AUTHOR MARY ALICE MONROE, THE BRAILSFORD-BROWN HOUSE, THE SWURFER Q&A WITH JUSTIN WHEELON OF SOUTHERN CITY® FILM FESTIVAL, MCLEOD PLANTATION AN OCONEE COUNTY ADVENTURE , T.W. GRAHAM AND CO., CITY SCOUT: COLUMBIA
SOUTHERN PEACHES
State Plate Fresh peaches: the state fruit of South Carolina
A celebration of the taste of summer in South Carolina’s juiciest fruits: beautiful, bountiful, and tastier than ever
From Table Rock to Caesars Head State Parks, we’ve got your R&R right here
Welcome to a place where “social” takes the form of chats along the trail, birds still do most of the tweeting and liking something is just a smile away. Getting here is an uphill climb, but every step is its own tale of adventure. Whether you’re inspired by the promise of sweeping views or simply seeking a spot to “hang out,” consider this a personal invite from Mother Nature to disconnect so you can reconnect to the things that really matter. We’re saving you a seat at the top of the world in Greenville, SC. Yeah, THAT Greenville. To learn more, call 800.717.0023.
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PALMETTO MAGAZINE
F E AT U R E S SPRING/SUMMER 2017
Savor the Flavor Sippin’ Thyme created by Peter Nickle
49 S O U T H ERN PEA CH ES A celebration of the taste of summer in South Carolina’s juiciest fruits: beautiful, bountiful, and tastier than ever
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CO AX ED BY CL A Y From the red earth of the midlands, the creators of Old Edgefield Pottery created a lasting legacy, leaving their unique fingerprints on the history of South Carolina
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W I L D AT H EA RT Author Mary Alice Monroe finds success in sharing observations gained from her extensive work with animals, while telling immersive stories about the people who share their world
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CA PI T A L GAI N S After literally rising from the ashes, Columbia builds upon the scars of history to create an ever-evolving stage for creativity and adventure with an eclectic old soul all its own
CONT E N T S
Spring-Summer 2017
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25 07 Editor’s Letter 08 Contributors 11-16 FIELD NOTES A brief look into South Carolina culture 12 The Interview Justin Wheelon 14 The Scene Dorchester County 16 Etiquette A Guide To Toasting: Tips For Raising Your Glass
41 OUR SOUTH 19 Southern Narrative McLeod Plantation 25 Southern Narrative Dottie’s Toffee 29 Southern Narrative Oconee County Summer Adventures
32 O N T H E C O V E R : Fresh South Carolina peaches / Photograph by Dottie Rizzo 6
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35 32 Southern Narrative The Swurfer 35 Southern Narrative T.W. Grahams COLUMN 39 Out Of My Mind Batman and Starbucks by Susan Frampton
41 THE STATE HOUSE The Brailsford-Brown House COLUMN 80 Southern Theology We Are Such Planners by Rachelle Cobb
Explore Historic Summerville Where else can you find vibrant nightlife, live theater, over 100 dining options, more than 35 pieces of public sculpture, and the Birthplace of Sweet Tea? Something fun for everyone.
For info on public sculpture - sculptureinthesouth.com For info on Historic Downtown - summervilledream.org
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EDITOR’S LETTER
His words were more than just words —they meant something.
Letters from South Carolina
- Where We Meet -
- Where We Retreat -
“It’s a shame that people don’t talk like this anymore,” my wife said without looking up as she read an entry from her grandfather’s WWII journal. His musings of exotic locales and stories of war buddies read more like Whitman than the evening ramblings of a teenage soldier. His letters home were filled with poetic fervor-as if they were written for a Hollywood screenplay. He knew the subjects of his letters deeply. His words were more than just words—they meant something. And the presentation of his feelings were just as important as the feelings themselves.
- Where We Compete -
Unfortunately we are losing a sense of meaningful, authentic communication. Today’s world moves so fast that we have simplified our conversations down to ten second sound bites, smiley faces and single letter responses (I am particularly guilty of that one). But even deeper than how we communicate is the practice of our observations. Do we take the time to really appreciate the things around us? For my wife’s grandfather’s journal entries to be as eloquent and passionate as they were, he first had to have an immersive understanding of his surroundings. He had to live deeper than the surface and be fully aware of his life.
- It’s Your Day -
Our experience bringing you Palmetto Magazine allows us to look beyond South Carolina’s proverbial cover and really see our state. In this issue, we see that a peach is far more than just a piece of fruit, that Mary Alice Monroe is more than a mere writer, that Edgefield pottery is about more than practical 19th-century storage, and that Columbia is more than a star on a map. We invite you to slow down with this issue and allow our writers to tell you a story, maybe one just like grandpappy used to tell. Will Rizzo Editor in Chief
- Make it one to remember -
Your Premier Shooting Destination in the Southeast Contact: Beth Worth (803) 637-7681 | bworth@nwtf.net 535 Gary Hill Rd | Edgefield, SC 29824
nwtf.org/psc palmettomagazine.com
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CONTRIBUTORS
Photographer
JASON WAGENER
Illustrator
JANA RILEY
SUSAN FRAMPTON
RACHELLE COBB
GRACE NELSON
When she’s not behind the lens or running a taxi service for her two children, Paris and Davison, she’s plotting an overthrow of Martha Stewart to become The New Queen of Crafting.
Jason began his illustrious art career when he won a coloring contest in third grade, subsequently entitling him the proud owner of a Mickey Mouse dry erase board. He moved to the Lowcountry in 1990 and, save an education at the Savannah College of Art and Design, has remained a faithful transplant ever since.
Jana Riley is a Summerville-based writer and editor. She is madly in love with her husband and kids, and ever inspired by the stories she gets to tell.
An accidental writer, Susan Frampton lives in Summerville, SC. Along with a fluctuating number of wiener dogs, chickens, turtles, snakes, and the occasional pig, her husband and family provide endless material for her musings on life, love, laughter. Her life is full of adventure and comedy; and some days she contemplates having wine with breakfast.
