Sir Oliver Godwin--What Does the Name have to do with Summerville

Beer hall verses pub? Other than the fact that they are both places where one goes to drink draft beer, they have differences. People generally sit in a beer hall. They are huge and boisterous. They are generally provisioned with the beer of a single brewer. They evoke sausage and simple German meals. On the other hand, pubs are small and more intimate. You order and retrieve your drink, and there is a lot of standing, greeting, and circulating. They require you to choose between at least half a dozen different beers or ales. The tavern is the American equivalent.

The Hofbräuhaus Brewery of Munich is one of the most famous beer halls in the world. Its history dates back to 1589. According to legend, Wilhelm V, Duke of Bavaria and a member of the Wittelsbach family, found the beer in Munich so bad that he commissioned his own state brewery. The Staatliches Hofbräuhaus was thus born. After centuries of producing beer for the royals, in 1828, the Hofbräuhaus was opened to the public by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Almost completely destroyed by World War II bombings in 1945, it underwent over a decade of restoration work, finally reopening in 1958. Every day, more than 35,000 people visit the brewery's immense beer halls. Hofbräuhaus has eight franchised beer halls in the United States.

An interesting point of history in regard to the Hofbräuhaus illustrates how far some people will go for a good beer. The German beer hall was so famous that King Gustavius from Sweden accepted to not invade Munich in exchange of 600,000 barrels of the fine brew during the Thirty Years War.

American beer halls became popular in the mid-19th century, following a wave of immigration from Germany to the United States. They became an alternative to the American-style tavern. St. Louis, Missouri and Milwaukee, Wisconsin are notable cities for a number of beer halls, some of which seat several hundred persons. A famous beer hall is the Loerzel Beer Hall. Also known as "The Brewery," it was built in 1873 at 213 Partition Street in Saugerties, Ulster County, New York. The building was a large three-story, brick building that measured 45 feet wide and 65 feet deep. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

A new drinking and gathering establishment in the likes of a beer hall is coming to Summerville and will be located at 108 E 3rd N Street next to Brad Mallett's Coastal Coffee Roasters. The establishments name kind of roles off the tongue like a smooth Scottish ale--Godwin's Beer Hall. This is a Rizzo family venture. It is advertised to be a traditional European-style beer hall with selections from over 20 countries. In addition to some of the world's best beer, it will offer wine, mead, cider, and European street food. It is named for Sir Oliver Godwin. It is presently under way and will open soon.

I searched but could find nothing about Sir Oliver. Godwin or Goodwin is an English surname. It has Anglo-Saxon roots and has been used in Britain in some form since before the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the personal name 'Godwine' (friend to God) and would be given to the lineage of those of that forename. That is that. Exactly as to who he was or is, you have have to wait for the full story when the beer hall opens, or possible before.

Such is the history of beer halls, pubs, and taverns. Today, they are all pretty much interchangeable. They are places to meet, commune, and drink. To be sure, there is nothing that can hold a stein to the original German Hofbräuhaus. Godwin's Beer Hall will be a welcome addition to Summerville's social scene. A place to raise a glass of liquid gold, exchange some niceties, talk about good things concerning your neighbors, scheme a new idea, or make a deal. Here's to a successful outcome. Here's to Summerville. Let it grow.

For more updated pics, click on Godwin's Beer Hall.

Be the Talk of Charleston and Consider Doing Something Extraordinary

Charleston is an awesome city for sightseeing. There is history at every turn of the corner and a tour dedicated to assisting you in reliving that history for a brief moment.

As you walk its streets, you are surrounded by the gentle chaos of tourism at its best. Horse drawn carriages prowl the cobbled streets, groups led by knowledgeable guides crowd the corners, families and couples scurry about looking in the windows of its small shops or patiently stand in long lines for an opportunity to eat at one of Charleston's signature restaurants.

Now, imagine having a birds eye view of this menagerie of human activity. It is feasible with one of the many highly technical drones available today. From that vantage point, you can soak in a view of the popular rooftop bar on the Pavilion Hotel gracefully overshadowing the famous landmark called the Old City Market. In the near distance, the South Carolina Aquarium glistens in the sun and the salty bay waters lick the docks where the cruise ship Fantasy resides when in port. Across the rolling water stands old Fort Sumter like a proud sentinel at the edge of Charleston Bay between Sullivan's Island and Morris Island. As you scan back to the waterfront, the many diverse rooftops of the majestic old homes along East Battery come into view culminating at Battery Park. St. Matthew's Church, Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, Rainbow Row, Dockstreet Theater, and Meeting Street trailing like a cement river are all within view. 

