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.

Summerville's Tour Guides and Tours Through the Years

Visitors were greeted by this overhead arch for over three decades in the early 1900s, welcoming them to Summerville. The brick archway meant "coming home" to travelers, as well as residents. Flanking both ends of the town's name was the phrase, "Flower Town in the Pines." When leaving, the last thing they saw was the town's motto, "Let the Pine be Sacred."

Since the early 1900s, tourists flocked to the town in early spring to enjoy millions of spring blossoms, particularly azaleas, in private and public gardens, including the mid-town Azalea Park. Thus, Summerville acquired the earned designation, "The Flower Town in the Pines."

The azalea spring bloom is just beginning. It is a prelude to the biggest festival in South Carolina, the Flowertown Festival. This year it is scheduled to take place April 1 – 3. Have you ever wondered how the name "Flower Town in the Pines" came to be?

In 1925, Virginia Lowndes Bailey entered a slogan contest sponsored by the town's Chamber of Commerce. She won the $5 prize. Her entry was "Flower Town in the Pines." The brick archway spanning Main Street near the Highway 78 intersection spotlighted her winning slogan for all to see. Virginia's son wanted her contribution remembered. She was known as "the horsewoman." So, the family donated a horse weathervane to the town, and the town council approved a commemorative plaque. The brick archway with her winning slogan is gone, but the weathervane remains and resides on top of the present Town Hall building.

In the 1930s, tour guides would stand by the brick archway holding signs in their hands, entertaining the hope arriving tourists would acquire their services. The Town Hall was another gathering place for the young guides. All local boys, upon being chosen, they would jump onto an arriving car's running board and direct the driver past the town's beautiful residential gardens and key landmarks. Berlin G. Meyers was one of those young boys. He was paid a meager five dollars for his services, but as he fondly recalled, "A real fortune for a young boy in those days." The brick archway crumbled into history, leaving fond memories of a bygone age.

In 2011, Summerville experienced a revival of its glory days when it embraced its identity as "The Birthplace of Sweet Tea." Mayor Bill Collins formed a tour task force in 2013 and tours in Summerville took on a new look in the shape of green and red colored transportation vehicles. They were seen traveling the streets around the downtown area and beyond on Fridays and Saturdays. In 2013 and 2014, sweet tea and tours put the town in the Lowcountry spotlight. As a beneficial result, the "Sweet Tea Trail" was formed, and the "Sweet Tea Festival" was established. A 15-foot mason jar named "Mason" stands in the downtown district, a testimony to the town's rights to the trademark.

The "Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail" was one of those tours. Immediately upon arrival to the Visitor Center doors, Tina Zimmerman, Summerville's tourism coordinator, graciously welcomed you. An offering of sweet tea was available nearby. Once everyone had arrived, the group assembled in a room lined with images of Summerville's past. Tina began the tour with an inspirational video introducing everyone to a short summation starting with the town's inception and concluding with Bill Collins, Summerville's mayor, wishing all a fun time. Storyteller Tim Lowry, as guest narrator, entertained the group after they boarded the trolleys. Summerville DREAM's Janyce Shoemake Hursey often accompanied the guests as the trolleys transported them to various local food entrepreneurs.

"Sweet Tea Trolley Tour of Historic Summerville and Linwood Gardens" was a 90 minute guided tour for $20 where you would see the preserved downtown and then travel through the back roads of the town to see its historic homes. Like "The Good Eats Tour," it started in the Visitor Center with a history film from 1939. Local historian Barbara Lynch Hill would give a guided tour on the trolley with a stop at the historic Linwood Gardens, named one of the 10 Best Bed and Breakfast Gardens in the World. In case of rain Linwood owner will board the trolley and give oral tour. A second tour concentrated on history, was more extensive and included the sites of the Tea Farm and The Pine Forest Inn.

Summerville DREAM planned on offering tour guide training for the "Sweet Tea Trolley Tours." Tim Lowery and Barbara Lynch Hill were assigned to conduct the sessions. The workshop was to be held at the DREAM office at First Citizens Bank. Unfortunately, the trolleys would eventually leave town.

Time rolled on for the town, and plans were brewing in the downtown area. On March 1, 2019, Summerville inaugurated the newly completed Hutchinson Square Project with a ribbon-cutting and celebratory party. Town representatives and residents packed the refreshed historic downtown area. The crowning touch to the restoration featured a pavilion with a roofline patterned after the old railroad station that once upon a time stood close by and a gateway reminiscent of earlier days in the town's honored history, a replica of the old brick archway. A proclamation went out declaring Summerville to be "AT THE HEART of it ALL."

The Visitor Center established the following tours to offer visitors and residents an opportunity to immerse themselves into everything Summerville today.

The Sweet Tea Trail: Created for visitors to fully experience Summerville as "The Birthplace of Sweet Tea," Participants will embark on the trail to explore the shops, sites, sips, and tastes that make life in Summerville so sweet. Trail Guides are available at the Summerville Visitor Center, at participating stops, or you can go to the Visit Summerville web page. Collect Stamps with the purchase and redeem Official Birthplace of Sweet Tea gifts and merchandise.

The Walking Tour of Homes and Flowers: A leisure one-hour stroll past 20 historic homes with a sign and QR code with information about each home. It begins at the Cuthbert Community Center in Azalea Park on West 5th South Street. Old homes framed by majestic oaks whisper their stories, and towering church steeples built a century ago recall the town's foundation. In Historic Summerville, no two houses are alike, and an afternoon spent with a cold glass of tea and a sense of adventure can reward you with a myriad of beautiful architectural visuals.

The Summerville Porch Stroll on the Sweet Tea Trail: The first porch stroll was inaugurated on June 12, 2021. This neighborhood and community event offers eight different porches where attendees can sit and sip iced tea on some of its most beautiful southern porches. With expected Summerville southern hospitality, each of the eight hosts offers unique delectables and experiences, including strolling historic gardens, farm animal snuggles, live music, and artwork by local artists available for purchase. The next one will be June 11, 2022. Proceeds benefit the Timrod Library.

Summerville is benefiting from a unique heritage that has been brewing since the early 1800s. The possibilities have become "sky's the limit." So, put out the southern welcome mat of hospitality and complimentary cup of sweet tea.