Rachelle Rea Cobb has history with words. Born and raised in Summerville, SC, she is the author of three novels, one nonfiction writing guide, and one blog (RachelleReaCobb.com). She also enjoys working with writers as a freelance editor. When she met a man with the same first name as the fictional hero of her novels, she married him.
Born and raised in Blackville, SC, Grace studied mass communications at the University of South Carolina. She currently resides in the Fort Mill area with her family, and is particularly fond of road trips, Gamecock football, boiled peanuts, and the History Channel.
DOTTIE RIZZO
Writer
Writer
Editor/ Writer
Writer
As captured in Aiken Visit Aiken to experience delectable meals and equestrian thrills. To see more check out VisitAikenSC on Instagram.
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JOIN US IN CELEBRATING THE
MAIN WEEKEND JUNE 2 - 4, 2017 With events all month long!
scFestivalofFlowers.org 864-889-9310 | Greenwood, SC
Will Rizzo
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Dottie Rizzo
MANAGING EDITOR
Contributors
Rachelle Rea Cobb Elizabeth Donehue Susan Frampton Grace Nelson Jana Riley Jason Wagener
A Festival Full of Fun! April 20th - April 29th
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor P UB L I S H E R
10 Days of Glorious Gardens, Live Music, and Frogs!
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s c 1788
First opera performed: Feb. 18, 1735 Colley Cibber’s ballad opera Flora, or Hob in the Well, was performed at the Courtroom in Charles Town.
First European settlement: 1526 Spain established San Miguel de Gualdape, near present-day Georgetown. The settlement failed within a year due to famine, disease, and unrest.
First musical society: 1762 The St. Cecilia Society was founded in Charles Town.
First Americanbuilt ship to cross the Atlantic: 1563 A small group of French Huguenot settlers built a makeshift vessel and sailed from Port Royal to France.
First public museum: January 1773 A special committee of the Charles Town Library Society met to discuss the establishment of a museum in Charles Town. A few months later, The Charleston Museum was formed, which is now located on Meeting St. in Charleston.
First public library: November 16, 1700 This library, located on St Philip’s Street in Charleston, remained in operation for 14 years. First commercial tea farm: 1890 Charles Shepard established a commercial tea farm in Summerville. First regularly scheduled rail passenger train: 1830 The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company’s Best Friend of Charleston made its first passenger run on Christmas Day.
SC Milestones
First golf club: September 29, 1786 Scottish merchants formed the South Carolina Golf Club in Charleston. Club members played on Harleston Green in Charleston until 1800. sciway.net
These South Carolina events were the first of their kind in the United States palmettomagazine.com
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CAROLINA
What is one of your favorite childhood memories about growing up in South Carolina? My whole family and I would go to Myrtle Beach a couple of times each year. Once for spring break/Masters Week and then again in the summer. That’s definitely a favorite childhood memory. We’d go to the old Pavilion theme park and we stayed right down on the strip too so we could walk everywhere. Luckily we still go which I love but as the family gets a little older and bigger and spread out it’s getting tougher to all get there on the same week. How did your passion for film begin? Well, I always loved movies as a kid, and I would go as much as my parents would take me and pay for me of course, but I also remember renting movies from Blockbuster and remember loving movies as a kid. As I grew up, though, I never thought about working in the “movie business.” It just seemed so far away from Aiken, where I grew up. It was when I was about 19 and got to work on my first real big budget film set, which was the first one ever for me, that I really just fell in love with it. Almost since that day it’s been my life. How did you make the leap from dreaming big to making it happen? Well, it wasn’t so much a leap as a very slow crawl. It took years of me just trying to get on any movie I could in any capacity. I’d do extra work, I was a stand in, I would have done just about anything. Then years in, I started to get some speaking roles and principal roles and then supporting roles and then lead roles. So it took a lot of time before I finally got to do the acting I wanted. The whole time I was on set, I was always watching and admiring the directors so at some point I just started to want to do that: direct. Then just like with acting, I’d start small doing local commercials here and there, slowly working my way up to bigger and better projects. In 2014 I was working at a FOX TV station and they had the Super Bowl that year, so they asked me to direct some commercials that would air during the big game. That was a highlight. Then in 2015 I was very fortunate enough to win 2 Emmy® awards with my friends at TranterGrey Media. Last year I had a big career highlight in directing Bill Murray for some stuff, so that was really cool. I just completed my first big screenplay and am in full pre-production with that now and hope to shoot that later this year! How has being from South Carolina helped shape your career? Good question, haven’t ever really thought about it honestly. It was just the only geo14 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
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my favorite actors, and the evening I got to meet and talk with him I think I was pretty star struck. I don’t remember saying much to him. I remember talking a lot with his girlfriend at the time, Reese Witherspoon but don’t remember anything I said to Jake.