Now, let's take that thought to another level. Imagine physically hovering 165 feet over the downtown district with a glass of wine in your hand. That would be a unique experience, and for the right price, it is within the realm of probable. A Belgian based novelty restaurant can make that once in a lifetime, unique, and unforgettable dining experience possible. In May 2006, Hakuna Matata, a communication agency featuring gourmet pleasures, and The Fungroup, a company specializing in amusement park installations deploying cranes, joined forces to offer a unique concept called Dinner in the Sky.

Brussels

Belgium

Dinner in the Sky is now operating in over 60 countries above some of the most famous landmarks with many of the worlds top chefs and has gained official authorization from the toughest countries, including France, Canada, Australia and Israel. Michelin three-star chef Alain Passard of L'Arpege, a famous restaurant in Paris, prepared a special dinner party in the sky above the stunning Cathedrale d'Amiens, also called Notre-Dame d'Amiens, which is located in the city of Amiens a little over 100 kilometers north of Paris. Other cities include Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Madrid, London, Dublin, Dubai, and Las Vegas. This is a schedule of upcoming events.

Dinner in the Sky is hosted on a platform of 22 people suspended at a height of 160 to 180 feet by a crane. You are seated at tables with three staff in the middle (chef, waiter, entertainer) for a session of up to 8 hours. It can be divided or personalized according to the client’s wishes. An event can be held anywhere (golf course, public place, race track, castle, vineyard, historical site...) as long as there is a surface of approximately 500 square meters that can be secured. Of course, authorization by the owner is required. As far as cost goes, the same type of event as the one hosted by Passard with a star chef cooking above a famous U.S. landmark, like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls, would cost anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000, but in Las Vegas it is advertised at $289.00 per person.

This platform can also be used for Swing in the Sky, which gives golfers the incredible experience of playing their swing from 50 meters up. Just think of the driving distance from that tee. Rory Mcllroy would be envious. Other events include Meeting in the Sky, Marriage in the Sky, Movie in the Sky, and Concert in the Sky.

Dinner in the Sky Movie

You can share a dinner or a glass of Champagne with friends while listening to the sounds of Ghanaian drummers; arrange a match of bridge or poker; sip Brandy while enjoying a fine Havana cigar; play a round of baccarat while being entertained by French Cancan dancers; participate in a quiz or a talk show broadcast live from the stars; attend a DJ jam session … all from an altitude of 50 meters.

Dinner in the Sky has been around since 2006. I first reported about the concept in 2010 to the Charleston area and it is one of my most read articles. I thought it was worth another look. Forbes magazine called it "one of the world's ten most unusual restaurants." You definitely would need deep pockets to personally afford this but a business organization or restaurant could consider it if they were into stepping out of the box when it comes to personnel or client parties. Could you see High Cotton hosting a Dinner in the Sky or Fleet Landing.

To be realistic, maneuvering a large crane or finding an open surface of 500 square meters in Charleston would be a challenge. Hey, where there is a will, there is a way. However, looking for something more down to earth? Charleston has a long and diverse list of restaurants to choose from with beautiful roof tops. But what the heck, go for it. Do something extraordinary and consider booking with Dinner in the Sky. You could be the talk of the town.

Contact information for Dinner in the Sky.

Roll the Dice, Make a bet, It is One of Summerville's Distinctive Properties

It is a bit on the difficult side to believe quiet, peaceful, charming Summerville had a "red-light district" in its past. Back in the day, the eatery now known as the Montreux Bar and Grill was a boardinghouse and restaurant operated by a person by the name of Miss Lucia. It was said to have been part of "the red-light district." This would seem to be an apparent contradiction of order, especially when you consider during the time Confederate troops were stationed in the town, they were jailed for bad conduct towards resident females, and rightly so. Different times. Different decades.

On top of houses of ill repute, it also had a gambling casino that was associated with the illustrious Pine Forest Inn--something that would be considered illegal in South Carolina today. Unlike many other states, the state of South Carolina is by far the strictest state when it comes to gambling with no casinos in its major cities. The only legal gambling is on a casino cruise. There is one in Little River called The Big "M" Casino.

Summerville's once upon a time Pine Forest Inn casino was located at 100 Marion Avenue. It is difficult to find any substantial information about the casino itself, but there is great deal of detail available about the house it was located in, and its history is fascinating.

