston's early-1700s. It is about the son and daughter of two prominent landowners who owned large tracts of land across the Cooper River beyond Hog Island in the area known as North Point. Unknown to their feuding parents, they fell in love and for months met secretly in an oak grove along the shores of Charleston's harbor. When their parents discovered they had secretly married, the couple fled and joined a band of pirates on Sullivan's Island. Apparently they didn't read the book Never Trust a Pirate.

The pirate captain became enamored with the young woman and hatched a diabolical plan. He instructed the crew to kill her husband. Learning of her lover's fate, she fled to their secret grove. Determined to have her, the captain followed. Overcome by hopelessness, she buried a knife into her own chest. As she lay dying, her husband, having averted the malicious plot, arrived. Confrontation was forthcoming. Losing a duel with the pirate, he expired in his wife's arms. The grieving fathers of the young couple erected a stone marker as a memorial.

The story obviously mentions no names. However, after examining Mount Pleasant's history and matching various components of the story to specific names and places, I propose the following conclusion. George Haddrell and William Hort fit the bill of the feuding landowners and parents of the two doomed lovers of this tragic tale.

George Haddrell was a prominent name in Mount Pleasant's early history. He owned 500 acres. It included most of the area beginning at Shem Creek and bordered today's Highway 703 to Center Street.

William Hort was an early settler from Barbados and owned land along the harbor waterfront beginning near Alhambra Hall and extended to Cove Inlet. In 1775, he wrote in his diary that his daughter, Elizabeth Haddrell Hort, was born in the house of Shem Creek tavern owner Jonathan Scott. Ironically, George Haddrell owned the house. Elizabeth interestingly was identified with both names by her father, Haddrell and Hort. As stated in the story, the couple would secretly rendevous at an oak grove. It just so happens a stand of oak tree's on the land owned by Hort became known as Hort's Grove. A stone marker called Hort's Pillar by the locals once stood near today's Pierates Cruze, the memorial erected by the parents.

The pirate captain could possibly have been Charles Vane or Calico Jack Rackham, but can not be said with any certainty, just a hunch. Their Charleston connections make them a likely consideration and both had a reputation that could match the individual in the story. In August of 1718, Vane raided Charleston and took eight ships. William Rhett pursued him but never caught him. Calico Jack was known for his affair with Charleston's pirate native, Anne Bonny.

Deep in Mount Pleasant's Old Village just southeast of Alhambra Hall on the land once owned by William Hort is the residential borough of Pierates Cruze. The name Pierates is obviously a play on the word pirates and Cruze for the word cruise. In the late 1920s, this five-acre parcel was home to Massachusetts transplants Dana and Laird Osgood. A small moat with an imitation drawbridge encircled the house. The property had something of a pirate's den feel.

The Osgoods erected a very substantial concrete seawall along the entire length of the property that withstood numerous storms and several hurricanes. In the 1930s, the owners transformed the grounds into seven spectacular gardens. They were named: The Sea Garden, Wind'll Blow, Little Wheel, Twyfy's Garden, Eight Bells, Wiggins Walk, and Amalfi. There was an abundant variety of flowers, shrubs, and trees, including thousands of prize-winning camellias and azaleas.

The Osgoods opened Pierates Cruze to the public on February 20, 1943. A popular tourist attraction in the 1940s and 1950s, entrance fees were $2 from December to May and $1 the rest of the year. Ads for the attraction included a photo of the Amalfi garden. Plants with dark green, stiff, dagger-like leaves projecting from thick, trunk-like stems called Spanish bayonet lined a walkway along the harbor that ended in a Spanish mission-style bell wall. "See the Spires of Charleston against the sunset across the wine-dark sea," the ads raved. A brochure stated: "More than one hundred varieties of camellias bloom luxuriantly here; as do flowering shrubs, wisteria, azaleas, roses, tulips, pansies and violets." In 1947, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society awarded Mrs. Osgood the prestigious "Gold Medal" for the development of new varieties of hybrid camellias.