I N T E RV I E W
Justin Wheelon
Emmy award winner, actor, director, writer, and producer. Founder/president of Southern City® film festival. graphical location I’ve known. When I was younger I thought living in SC might have delayed me getting involved with film, only because if I lived in LA or NYC I might have been exposed to that world sooner. But I am certainly happy with how everything has turned out. I love living in SC though. I travel a lot and it’s nice to come back from the big cities to SC life. I love playing golf, so I can do that here almost any time of the year. I started my non-profit SOUTHERN CITY here because I just love this area and Aiken. Can you remember one time where you were star struck? I can remember a lot of times. Not always the ones you’d think though. I’ve gotten to meet everyone from Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Bill Murray, Kevin Costner, and everyone in between, but one particular movie starred Jake Gyllenhaal who’s one of
You’re just two years into running Southern City and you launched a film festival last year. What made you bring your big screen dreams back home to South Carolina? I grew up not thinking the film world was ever an option for me, so I wanted to start this non-profit to give kids and adults a chance to learn filmmaking and how to get into the businsess even if you live right here in Aiken, SC. The film festival was just a natural extension of how we celebrate and bring more films to Aiken. I’m thrilled with how well it’s been received. At the time of this writing, we’re currently the 11th in the World, 7th in the United States, and 1st In the South on FilmFreeways ‘Top 100’ best reviewed film festivals so it’s quite an honor. (https://filmfreeway. com/festivals/curated/top-100-best-reviewedfestivals) What do you see coming down the pipeline for Southern City in the next 5 years? Honestly I’d just love to keep improving each year. We set the bar so high the first year that any improvement from that will mean we’re doing a lot of things right. I’d love to eventually join the big guys in terms of status. Not for any other reason than the more premiere you can make your festival, the bigger and better films come. That’s what it’s really all about at the end of the day is showing the best films we can to our audiences. We want to show Aiken there’s so many amazing films out there that you might not have ever heard of because they don’t get the millions and millions of studio marketing dollars behind them. What are your must-do local haunts when you’re in town? For me personally my favorite thing to do is be at home with my wife and my dog as much as I can! But if you’re coming to Aiken for a few days for the festival or just to visit, there’s always so much going on. Seriously at any given time there’s going to be several cool things to do. I’d check the local events calendar. I love our museum and our downtown area is filled with unique shops and resturants. Hopeland Gardens is a nice place to walk around and we have a lot of great hotels too. Definitely a unique little town so I’d encourage you to come for a visit, especially for the 2017 Southern City Film Festival Nov 2-5 2017!
The heart of South Carolina is found in our fields.
We have hundreds of farms for you to explore in South Carolina. Visit SCFarmFun.org to find your next farm experience.
View the list of par�icipa�ing farms at scagritourism.org.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
tou
F IE L D
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THE SCENE
L O C AT I O N
Dorchester County Indian Field Methodist Campground is a camp meeting site for the Methodist Church. Built in 1848, Indian Field has been a site for religious gatherings for over 160 years.
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of offering a toast, ask his or her permission to do so yourself. Around a dinner table with friends, a guest can offer the first toast as a way of thanking the host for bringing everyone together. You should always stand when offering a toast unless it is a small informal occasion. Standing can help you to get the group’s attention. It is best not to signal for quiet by tapping on a glass. Instead, simply stand tall and begin. People will take notice. If absolutely necessary, say in a loud projecting voice, “May I have your attention please.” Repeat as needed.
ETIQUETTE
ELIZABETH DONEHUE Arbiter of social graces, with a heart for simple hospitality and a tendency for adventure, Elizabeth lives in Summerville, SC with her husband, Wesley, sons Harlowe and Tennyson, and yorkie, Gucci.
" Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and good for the body.
"
Proverbs 16:24
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Here’s To You A Guide To Toasting: Tips For Raising Your Glass
Toasting to love, friendship, health, wealth, and happiness has been practiced by almost every culture from the beginning of recorded history. The longstanding custom of the dinner table toast dates back earlier than the 17th century—offering a toast at the table was considered both good manners and a way of enlightening the evening. To this day, a well-made toast can make a simple moment special. This gracious gesture can be delivered by anyone. All it takes is a little forethought, practice, and a familiarity with basic toast protocol. While there are no hard and fast rules to toasting, what follows are guidelines to get you started: Toasting should begin when first drinks are served at the beginning of a meal. Traditionally, the first toast is offered by the host as a welcome to guests. It has become common practice at formal occasions for toasts offered by others to start at the dessert course over champagne. While traditionally, the host or hostess should be the first to offer a toast, especially in a formal setting, the more informal the occasion the less this tenet applies. If it appears that the host has no intention
• Be Prepared. A toast is a miniature speech. Craft your lines; know what you plan to say before speaking. • Be Yourself • Be Brief. Stay Simple. Keep your toast short and to the point. • Know when to stop and take your seat. End on a positive note. Clearly define the end by saying “Cheers,” asking your audience to “Raise your glass.” Never stand or drink to a toast, when it is being offered to you. Do give the speaker your full attention, make eye contact, and give thanks when the toast is complete. This is the most gracious way to receive the compliment. If there is a large group of people toasting an honoree, the clinking of glasses is not performed. Instead, while holding your glass by the stem, simply raise it to shoulder height in front of you, gently gesture toward the honoree, and take a sip. If it is a small group of people, and you are clinking glasses, you should always look the person in the eyes when doing so. Never refuse to participate in a toast. It is perfectly acceptable to participate with a non-alcoholic beverage or even an empty glass rather than not at all. The beverage being used or the clink of the glass is not as important as the bestowing of honor. The power of acknowledgment contained in a raised glass can be portrayed most eloquently by the words of Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So, join me now
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SOUTHERN NARRATIVE
So Close Yet So Far
Once defined by the distance between them, the lives of the men and women of James Island’s McLeod Plantation are revealed to be woven together, creating a tapestry of time. by Susan Frampton
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CH ARLEST ON ,
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As the lights flash, the rails are lowered, and the bridge opens to allow a vessel to pass beneath it on Wappoo Creek. Traffic comes to a stop. Here, where a peninsula city and a sea island meet, the cars and trucks brought to a standstill on Folly Road idle alongside the businesses and shopping centers of James Island’s busy, modern community.
that had been compiled on the McLeod Plantation was largely inaccurate. Since that time, the commission has worked diligently to uncover its story. It is a saga told in black and white; of rows of billowing Sea Island cotton and a war that divided a nation; of an unjust social structure, an enslaved people freed from bondage, and a world forever changed.
Hidden just beyond the trees and shrubbery north of the highway, McLeod Plantation Historical Site stands, a place where over 150 years earlier, the family of William Wallace McLeod would have peered out at commuters through the glass panes of newly constructed windows. Located just outside Charleston, a city heralded for its rich history, the McLeod historical site’s significance was appreciated by only a select few, until recently, when research expanded the ranks of those privileged to know of the land beyond the moss-draped live oaks. Little research had been conducted on the site before the death of the last owner, William Ellis “Mr. Willie” McLeod, in 1990.