It is believed by residents to have been built somewhere between 1890 and 1900 by Thomas Hopkins and referred to as "Hopkins Villa." The Summerville Scene in April of 1975 called it "the cut-down house." The reason being the original house was built on columns five and a half feet off the ground. When Ralph Sullivan purchased it from Urban M. Kennedy in 1951, he lowered it to the height the present house is at, but he also did something else that would be considered a stunning feat. He moved the complete house from its original location, which was closer to the road, without disturbing the structure, interior, chimneys, and porches. On top of that, he turned it so the main entrance faced Marion Avenue, where it is today. That was some about face. However that was not the only about face it made.

Somewhere between its construction and the 1930's was its gambling days with the Pine Forest Inn. Hopkins left the property to a religious group called the Order of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1904, who lived there for a number of years but left the property and returned again in the 1930s. Whether it was a casino during that period of time or while Hopkins owned it before he left it to the religious group is a question to be answered with further research. Regardless, that was some about face from vices to virtue.

Today, 100 Marion Avenue is surrounded by white fences and tall bushes. You can get a tempting peek at its main, front entrance through a small gated-opening at the middle of the property. It is a distinctive estate with an arching driveway and expansive porches. It is a fascinating part of Summerville's grand history. Roll the dice, make a bet, it is a history that included what would be considered illegal today.

Visit Summerville

Summerville Dream

Summerville's Flowertown Festival 2024 and A Lot More

Summerville is at present shimmering in a sea of magnificent multitudinous masses of magenta. It is the annual azalea bloom putting on its best dress for the upcoming Flowertown Festival hosted in Summerville's Azalea Park.

The flowers are the official doorkeepers of spring greeting all to the celebration of warmer days. Drive anywhere on the streets in the town's historic district between Central Ave. and S. Main and you will be convinced Summerville is rightfully crowned the "Flower Town in the Pines."

Rightfully called the "Flower Town in the Pines" because Summerville is also famous for its pine trees, but unfortunately, the pollen bloom that rains down from its branches when the weather warms is not enthusiastically embraced with happy celebration like the azaleas. With that being said, pine trees and azaleas are a perfect collaboration because azaleas grow well in their shadows.

The varieties of azaleas are as bounteous as its blooms thanks to hybridizing, or crossbreeding. They are native to North America, so it is likely they greeted our arriving ancestors in some form. All North American species are deciduous, meaning they drop their leaves. The evergreen varieties come from Japan where they can be hundreds of years old. 

The azaleas that helped make Summerville famous are most likely the non-native variety. The first hybrids were planted in Charleston, South Carolina. John Grimke Drayton imported the Azalea Indica from Philadelphia where they were grown only in greenhouses by a nurseryman who also had a branch nursery in Charleston, and introduced them into the estate gardens of his rice plantation on the Ashley River. Marie Clinton Hastie wrote about the beginnings of her grandfather's garden, "it was somewhere in the mid 1840s that the Azalea Indica was introduced to Magnolia." His garden was the first in America to plant azaleas outdoors.

In 1932, Grange Cuthbert became the mayor of Summerville. He came up with the plan to take some of the land deeded to Summerville by the "Civic League" between Central Avenue and Magnolia Street and turn it into a mid-town paradise. George Segelken, a pioneer in azalea propagation, entered the picture. Thanks to his generosity Summerville became the place to see these prolific plants in all their abundant glory in 1935. People came from all over to view the lush beauty of the town's Azalea Park. Segelken named the salmon pink colored azalea "Pride of Summerville." The park is the predominant venue of the Flowertown Festival.

The Flowertown Festival ranks as one of the largest festivals in the Southeast with an origin that goes back to 1973. The three-day festival also carries the well-deserved distinction as one of the Top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. One of the main features of this family-oriented festival centers on the promotion of arts and crafts. More than 200 craft artisans and vendors are given the opportunity to showcase their creative wares throughout Azalea Park.

The current festival was predated by a previous one in 1941, when Summerville celebrated the first Azalea Festival--a four-day event that included dances, concerts, a parade, and a formal ball. The festival promoted local business and celebrated the town's community pride, a pride as old as the trees. Summerville's rich history dates all the way back to the late 1600s.