The gardens were closed in 1959. The land was sold and subdivided with each lot priced at $10,000. There are homes of varying styles on the property now. Some of the old oak trees still overshadow the quiet enclave, but the original house and moat are gone. No trace of the seven gardens survived the reckoning of residential expansion except for Amalfi's original garden columns, which remain on the seawall and are reminiscent of the Italian mission structure that stood there. The belled wall was no match for Hurricane Hugo in 1989. It was completely destroyed. However, the property owners reconstructed the wall from the original bricks and replaced the bells with ship bells in a tribute to Pierates Cruze's wild history.

The Osgoods celebrated Charleston's pirate past and named their garden estate in recognition of it with a twist. Perhaps, they knew of the tragic love story that haunts Mount Pleasant's moss-covered trees along with the secret grove and the pillar. Pierates Cruze has faded into the sunset of history like the infamous pirates that prowled Charleston's surrounding waters. However, hints of its existence remain to mystify curious seekers of what was before. If you would like to learn more about the Old Village of North Point bounded by Shem Creek, Simmons Street, Cove Inlet, and the Harbor, Mount Pleasant offers a tour that explores several of the historical sites located within its original settlements. The pirate story is courtesy legends and lore.

EVITA, now showing at South of Broadway Theatre, well worth your time to check out

My favorite all-time musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber is hands-down, no question about it, The Phantom of the Opera. The first time I had any exposure to the story of Eva Duarte was in the 1996 film release, where Madonna played the real-life, opportunistic lady of Argentina, using the designation "lady" loosely. According to the upper-class Argentinians of the day and the British royals, she was anything but ladylike. They had a few chosen words of the unflattering kind when referring to her. However, the definition of a lady can be subjective when you consider the behavior of some royals.

Evita the musical undeniably bears the mark of English composer Andrew Lloyd Weber with lyrics by Tim Rice. The stage production opened on June 21, 1978 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London with Elaine Paige in the title role and Joss Ackland as her formidable Juan Peron and then at the Broadway Theatre on September 25, 1979, where it had 1,567 performances. Harold Price was the director. It won an impressive seven 1980 Tony Awards including Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical of the year. In 1981, the Evita cast recording was awarded a Grammy Award.

Set in Buenos Aires between 1934-1952, the musical follows Eva Duarte on her journey from a poor, fatherless home, to an ambitious actress, to becoming the most powerful woman in Latin America. She left a trail of tears along the way, from dumping singer-songwriter Magaldi to giving Colonel Juan Peron's mistress the boot. In the meantime, Juan Peron was leaving a trail of bodies on his rise to power as depicted in a game of musical chairs, ending in an opponent's demise. Eva organizes rallies for the impoverished and gives them hope for a better future while Peron and his allies plot to dispose of anyone who stands in their way. For a short time, Argentina was hers, and the rest is history.

Director David McLaughlin, assisted by Chrissy Eliason, thoroughly prepared his well-chosen group of local actors for the task of winning over the audience. The large cast's finely tuned choreographed movements flowed as one, and when they sang all together, their vocals were harmonious and powerful.

Carlos Nieto was a dominant presence on the set as the antagonist Che, who seems to be a spokesman of the people. The character's attire was reminiscent of a Latin American revolutionary, and Carlos sings his words with the passion of a non-conforming rebel. He addressed the audience like they were a part of the play. His direct eye contact was engaging.

Elissa Horrell elegantly filled the role of the musical's protagonist, Eva, and shined in the play's signature piece "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." Elissa was paired with Steve Tarnow as the ambitious Juan Peron. Steve had command of his crisp vocals and strutted Peron's military-like demeanor.

Joshua Broome demonstrated his vocal abilities as Magaldi in his rendition of "On This Night of a Thousand Stars." As Peron's mistress, Olivia Gainey once again showed acting and singing are second nature for her as she performed "Another Suitcase in Another Hall."

The main characters did double duty in minor roles with talented supporting cast Sophie Marie Stanley, Savannah Cash, Andrea Catangay, Rusty Cooler, Michael James Daly, Anna Lin, Kenneth Mueller, Latanya Mueller, Dylan Rowe, Joseph Spiotta, and Robert Venne. Lighting handled by Ernie Eliason and set art by Robert Venne.