Though the land McLeod Plantation occupies has been found on records dating as far back as 1671, it was not until the mid-1700s that Samuel Perronneau became the first owner to cultivate it. He commanded his executors to purchase “such a number of slaves as to enable them to settle, plant, and occupy my plantation and lands [617 acres] on James Island.” Other crops were grown, but Perronneau discovered the soil to be unsuited for the type of cotton he planted, so his land yielded a disappointing crop.
According to Cultural History Interpretation Coordinator, Shawn Halifax, when the property was purchased in 2011 by Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission (CCPRC), it was discovered that the little research
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Growing in acreage and changing ownership many times over the next century, the land was finally acquired in 1851 by Edisto Island cotton planter William Wallace McLeod. His purchase spanned 914.5 acres of property, yielded directly from Perronneau’s daughter. He named it McLeod Plantation. Though evidence exists of an earlier home on the land, and outbuildings such as “the gin house” have been found constructed of material dating from
the 1600s, McLeod’s new home on the site was constructed in 1856, by men and women bound to him by slavery. McLeod Plantation was a working property, says Halifax, and bore little resemblance to the columned summer mansions of landowners with primary residences in downtown Charleston. The dwelling was approached from the north side of the property via a tree-lined allée leading from the waterfront of Wappoo Creek, a waterway valued not for the vista it provided, but as the vital conduit of the plantation’s goods to the world. McLeod vastly improved the soil by using experimental clay tile pipes for drainage and augmenting it with the rich, organic plough [pluff ] mud of the nearby marshes. He planted a different cotton plant than his predecessor, a variety known as Sea Island cotton. Originating in South America and spreading up to South Carolina from the barrier islands of Georgia, the tall, long-fiber plant was better suited to the growing conditions along the coast. The plantation moved to the rhythm of the enslaved men and women from the Gambia River region of Africa. Their labor at one time yielded 100 bales of cotton from the 90 tons of cotton picked per year, making McLeod Plan-
tation one of South Carolina’s largest producers of Sea Island cotton. In addition, the plantation grew sweet potatoes, peas, and corn, as well as operating a dairy, sand mine, and timber farm. The narrative of McLeod Plantation explores the lives of its people: men and women, black and white, those enslaved, and those who held them in bondage. Records indicate that in the 1860s William McLeod owned 74 slaves, housed in 26 dwellings on the property. The rich Gullah/Geechee heritage of McLeod Plantation’s enslaved population has been carefully preserved and is recognized as a part of the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor for its cultural and historical significance. Plantation life was extraordinarily labor-intense for the estimated 50 to 60 men and women delegated to work the land. Most planters of the time were of modest means rather than among the elite “gentleman farmers,” often stereotypically depicted. No evidence has been found of William McLeod’s employment of an overseer, and it is thought that he most likely physically participated in much of the difficult agricultural work. As a supporter of South Carolina’s secession from the Union, when
Living History Left to right: The McLeod Family home; one of the slave homes; the grounds are covered with grand oak trees; Cultural History Interpretation Coordinator, Shawn Halifax.
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A Living Tribute This page: The McLeod Oak is believed to be over 600 years old; the oak allée and slave quarters lead to the main house. Opposite clockwise: Inside the McLeod Family home; the flooring of a far gone structure; the family home; one of many oak trees on the property
tensions rose prior to the Civil War, McLeod joined the Charleston Light Dragoons to fight for the Confederacy. In 1862, during the mandatory evacuation of James Island, his family relocated to Greenwood, SC. The home served as a Confederate field hospital, headquarters, and commissary before its occupation by the Union Army’s New York 54th Infantry and Massachusetts 55th Volunteer Infantry. Martin Becker, a remarkable free black abolitionist, served for a time as the 55th Infantry’s Quartermaster. Also housed at McLeod was a field office of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (better known as The Freedmen’s Bureau), offering food, clothing, medical and educational assistance for thousands of freed slaves and impoverished whites. Current research has focused on the time period beginning with the plantation’s purchase by William McLeod and follows the threads of McLeod Plantation’s past to the present, revealing a constantly evolving tapestry of time. Six of the 20’x12’ slave dwellings still exist. Today, the dirt street on which the dwellings stand is aptly named “Transition Row,” acknowledging the tumultuous changes its inhabitants endured and overcame. Descendants of those enslaved lived in the houses up until the 1990s. McLeod Plantation was the last James Island
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property to return to its pre-war owners, but it never returned to prosperity. Though the descendants who remained would never again enslave or be enslaved, there would be many more years of injustice and inequity. The boll weevil stole away cotton as a cash crop. Societal changes drastically restructured everyday life. In lieu of farming, real estate was sold or rented to provide the family income. Changes made to the original home, including the columned, south facing entrance, were financed by land sales in the early 20th century. As the last of his line, Willie McLeod resided in the family home until the age of 90, leaving the 37 acres on which his home was situated to the Historic Charleston Foundation, with the stipulation that it be preserved. It would change hands several more times before being purchased for $3 million by Charleston County, with widespread support from the community. CCPRC has invested an additional $7 million dollars since that time, in capital improvements. The land has yet to reveal all that it knows of the years before and after the McLeod’s came to hold it. As the past continues to be uncovered, buildings are stabilized and restored, and stories recorded, McLeod Plantation welcomes visitors to walk its paths and explore the complex relationships of those who lived on its
soil—so close together, yet so far apart. On the back lawn of the main house, the McLeod Oak, thought to be at least 600 years old, has watched over centuries of triumphs, turmoil, and tragedy. Gnarled by time and twisted by the wind, its huge limbs stretch out as though yearning to tell all that it has witnessed. Under the careful stewardship of CCPRC, it will surely have the opportunity, as will anyone with a connection to the plantation. All with a story to tell about the plantation are encouraged to share any information with the staff. Providing an experience like no other, the CCPRC Historic Site is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Both guided and self-guided tours are available for the area that stretches approximately two-thirds of a mile from the Pavilion and Gullah cemetery near Wappoo Creek, to the last home on Transition Row. Visitors may enrich their experience by downloading the free Transition to Freedom app or by borrowing a device from the Welcome Center.