Along with the Flowertown Festival, there will be The Southern Songwriter Festival--in collaboration with Summerville Dream, the Community Music Collective, and the Edisto Blackwater Boogie. 12 talented songwriters will perform in downtown Summerville on Short Central for a night of musical entertainment. It's free to the public, so bring a chair, the kids, and the pets. Time will be 6 pm to 10 pm.

Artists include: Sean Keefer, Lori Rinken, Scotty Oliver, Macy Crawford, Chris Rinken, Anna Crosby, Katie Lyon, Fleming Moore, Chris Roberts, Graham Whorley, Mark Yampolsky, and Dan Riley

If that is not enough, the 2024 Farmer's Market will begin on Saturday April 6, and will have extended hours of 8am-6pm. 

Well, that is Summerville—azaleas and the biggest festival in the Southeast. While visiting for the Flowertown Festival, when you see me walking around town be sure to say, "Hey." I am always interested in making new acquaintances.

Visit Summerville 

Summerville Dream

The Fate of Six Famous Summerville Inns Lost in Time--Imagine if They Would Have Survived

Since the early 1900's tourists have flocked to the Town of Summerville to enjoy the beauty of its spring blossoms, particularly its azaleas, which are in full bloom presently. The Town will soon be packed with people from all over the Southeast and beyond to enjoy the Flowertown Festival April 5-7. The downtown district and its local businesses will be happily ringing their registers, if they still have that antiquated device, otherwise joyously swiping credit cards. S. Main Street will be a sea of people from the Square on down to Azalea Park. Many of the visitors looking for places to stay. However, I wonder, what would Summerville be like if the Wisteria Inn, Holly Inn, Vose Inn, Squirrel Inn, Carolina Inn, and Pine Forest Inn survived to today? You would have to agree, quite different. The following is their story and their fate.

There is not any significant information about the Wisteria Inn other than it was at the intersection of W. Carolina Ave and S. Main Street, and it burned down.

Wisteria Inn

The Holly Inn was next to the golf course at The Summerville Club on Holly Inn Rd. It was eventually demolished.

Holly Inn

Vose Inn is not a commonly recognizable name in the history of Summerville. The obvious reason for its present anonymity is it no longer exists. It was so severely damaged by the Earthquake of 1886, it was deserted to the elements to rot into oblivion before the Golden Age of the Inns began. It was at its best by 1860 before the Civil War. It was situated behind what is now Ambler Hall on W. Carolina Ave.

Vose Inn

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.

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.

Famous author and diplomat Paul Hyde Bonner wintered as a guest at Summerville's Squirrel Inn. 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.

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

One the the more famous of the inns was the Carolina Inn. In 1810, Moore's Tavern stood on the property. It would become the Brown's Hotel around 1855 under the ownership of Isaac T. Brown--also called the Summerville House. Brown added a ten-pin alley and a billiard room. The hotel was surrounded by wide piazzas.

The Brown's Hotel suffered damage from the 1886 earthquake. It closed around 1890, but unlike the Vose Inn, reopened in 1895. It became known as the Dorchester Inn featuring full, wrap-around porches and numerous shuttered windows. In 1912, T.R. Moore owned the Dorchester Inn and after enlarging the structure, extensively remodeling the interior, and updating the building, it opened its doors as the Carolina Inn featuring 67 rooms and a swimming pool.

With white wood-rail fencing, beautifully landscaped walking gardens, and an acquired reputation for excellent accommodations and cuisine, it would become preferred by many travelers for its discreet elegance and atmosphere. Unlike the structured offerings of the Pine Forest Inn, there were no activities

One of the favorite pastimes of the guests was competing in bridge tournaments and competitions. Somewhat similar to tourism today, other diversions included historical tours, garden tours, maybe a silent movie at the Arcade Theatre, or shopping and sightseeing excursions into Charleston on the South Carolina Railroad out of Summerville.

The Carolina Inn was demolished. 

Carolina Inn

The grandest of Summerville's inns was the Pine Forest Inn. It sat on 60 acres and opened its doors in 1891. The internationally renowned hotel had four floors, elevators, and 150 rooms. The Inn had its own power plant, telegraph office and long distance telephone service. It also housed three water supplies--an artesian well for mineral water, spring water and a charcoal purifying cistern. The weekly rate in the 1934-35 season was $49 for a single room with private bath and $168 for a double, which included meals.

In addition to the enormous rooms the Pine Forest Inn had a glassed in rocking chair porch with 150 rockers and a dining room that was larger than the 1,600 square foot dining room inside the White House.