South of Broadway Theatre is a small venue and seating is very intimate. If you sit in the front row, you can literally reach out and touch the actors. In addition, you may experience temporary whiplash following the action from left to right. There were a couple of glitches with the sound, and a few times the spotlight was slightly off target, likely due to the quickly changing positions of the actors. However, I am sure with these minor mishaps addressed, Evita will be near perfect.

David McLaughlin's Evita is entertaining and compelling. The opening scene is dark and spellbinding, elevating your expectations for what will follow, and it does not let you down. Follow the progression of the characters closely, especially Eva, there are a few symbolisms for you to catch. If you are a fan of live theater, Evita is well worth your time to check out.

Purchase tickets.

Charleston Treasure Hunts-Join the Chase and Test Your Problem-Solving Skills

A wall at 8 Legare Street, the Sword Gate house

Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry is full of legends of lost treasures. $63,000 in gold and silver is believed to be buried on or near the Hampton Plantation. Drayton Hall was occupied by the British during the Revolutionary War. Supposedly, a few buried treasures are in the area. A large quantity of Spanish treasure is thought to be buried near Cape Romain. The notorious pirate Blackbeard, may have stored treasures on Daufuskie Island. Pirate Stede Bonnet, who was hanged in Charleston, is said to have buried treasure along the banks of the Santee River.

However, hunters beware, packing a sense of humor along with your snacks is a must as seen in the following example. An old treasure chest brimming with what looked like silver and gold coins was unearthed by a jubilant woman with a metal detector on a Hilton Head beach. Surprise. They turned out to be toy coins. Nonetheless, treasure hunting can be fun and rewarding, whether the pursuit is authentic or invented for entertainment.

If you can solve this French riddle, you could win a Golden Owl statuette worth half a million dollars. Sur la trace de la chouette d'or (On the trail of the golden owl) is the title of the book created by Max Valentin, Régis Hauser's pseudonym name. It contains eleven double-page spreads, each of which is a discrete riddle composed of a title, text, and a painting. Each pair of pages is numbered with a wavelength associated with its colors, and with an owl face.

Michel Becker painted the eleven paintings for the book and also created the replica owl made of bronze, which was buried somewhere in France by Hauser on the night of April 23, 1993. Solve the treasure hunt, unearth the replica, and exchange it for the real Golden Owl made of gold and silver with a hundred diamonds embedded in the owl's face. 

The treasure hunt was launched on May 15, 1993. As of the present, it has not been solved. It is the second longest-running contest in the armchair treasure hunt genre. Of course, you will have to go to France to participate. I included this because of Charleston's strong French Huguenot history.

It is similar to the treasure hunt in the United States created by Byron Preiss in his 1982 book called The Secret, A Treasure Hunt, which also has not been completely solved.

In 1982, Byron Preiss buried twelve treasure boxes in secret locations in twelve cities. He commissioned twelve mesmerizing paintings to be created containing clues for the seeker to decipher. The book was authored by Sean Kelly and Ted Mann and illustrated by John Jude Palencar. The ornate boxes were hidden on city property, in local parks, and possibly in your own backyard. Ironically, Charleston is believed to be one of those chosen cities.

Each box contains one of twelve keys. If you solve the clues and retrieve the key, the prize you receive is the jewel accompanying the artwork. You are instructed to send the key to the author and in exchange, he would send you the valuable treasure. There is over ten thousand dollars worth of precious jewels. So far, three have been discovered in Chicago, Cleveland, and the most recent, Boston. Nine remain undiscovered.

Strangely, both Regis Hauser and Byron Preiss were killed in car accidents. Hauser left the solutions to his treasure hunt inside a sealed envelope, which are now held by his lawyer. Preiss kept no record of the treasure boxes' exact locations, but his estate has chosen to honor his endeavor.