For more information about programs, events, and rentals, please visit CharlestonCountyParks.com or call (843) 795-4386.
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WOODEN B OAT S HOW georgetown, sc OctOber 21 & 22, 2017
wooden boatbuilding challenge land & water wooden boat exhibits maritime arts, crafts & models goat island regatta children’s model boat building cardboard boat racing food & music and so much more!
JOin Us! it’s AlwAys FUn! 26 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Follow us: facebook.com/georgetownwoodenboatshow Tweet us: @woodenboatshow #STSTOP20 Accommodations: www.hammockcoastsc.com Website: www.woodenboatshow.com
A Recipe for Success Milk chocolate toffee
SOUTHERN NARRATIVE D o t t i e ’s To f f e e : Food
Toffee Tradition
A Spartanburg native shares his grandmother’s toffee recipe with the Upstate—and beyond by Jana Riley
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In a bustling sidewalk-adjacent store on Spartanburg’s West Main Street, Nick Belmont is hard at work in the kitchen. He effortlessly blends sweet cream butter and pure cane sugar together, melts chocolate, prepares pans of the mixtures, and sprinkles on almonds and sea salt. Though he often does just for consistency’s sake, Belmont needs not consult any recipe, nor use any measuring tools to produce his desired product. His is a process engrained within his soul, a series of steps that he has observed since as far back as he can remember. He has replicated the process hundreds, if not thousands, of times; he could probably do it with his eyes closed. In short order, it is ready: a large pan of shiny, sticky toffee, just like his grandma used to make. If she were here today, in this kitchen with Nick, just beyond the entrance to the storefront of Dottie’s Toffee, it is safe to say that Dot Smith would smile proudly at her grandson.
The wife of a state senator, Dot Smith was a kind and giving woman. She perfected her toffee recipe in 1976, and it soon became her signature, a recipe that she was known for across the community and at the State House. Dot would spend hours in the kitchen making toffee, chilling it, breaking it apart, and sliding chunks into a cellophane bag, which she would tie up with a
ribbon and give to friends, family members, and her husband’s colleagues. Regular visitors to her home, including Nick, knew that she typically kept a big bag of the treat in her refrigerator, and it was often the first thing Nick would seek out upon arriving to his grandmother’s house. “A lot of the time, we would go over there palmettomagazine.com
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and she would be making it,” Nick remembers. “But if she wasn’t making it, and if there was no toffee in the refrigerator, we would convince her to make it.” For her grandchildren, Dot Smith was as generous with her recipe as she was with the final product, and she always encouraged Nick to help out. He gladly did, standing on a stool or chair alongside her. He lived for the moment when his grandmother would hand over the wooden spoon after they finished mixing. The spoon would be sticky with chocolate, butter, and sugar, and Nick savored the taste of the sweet dessert, never growing tired of it. As he got older and became more receptive to the reactions of people trying Dot Smith’s toffee for the first time, he realized that she was creating something special. Though she had been encouraged for years to sell her toffee by friends and family, it was not until her grandson came to her with the idea that she finally gave the venture her blessing. She and Nick began to make the toffee in her kitchen once again, bagging it and labeling it for sale in a small Spartanburg business. The endeavor was successful during Nick’s college years, but after graduation he pursued other career possibilities.
Family Business Nick Belmont in the company kitchen; the storefront on Main St. in Spartanburg, SC.
reminiscent of the era in which Dot Smith originally began making toffee. Crisp, nostalgic, and beautiful, the packaging makes an already delectable treat feel even more special, as well as encouraging gift-giving right off the shelf, with no further wrapping necessary. In 2015, Dottie’s Toffee moved to a larger location on West Main Street in Spartanburg, where Nick and Cindy make and sell their toffee, serve ice cream, and welcome guests from all over the world. In 2016, Elizabeth Dennen joined Dottie’s Toffee as Marketing Director, and she now oversees the expansion and growth of the company alongside Nick and his mother. They offered Christmas gift baskets last year, added a seasonal peppermint bark recipe to the repertoire, and began working with larger companies to create corporate gift boxes for their employees and clients around the holidays.
In 2006, after his grandmother moved into a retirement home, Nick and his mother, Cindy Holland, revisited the idea of selling Dot Smith’s toffee. They officially began selling that year. First-time customers quickly became repeat customers, and Dottie’s Toffee soon had a reputation for being one of the most delicious treats available in the Upstate. Dot Smith was thrilled. “She always had at least a dozen bags in her refrigerator at the retirement home, and she made sure everyone knew what we were doing,” Nick remembers. “At one point, she was probably my best client, insisting on paying no matter how much I objected.” Soon, Nick was fielding calls from Whole Foods and Dean and Deluca, who each put in orders with Dottie’s Toffee. Upscale grocery store chain Dean and Deluca asked for a dark chocolate version of the traditionally milk chocolate toffee, and Nick obliged. Later, he brought a sample of the dark chocolate toffee to his grandmother, who did not take the advent of the new product well. “She thought I was changing her recipe, replacing the original milk chocolate with 28 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
dark chocolate,” Nick laughs. “I had to promise her I was not doing away with her original recipe. It took her about a week to get over that. Eventually, she confessed that she might actually like the dark chocolate better.” Dot Smith passed away in 2011, but not before seeing Dottie’s Toffee achieve success and sharing her happiness and pride with everyone she knew. Nick pressed on to continue her legacy. In an effort to solidify their branding, he contacted Fuzzco Creative Agency in 2012. The company completely redesigned the packaging and website, which now feature style choices
Currently, every package of Dottie’s Toffee is still made and packaged right there in Spartanburg—from the toffee to the labels, wrapping, packaging, and shipping. The work is managed by a handful of employees who function more like a family than a group of coworkers. Though they are in talks with national corporations who want to sell Dottie’s Toffee in their retail shops, the Dottie’s Toffee team is treading this new ground carefully. “We want to grow, of course,” explains Elizabeth Dennen. “We’d love to be a worldwide provider of an old-fashioned treat. But we also want to be the homegrown company that our customers know and love us for being.” Dot Smith would be proud, indeed.