The amenities included bowling alleys, shuffle board, billiards, a swimming pool, 18 hole golf course that sat on 130 acres, hunting, fishing, tennis, croquet and a 50 horse stable. It also offered a casino.

The Inn was later demolished by Mr. Salisbury for fear of fire.

Pine Forest Inn

Visit Summerville

Summerville Keeps on Rising Like a Phoenix from the Ashes in the Face of Adversity

Summerville, from the time of its conception, has been a place to where Lowcountry residents came to heal and renew. Charleston planters, who perspired in the heat and humidity of their river plantations, marooned themselves there to prevail upon its "remarkably dry and balmy atmosphere." Charlestonians, laboring against the voracious mosquitos and yellow fever of their peninsula estates, traversed the 25 miles to avail upon its "foliage of trees and luxuriant undergrowth" that "shut in any poisonous exhalations that might otherwise arise." Unequivocally, Summerville has been appraised as a "charming, rural, picturesque town with a health-promoting atmosphere."

However, Summerville's journey from "Let The Pines Be Sacred" to "The Birthplace of Sweet Tea" has had its ups and downs. In the beginning, the inviting sandy plateau was dotted with Mosquito houses with roving cattle cutting paths through the many pine trees. Then, the railroad came to town and made Summerville one of its stops and held out the promise of greater things to come, but the pineland village grew slowly in population and accommodations.

Then, in 1860, the inhabitants came under the influence of a "new sprit." The sluggish apathy of the previous years seemed to disappear. An "enthusiasm for progress" pervaded the sleepy community. A new administration was taking charge. The new mayor, Reverend Limehouse, purchased land on the Great Thoroughfare and had a new town hall built with a jail behind it and adjacent was the town market. The Brown's Hotel was open for business with a new ten-pin alley and billiard room along with $.50 tickets to Charleston and back, including carriage ride. The Vose Inn and Mr. Cooper's Paradise were other attractors.

However, a political hurricane was brewing in the social atmosphere and its black, ominous clouds spilled over the Town in a fury. It was now 1861. In the distance, shells rained down on Fort Sumter and the American Civil war was under way. Southern State troops were ordered to rendezvous on the South Carolina Railroad at Camp Woodward in Summerville. It would be a chaotic time with the arrival of the emotionally charged troops.

About the gathering combatants, Major Thomas W. Woodward wrote in his memoirs, "And—folly of follies—you were to be allowed to choose whether you would go as a Regiment or disband and go home, although you had already agreed to offer your services to the Confederacy." He further lamented, "some companies preserved their discipline, others were really but roving mobs of jolly, rollicking soldiers."

Eventually, the uniforms changed from grey to blue. There was a threat the Federals who captured Charleston were going to burn the town. In May of 1865, the Black Union Provisional Brigade moved from their position at Bacon's Bridge to occupy Summerville. With many houses and buildings turned into hospitals, it became the temporary residents for the sickly and wounded.

While recovering from the Civil War, the final years of the 19th century saw two more devastating local events. Summerville was rattled by an earthquake in 1886 and a downtown fire ravaged most of the buildings around the Town's square. As with all fires, the clouds of thick smoke dispersed and sunny, blue skies appeared overhead. The sacred tree's that soothed the first marooners came to the rescue.

The International Congress of Physicians in Paris declared Summerville one of the world's two best places for treating lung disorders. The town rose from the ashes and the pleasant aroma of azalea and wisteria wafted through the tall trees and winding streets. Grand inns and hotels were constructed to accommodate the influx of visitors. It was the "Golden Age of the Inns" and prosperity reigned supreme. But alas, the dubious crown of financial security was soon to be knocked off.

An Economic shakeup called the Great Depression began to change the landscape. The wrecking ball took out two of the Town's premier accommodations, the Pine Forest and Carolina Inn. The Summerville Short no longer stopped and the grand old railroad station disappeared from Hutchinson Square. The Summerville Show stopped the movie projectors from turning. Hurricane Hugo paid an unwelcoming visit and showed no respect for the cherished pines. The downtown area lost its allure.

Then, a call went out. :The show must go on," said the Flowertown Players, and Summerville had a Dream. Every Third Thursday the community would gather together and the shops were going local. The Town's popular magazine made a sweet discovery and the "Birthplace of Sweet Tea" took its honored place among the town's mottos, and now from Botany Bay to Boone Hall, it is "at the heart of it all." Restaurants and cafes are on nearly every corner and in-between inviting patrons to linger a little longer. It seems there is no stopping the Town from rising like a Phoenix from the ashes in the face of adversity, and a little help from providence.