Charleston is believed to be one of Preiss's chosen cities. One of the mysterious paintings unmistakably contains a map of what looks like an outline of the Charleston peninsula and surrounding landscape. Josh Gates of "Expedition Unknown" came to the Holy City in May of 2019 to film a dig that would take place near Charleston's Defenders of the Confederacy monument. It was believed the clues had been solved and pointed to that location, but the attempt failed to reveal the ornate treasure box. Can you solve it?

You have the opportunity to participate in another Charleston treasure hunt. Blue Steel Promotions, On Purpose Adventures, and On Purpose Games have teamed together to sponsor the biggest and most epic scavenger hunt the Holy City has ever seen called The Hunt: Charleston. It will take place Saturday, November 13, 2021, from 10 am – 9 pm. The grand prize is an all-inclusive trip to Cancun for 5 days. Tickets are $85 - $150.

Teams of four will be pitted against the clock, the elements, and the competition to accrue points and solve clues to be the first to find the buried treasure. They will face tasks and challenges of all types including physical activities like kayaking, skateboarding, handstands, human pyramids, and wheelbarrow races. Other activities will be solving puzzles, riddles, anagrams, brainteasers, decipher cryptic codes, augmented reality, and more.

There will be a Welcome Party Friday night where you'll pick up your "welcome packet", meet and mingle with fellow competitors while enjoying drink and food specials. The weekend will wrap up with an After Party at a restaurant/bar close by the treasure site. Location will be revealed at the finish of the hunt. For full details, go to The Hunt: Charleston.

In addition, I invite you to be the first to solve the accompanying clues with a prize on the completion of a successful journey. It won't be an expensive ruby, but it does have monetary value. If you love the Holy City, it will be an enjoyable hand-son quest to some of its most cherished sights where you must collect vital information by way of challenging clues needed to take you all the way to the secret location. A capsule is buried just underneath the surface with instructions inside.

Check out my recently released book on Amazon, Charleston and Summerville, South Carolina, Soak in the History-Bask in the Amenities. It talks about "the chilling ghostly drink," the "telling ball," and much more. Enjoy Charleston and have fun, my friends.

More Charleston Treasure Hunts:

Charleston Ghost Tour Scavenger Hunt: A Walk on Charleston’s Dark Side

Charleston Scavenger Hunt: Charleston Treasures

Charleston Bar Crawl Scavenger Hunt: Charleston Chase Bar Crawl

Summerville's Famous Railroad Depots--They're Gone But Their Stories are not Forgotten

The train depots built by the South Carolina Railroad from Charleston to Hamburg represent the heyday of many small towns, some owing their prosperity to the commerce and economic development it brought. However, since their use has expired, many were abandoned and became liabilities. The railroad demolished some of them, while others survived to the present because the towns they served took steps to save them and are now restaurants, visitor centers, gift shops, and wedding venues. Unfortunately, the two that serviced Summerville suffered a more dire fate before any opportunity could present itself to preserve them.

The first famous Summerville depot was built in 1880. A unique feature of the depot was its ornate gingerbread-style trimmings. The small Victorian station survived the 1886 great earthquake, but not long after was moved to Ladson to make way for a bigger one in 1902 designed by Frank P. Hilton. It was a grand depot, 100 feet long and 25 feet wide, constructed from wood with wainscoting about halfway up and stuccoed the rest. Passenger train service between Charleston and Hamburg ended in the 1950s, and Summerville's railroad landmark vanished into a debris pile in the 1960s. The gingerbread station was dismantled long before that in 1935.

A photograph, said to be from the 1880s, shows a panorama of the town square with the gingerbread station on the north end, which would put it in the time period before the construction of the town hall on the south end. However, when looking at the photograph, the point from which it was taken required a position of elevation, a birds-eye view, which causes me to believe it was more likely taken around 1893, after the town hall's construction. The town hall belfry or one of the building's windows would have been an ideal place to take the picture. The angle lines up perfectly with the belfry. One source suggests the photographer climbed a tree to take the shot, but that would be no easy task, especially with the camera equipment available in the 1880s. The town hall is a more practical explanation.