Take in a live theatre show. Grab a craft brew with some friends. Pop in one of our shops or eateries. Enjoy one of our award-winning festivals. Explore a hidden swimming hole on the lake. Browse our farm fresh produce. There is always something blooming… for everyone…in Greenwood!
www.
SOUTH CAROLINA
visitgreenwoodsc
.com
Chasing Waterfalls Ready for a day on the water; one of Lake Jocassee’s many waterfalls
Even before the first rays of summer descend on Carolina, locals and tourists alike have their beach bags packed and ready to go. Perhaps it is instinctual: summer in the South simply draws its residents and visitors to the coastline, the vast waters of the Atlantic beckoning with promises of refreshment and recreation. The tide comes and goes on countless memorable seaside days every season. Yet far from the glistening ocean, in South Carolina’s westernmost county, a different sort of summer escape calls to those “in the know,” offering cool, refreshing waters, exhilarating activities, and unbeatable vistas, without the deluge of tourists around every corner. This is Oconee County, one of the best-kept secrets of South Carolina, and a veritable summer paradise. Situated on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Oconee County takes its name from the language of its original inhabitants, the Cherokee Indians. Oconee means “land beside the water” in Cherokee, fitting for a county bordered by water on three sides. Featuring the Chattooga River to the west, Lake Hartwell to the south, and Lake Keowee to the east, as well as Lake Jocassee in between, Oconee County is a perfect place to while away the scorching summer heat.
SOUTHERNNARRATIVE Oconee County:Outdoors
Land Beside the Water
Tucked away in a corner of South Carolina, Oconee County is an ideal destination for summer adventures by Jana Riley
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OUTDOOR ADVENTURES Over a quarter of Oconee County is part of Sumter National Forest, and combined with its impressive array of rivers, lakes, and streams, the possibilities for outdoor recreation are nearly endless. Adrenaline junkies can get their fix whitewater rafting down the Chattooga River, zip lining through the crisp upstate air, or wakeboarding on one of the area’s many lakes. Gentle souls can spend their days paddling kayaks or canoes across the clear waters of Lake Jocassee, fly fishing in a foothill stream, or sailing on Lake Hartwell. Golfing opportunities—be it traditional, disc, or the newly popular FootGolf—are available, accompanied by breathtaking views. Horseback riding excursions abound. Most popular, however, are the over 150 waterfalls within the county, many accessible by hiking trails. The rushing waters and unique geographical surroundings make the waterfalls the crown jewels of Oconee County, and the beauty of the area palmettomagazine.com
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A Local Paradise Sunset over Lake Jocassee
South Cove County Park: A small park that packs a mighty punch when it comes to natural beauty, South Cove County Park sits on the southern tip of pristine Lake Keowee, and it is ideal for fishing and family activities. Chau Ram County Park: Often called “Oconee County’s Best Kept Secret,” Chau Ram County Park is a wooded wonderland, offering waterfalls large and small, the longest suspension bridge in the county, and plenty of opportunities for rock sliding, tubing, kayaking, and adventuring. High Falls County Park: Upstate visitors and residents missing the coast can take advantage of the shoreline at High Falls County Park, offering a beach experience on the edges of Lake Keowee. Stumphouse Tunnel Park and Issaqueena Falls: In 1852, construction began on a railroad line meant to connect Charleston to Knoxville, and then later, Cincinnati. The advent of the Civil War doomed the project to fail, and all that remains today are aging yet fascinating reminders such as the Stumphouse Tunnel, a 1,617-foot-long shaft that is pleasantly cool in all seasons. Nearby Issaqueena Falls is within a short walking distance of the tunnel.
wilderness ensures that the journey is just as enjoyable as the destination. Choose your own adventure, and hit the trails for one or more of the area’s parks and natural wonders. Many of these locations offer tent camping sites, RV hookups, and cabins, and more information can be found at www.southcarolinaparks.com. Lake Hartwell State Park: A 680-acre scenic park located on one of the Southeast’s largest and most popular lakes, Lake Hartwell State Park features 14 miles of shoreline within its boundaries. Just off of I-85 at the South Carolina-Georgia border, the park is accessible for a quick stop to those driving through the area, and it is a prime spot for fishing, boating, and camping. Devils Fork State Park: Situated perfectly between Sumter National Forest and the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, Devils Fork State Park is a 644-acre park starring the clear waters of Lake Jocassee. Its untouched nature makes it a treasured location for fishing, boating, scuba diving, and checking out waterfalls. Chattooga River: The rushing waters of the Chattooga River have brought many to its banks over the centuries: hikers, campers, mountain bikers, fishermen, horseback riders, and even the film crew of the movie, “Deliverance.” A prime white water rafting location, the river offers class 2, 3, 4, and 5 rapids within the Oconee County area. Check out Wildwater Rafting, an authorized outfitter regulated by the National Forestry Service, for guided rafting expeditions and zipline canopy tours. Oconee Station State Historic Site: Centuries ago, the land upon which the 210-acre park sits housed a military post, and later a home site and trading post. The structures remain open for tours on the weekend, and the on-site hiking trails, waterfall, and pond allow for all-day outdoor entertainment. Oconee State Park: Encompassing forest, foothills, and lakes, Oconee State Park is the perfect place for nature lovers to spend an afternoon or two. With both 12-acre and 20-acre lakes, a floating diving dock, and boat rentals available, the park is a popular destination on hot summer days. 32 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