Could there be another civil war, it is in the realm of possibility. Could another earthquake happen, it is a viable danger. Could there be another economic crisis, there is always that prospect. Could there be another Hurricane Hugo, blink your eyes and the weather does change. As heralded in this article, each of these insidious calamities have confronted the Town through its 177 years, and each time without reservation, it has prevailed. The only way Summerville could ever fail is if it would lose touch with its sense of itself. Who it was, who it is, who it needs to be, and who it must be in the ever changing South Carolina Lowcountry.

Visit Summerville        Coastal Coffee Roasters

Summerville Dream     La Rustica - on Magnolia

Flowertown Players      Laura Summerville

Azalea Magazine          Five Loaves Cafe

More Summerville stories.

The Summerville Inn That Changed Its Appearance Like a Chameleon

Dorchester Inn

Vose Inn is not a commonly recognizable name in the history of Summerville. The obvious reason for its present anonymity is it no longer exists. It was so severely damaged by the Earthquake of 1886, it was deserted to the elements to rot into oblivion. It was situated behind what is now Ambler Hall on W. Carolina.

A famous name in Charleston history stayed there, and afterwards, penned some glowing remarks about the "charming, rural, picturesque" town of Summerville. She spoke of a "new spirit" and an "enthusiasm for progress." It was 1860, and the Charleston writer was a woman nicknamed "the ancient lady," Mrs. Elizabeth Anne Poyas.

Around the same time, another accommodation was emerging in popularity as a place that combined all the comforts of a city hotel, with the enjoyments of country living. The hotel's address was at the crossroads of W. Carolina and Sumter Ave. But on this day of March 8, 2024, as I stand at that very same location, no traces of the lodging with a history as old as Summerville's pine trees and an identity that varied as much as a chameleon changes colors remained.

Unmercifully, in the 1960's, it suffered the same irreversibly regrettable fate as the Vose Inn, total destruction. So, with some imagination and preserved photos, I gazed out over the present landscape and visually reconstructed the old inn.  

In 1810, Moore's Tavern stood on the property. It would become the Brown's Hotel around 1855 under the ownership of Isaac T. Brown--also called the Summerville House. Brown added a ten-pin alley and a billiard room. The hotel was surrounded by wide piazzas. Inside were spacious parlors, ample halls, and comfortable and airy chambers complimented by all the substantials and luxuries of a well supplied table. Hotel rates were $1.25 a day, $7.00 a week, and $25.50 a month. Boarders were furnished tickets at $.50 each for a round trip passage on the railroad to Charleston, which was a hour trip, including carriage ride to and from the depot.

The Brown's Hotel suffered damage from the 1886 earthquake. It closed around 1890, but unlike the Vose Inn, reopened in 1895. It became known as the Dorchester Inn featuring full, wrap-around porches and numerous shuttered windows. In 1912, T.R. Moore owned the Dorchester Inn and after enlarging the structure, extensively remodeling the interior, and updating the building, it opened its doors as the Carolina Inn featuring 67 rooms and a swimming pool.

With white wood-rail fencing, beautifully landscaped walking gardens, and an acquired reputation for excellent accommodations and cuisine, it would become preferred by many travelers for its discreet elegance and atmosphere in comparison to the opulence of another competitor, the Pine Forest Inn. There was an east wing and a west wing with one large, window-lined dining room sectioned off into two dining spaces with table settings containing china and sterling. A third dining room was reserved for staff employees who accompanied their employers when staying at the inn. The fine cuisine included an offering of duck and quail, two dishes the inn's kitchen was renowned for.

Unlike the structured offerings of the Pine Forest Inn, there were no activities organized by management. Patrons were left to their own devices. One of the favorite pastimes of the guests was competing in bridge tournaments and competitions. Somewhat similar to tourism today, other diversions included historical tours, garden tours, maybe a silent movie at the Arcade Theatre, or shopping and sightseeing excursions into Charleston on the South Carolina Railroad out of Summerville.

The only part of the inn complex that has survived is the two-story 2,400 square foot annex building at 315 W. Carolina. It was built to serve as an the overflow for guests seeking accommodations at the main building. It has been a private residence since 1963.