Another point of interest is the trees planted on the grassy square. If you look at another photo of the town square and the Hilton railroad station taken in 1908 from almost the exact same vantage point, the trees are at the height you would expect them to be after 15 years of growth.

The gingerbread depot of 1880 was made famous during the great earthquake by the story of Frank Doar, the station master at the time, and it is a ghostly story. Frank recounted: “It was 9:45 pm. The inbound train had just passed Jedburg. Awaiting its arrival, I was peacefully sitting in my chair, drifting in and out of sleep, when I was suddenly startled by an elderly black man who appeared out of nowhere on the depot platform. He was filthy, sweaty, breathless, and agitated. The agitated old fellow excitedly told me he had just run several miles up the rail line from where the tracks were severely bent and that I should release warning flares immediately to alert the incoming train of the impending danger.

I knew everybody who worked the line and thought I knew everybody in the community, but I never saw this man before tonight. The moonlight glistened off his sweaty hair, giving the top of his head a halo effect. I would have ordinarily been apprehensive about such a demand. However, on this occasion, I sensed the stranger to be sincere. At his urging, I quickly deployed the torpedoes. As I finished putting out the devices, I turned to speak to the old man, but he was gone. It was as if he vanished into thin air.

I removed my pocket watch and glanced at it. The old man’s visit, the warning, and the emergency preparations had taken only five minutes. It was 9:50 pm. At that very moment, an eerie hissing sound enveloped the town, followed by a massive explosion. The ground began to shake violently. I could hear the walls and chimneys of nearby buildings collapsing and the swaying trees being torn out of the earth by their roots. A massive earthquake had struck Summerville.”

The 1902 train depot was probably the same one associated with the story of Harry Woodruff, who worked as a station master for the South Carolina Railroad. One evening, Harry had returned to town after completing business for the railroad. As usual, he was met at the Summerville train station by the family retainer with his horse and carriage. However, to Harry's bewilderment, they did not take their customary route home upon leaving the station. Puzzled, he asked the driver, "Where are you taking me?" Unknown to Mr. Woodruff, his home address had changed while he was away. Sara had purchased a new home on the corner of Richardson Ave and Palmetto Street. The house became known as White Gables.

President Theodore Roosevelt visited Summerville on May 20, 1902, the same year Hilton's railroad station is stated to have been built. The Victorian depot may have already been moved to Ladson, but maybe not. I cannot say with any certainty whether the new depot was finished by the time of Roosevelt's visit or whether it was in the process of construction. Pictures show Roosevelt arriving by way of the railroad and walking where there are two sets of tracks. Judging by the surrounding landscape, he did not disembark the train at the town square. No buildings are in the picture, just open space. There was another stop after a long whistle just outside of downtown Summerville called "West End" near Hickory Street, also called Hickory Hill. Businessmen who worked in Charleston used this stop. It was close to the location of the turntable, the place where the Summerville Short turned around to head back to downtown Charleston.

One thing is for sure the grand station of 1902 was present when Frederick Wagener of the Pine Forest Inn hosted a dinner for President-elect William Howard Taft in January 1909. President Taft and his wife Nellie were frequent weekend guests of Charleston's Mayor Rhett at his home on Broad Street. Mrs. Taft thought Southerners were "strange" for their irritating ritual of "always taking a half hour to get ready for everything." 

The South Carolina Railroad played a large part in the growth of Summerville. It is a shame the two famous depots that served the railway and the town were not preserved. Only their stories remain.

If you would like to get a glimpse of what Summerville's Hutchinson Square and the Hilton-designed railroad depot looked like in 1916, make the short day trip to The City of Aiken's Visitor Center and Train Museum. On display is a diorama depicting that scene. Interestingly, the train museum is a replica of Aiken's original railroad station demolished in 1954.

The 1850 South Carolina Railroad Tower Depot on John Street now serves as the Charleston Music Hall. On Ann Street, old train towers now house the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry and the Best Friend of Charleston Museum. Best Friend was the South Carolina Railroad's first locomotive.

More Summerville stories