CITIES TO VISIT As part of the diverse region that makes up the upstate of South Carolina, Oconee County is surrounded by natural beauty and never far from anything a visitor’s heart could desire. Within the three towns encompassed in Oconee County are countless dining destinations, cultural activities, antique stores and boutique shops, quaint inns, and lovely bed and breakfast options. Seneca: The largest city in Oconee County, Seneca is a great place to shop, dine, and discover. Find a delicious meal or meaningful antique on Ram Cat Alley in Historic Downtown Seneca, or dance the night away at “Jazz on the Alley” every Thursday from April-October. Visitors are always charmed by productions at The Oconee Community Theater. The Duke Energy’s World of Energy at Oconee Nuclear Station remains a perfect destination for a fun, educational experience for all. Check out Hochstetler’s Country Store for a real, old-fashioned treat! Walhalla: Established by German immigrants in the mid-1800s, Walhalla is now a quaint Southern town and county seat of Oconee County. Dubbed the “Garden of the Gods” by its original settlers, the town is beautiful, walkable, and ripe with dining and shopping opportunities. Theater and music buffs can always find an enjoyable event at the Walhalla Civic Auditorium, and the Oconee Heritage Center is a gem for visitors interested in local history. For a dose of good clean fun, head on over to Sweet Retreat Family Fun Center, featuring miniature golf, laser tag, go-carts, arcade games, and more. Westminster: Resting in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Westminster is a charming town with beautiful architecture, tree-lined streets, and a diverse offering of recreational opportunities. On the first Friday of each month, April-October, Main Street comes alive with the town’s “Music on Main” event, encouraging people to kick up their heels and have a good time. Step back in history at the General Store Museum on Westminster’s Main Street, which offers a look into what types of products people purchased centuries ago. Just a short drive away from Westminster, Chattooga Belle Farm welcomes visitors to come pick fruit, play disc golf, explore the farm, have lunch, and tour their distillery while enjoying spectacular views of the mountains and rolling hills. Wherever you go in the Upstate, one thing is certain: the warmth of classic Southern hospitality will forever touch your soul as the locals welcome you with open arms. Happy adventuring!
www.scmou
Some say life is about good friends and great adventures. We say that if adventure includes a waterfall... even better.
There’s a reason Oconee , SC is known as “the land beside the water”. Come explore and let our Mountain Lakes, Scenic Rivers and breathtaking waterfalls be your outdoor adventure playground.
www.VISITMTNLAKES.com palmettomagazine.com
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Swing State Rob Bertschy ready for a test run; outside the box; taking the Swurfer for a ride
of boards, packaged ropes and handles, and boxes fill a huge portion of the room. In the center of it all stands Rob Bertschy, looking exactly how you would expect the inventor of a nontraditional, boardsport-inspired tree swing to look. Rocking a flat brim hat over shaggy hair, wearing camo shorts, crew socks, and a hoodie, Rob has a wide smile and a welcoming presence. His easygoing demeanor is common among boarders of all kinds: skateboarders, snowboarders, and surfers. I ask him where he lived before South Carolina, and he responds exactly how I thought he would: California. Of course he did, I think to myself, confirming my bias that cool, shaggy-haired adventure seekers most often come from the West Coast. But then Rob surprises me—he only lived in California for a couple of years; he actually grew up in Arkansas, even attending college there. Also, he wants to be sure to mention that the swing was actually his wife’s idea. It is at this moment that I throw my assumptions and expectations out of the window. Rob joined the Peace Corps after college and traveled to South America, where he spent two years learning the language, communing with the locals, and kayaking to his heart’s content. Upon returning to the States, he moved to Asheville, where he soon met his wife, Brook, at a concert. Missing the ocean, Rob and his wife decided to move to California, and they headed west shortly after they were married. They had a blast, balancing work, family life, and play by meeting up at the beach to surf after Rob finished up work, their two young twins climbing all over his board and toddling after him toward
SOUTHERNNARRATIVE Swurfer:Outdoors
In Full Swing
A Charleston-based innovator endeavors to bring families together under the canopy of nature, reinventing a classic and making the backyard fun again by Jana Riley
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SWURFER HEADQUARTERS As you walk into Swurfer headquarters, it is quite clear that while some businesses only mean business, this business means fun. Colorful graffiti covers one wall, and toys of a certain kind are strewn about. There’s a hanging pod made for lounging, and a hammock ready for a catnap. A wood and rope swing—the Swurfer—hangs prominently from a slackline. Stacks 34 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
innovation in the backyard. We want to create quality, made-in-the-USA, heirloom products centered around concepts like balance. We want to make the backyard fun again.” With that, Rob hands me a box filled with all of the necessary parts to hang a Swurfer from a tree in my own backyard, and I am off to test it out on my family. THE TEST Even before we have a chance to hang the Swurfer from a slackline in our backyard (given that we have no suitable branches), the thing is a hit. My three-and-a-half year old daughter grabs the board out of the box as soon as we open it, before we can even pull out the instructions. We find her in her playroom five minutes later, laughing and rocking away on the balance board. My one-year-old is fascinated by the wooden handles, and I think he is convinced that they were destined to be drumsticks. My husband is beside himself with excitement, having seen and formed a desire for a Swurfer months ago.