Carolina Inn Annex

Carolina Inn was sometimes mistakenly confused with White Gables by some today--another inn found on the famous directional sign. A Southern adaptation of Greek Revival architecture, White Gables was built in 1830 at the crossroads of Palmetto and Richardson Streets and was purchased by Sarah Woodruff in the early 1900's. There are some interesting stories associated with the Woodruffs and White Gables. Sarah was Summerville's Scarlet O'Hara when it came to business. However, that is another story.

Visit Summerville

Mrs. Elizabeth Anne Poyas books

More Summerville stories

Drayton Hall House Tour--See One of the Lowcountry's Greatest Architectural Treasures

Founded in 1738, Drayton Hall is a preeminent example of Georgian-Palladian architecture in the United States. It is one of the most significant, undisturbed historic landscapes open for public viewing. Its amazing and timeless wood and plaster carvings are a testimony to the artful skills of the master craftsmen of the day. The stories told offer a brief glimpse into the people who lived and served within its majestic walls. All of which have been preserved in their original true to life state of being, unvarnished both physically and spiritually.

Upon arrival, you will want to check in, and you do this at the gift shop. While you wait for the house tour to start, and you are encouraged to do this, you can take a self guided stroll around the visitor center. A brief orientation film is offered in the Stephen F. and Laura D. Gates Gallery along with a full-wall time line. The adjacent room, in the same building, includes rotating exhibitions of decorative arts objects that once belonged to the Drayton family, examples of authentic house furniture, archaeological artifacts related to the estate and its inhabitants, as well as archival materials and architectural fragments.

Anchoring the visitor center, the Lenhardt Garden surrounds a sprawling 200-year-old oak tree. The plantings are historically inspired, with horticultural specimens related to John Drayton's botanical lists. There is a grouping of benches upon which you can sit and soak in the tranquil surroundings and enjoy the seasonal flora and fauna.

The exhibit in the caretaker's house highlights the post-Civil War period and the 20th century at Drayton Hall. Constructed in 1870, the caretaker's house was built for the caretaker to watch over the main house and grounds while phosphate was mined on the property. The house has been rehabilitated to serve as a conditioned exhibit space, creating opportunities to see layers of its construction and decorative materials. Of course, you can enjoy these three amenities any time before or after your tour.

Once the tour begins, the guide introduced us to the complex where it begins. Then explains the radical decision that was made to preserve the seven generations of history within Drayton Hall's walls. The choice was made to stabilize the house rather than restore it to a particular period, and to preserve it as it was acquired from the family in the 1970s. All imperfections and changes over time have survived to the present.

Next, we were led to an archeological dig next to the main house. It reveals what was originally one of the flanker buildings that once upon a time stood on each side of the main house and connected by a tall brick colonnade. It is an essential element of a one time unknown surprising twist in the house's history.

Drayton Hall is unquestionably not without its mysteries, both surreal and real. The most recent and famous occurred in 2007 when one of its staff members received an anonymous package containing the photograph of a watercolor painting of Drayton Hall purported to be date back to 1765. The envelope it arrived in was simply postmarked 22602-6754 with the words ATT: Back in The Day. The numbers were found to be a Winchester, VA zip code.

Up to that moment, no 18th-century image of Drayton Hall had ever been found. The earliest dated to c. 1845. The mystery was deepened further by what they saw depicted in the watercolor. It presented an image of Drayton Hall never seen before. It showed the Palladian brick building surrounded by low colonnades. Inspired by this revelation, archaeologists dug into the museum's lawn, where 18th-century foundation marks were found, suggesting the 1765 drawing of a u-shaped colonnade was an accurate portrayal.

The tour moved to the main house beginning in the cellar, which housed mainly the kitchen. From there, we exited to the grand portico, the first floor, and finally the second floor. After entertaining and thought provoking stories on each floor about the people who lived and worked in the house, we were turned loose to go wherever we wanted at our own leisure. Before exiting the property, we took the solemn stroll through the African American Cemetery.

If you are looking for the complete southern experience, Drayton Hall should be on your list. From the moment you enter the gate and drive up the narrow causeway toward the columned portico's of the house's stunning front entrance, you sense a change in time. And, when you ascend the stone stairs facing the Ashley River and step through the door, the sudden rush of humid antebellum air swoops you back to an era of ballroom serenades, afternoon tea, and plantation living both elegant and controversial.

Voted the Best Place to See by Condé Nast Traveler.

Tickets for the House Tour

Tickets for Private Guided Tours

Plantation Tour Combination Tickets

Group Tours