the waves. Seeing how much his children loved his board, the young father decided to make them their own balance board to use at the beach while watching him surf. “I wanted something that would help them with their core balance and prepare them for surfing and skateboarding,” Rob explains, “And it had to be beautiful enough that my wife would allow it to just sit around our living room. So I made a simple curved wooden board, and they loved it.” The family moved to Charleston after two years in California, and with one glance at the sprawling live oak trees on their property, Brook had an idea. She asked Rob if he would be able to string one of the balance boards up as a sort of modified classic tree swing; after trying it, they realized they were onto something. The board worked perfectly as a way to surf the air when waves weren’t an option. As they shared it with their friends and family members, they realized that people of all ages were able to find a comfort level with the swing. One day, Rob even came home to see a fire truck parked outside his home. Finished with a neighborhood call, the firemen were happily taking turns on the swing. Emboldened, he asked his friend and owner of Wonder Works Toy Store, Christine Osborne, what she thought of the product, and she encouraged him to press on, helping him to get plugged into the specialty toy channels. Having worked for a rapidly growing power tool company for years, Rob was well-versed in bringing new products to market, and he quickly made all of the right moves. After tweaking the prototype, he secured a patent and sourced a manufacturer in Hickory, North Carolina who uses Hard Rock Maple to produce a high quality product. Now, three years later and more successful than ever, the Swurfer has been featured on the Today Show, Live with Kelly, and has won countless awards. They are sold at specialty toy stores, surf shops, at REI stores regionally, and online. The offerings from the Swurfer company are ever-expanding, with new products joining the Swurfer line regularly. For Rob Bertschy, the mission is clear. “The toy industry is changing, and so much of the new products are focused on electronic devices and screen time,” Rob explains. “There’s virtually no
It is a quick setup, which makes sense given the encouragement from the company to take it camping, hiking, or on road trips. I step on it first, tentatively, sure that my lifelong propensity for being uncoordinated will betray me in my quest to have fun on this contraption. But it doesn’t. I instinctively begin rocking side to side, and soon I am lost in the moment. I am soaring, for how long, I cannot be sure. But I am flying, and I am swinging, and I am not the slightly awkward mother of two with responsibilities and a running grocery list and an expanding pile of laundry haunting my every dream. I’m just a kid again, trying a new feature at the park, feeling the wind in my hair. I hear my husband excitedly ask if he can try, himself not too far removed from his childlike wonder. Smiling, I wait for the swing to come to a stop, step down, and offer him the Swurfer. I watch as he bends his knees, rocks back and forth, and starts swaying in a wide, circular motion, a move I saw Rob do back at Swurfer headquarters. As I watch my husband, I see the young man he was well before I knew him: the skateboarder in Rhode Island, relentlessly practicing his tricks until they landed with accompanying celebration. The decades since then melt away as he flies through the air, experimenting with different stances and movements. Just then, my husband’s two older children come running outside, thrilled to try the toy. Jude, the 11-year-old, braces himself for a learning curve by explaining that it may take a while for him to figure out how to ride correctly. Within 45 seconds, though, he is nearly flying over our heads, having experienced no issue whatsoever with mastering the technique. My 13-year-old stepdaughter, Noah, jumps on after he reluctantly gets off, soaring and smiling with intense joy while yelling, “This is the coolest backyard ever now! It’s like an amusement park ride!” After she takes the Swurfer for a spin, our three-and-a-half year old princess of a daughter, Forest, comes over, begging us to let her ride her “pony named Cake.” She straddles the swing and uses the bouncing quality of the slackline to mimic a horse galloping, happily yelling, “Kitty up, Cake! Kitty up! Go, pony, go!” After she ostensibly reaches the castle and goes inside for a snack, I pick up our curious one-year-old, Oscar, and sit on the Swurfer as if it is a standard playground swing, holding him against my chest as I gently sway and reflect. With this one backyard addition, I have felt the unburdened freedom of childhood again, my husband has reclaimed the sporting of his youth, the older kids have met a new challenge, and my princess has finally found her pony. Innovative, indeed. palmettomagazine.com
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Good Catch Serving up a hot, fresh plate of local seafood, a broiled fish plate
SOUTHERNNARRATIVE T. W. G r a h a m : F o o d
Fresh Off The Boat The T.W. Graham & Co. menu emphasizes locally-sourced seafood straight from the docks, staying rooted to tradition in the sleepy fisherman’s village of McClellanville by Grace Nelson
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Between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, a stretch of land remains unfazed by the sprawling development that usually comes with being bordered by two major tourist destinations. Known as the Bulls Bay Historic Passage, it’s a
wilder side of the Lowcountry heavy with Native American history, pirate lore, and pristine natural habitat thanks to the preserved lands of both the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and the Francis Marion National Forest. Bulls Bay is named after English settler Stephen Bull, whose ship— named the Carolina of course—initially landed on Bulls Island before Bull began the better-known settlement at Charles Towne Landing. Originally inhabited by the Sewee tribe, the Bulls Bay area along the Santee River was first settled by French Huguenots around 1685 and was organized officially as St. James-Santee Parish in 1706. It was the first parish established in South Carolina outside of Charleston, and the area was prime real estate for growing rice and indigo. One local planter named Archibald McClellan eventually divided his sizable Pointe Plantation into lots and sold them to other planters for them to build summer homes along Jeremy Creek. Following the collapse of the rice industry after the Civil War, both former planters and freed slaves made this little village called McClellanville their home and turned to commercial fishing as their main industry. palmettomagazine.com
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The McClellanville of today is everything you would expect from an authentic fishing village. The town somehow untouched by development has evolved naturally, sort of like a garden left to its own devices under the hot South Carolina sun. It is every bit unpretentious, graciously charming, rugged, dripping with history, and luckily still serving up some of the freshest seafood you could ask for. Smack dab in the middle of the McClellanville seafood scene is T.W. Graham & Co. The building itself has had many lives, mostly as a general and mercantile-type store. The rumor around town is that in the 1920s, you could even buy a coffin here. The T.W. Graham & Co. passed through only two owners before Pete and Claudia Kornack launched a successful seafood restaurant there in 2003. The Kornacks ran the restaurant for about a decade until the business virtually landed in the lap of current owner Patrick Runey. A Charleston native with former experience in the restaurant industry, Runey found himself working in property management and ready to make a change. When he saw the Kornack’s Craigslist ad listing T.W. Graham & Co. restaurant for sale, he jumped at the chance to work for himself. As a former customer of T.W. Graham & Co., Runey appreciated the menu so much that he kept it mostly the same with a focus on seafood and southern favorites like fried green tomatoes. His own flair comes in the form of small adjustments, like the red rice recipe simply because, as Runey says, “people want bacon.” People also want seafood, and here it doesn’t get any more local. T.W. Graham & Co. gets clams from Livingston Bulls Bay Seafood and shrimp from Carolina Seafood, both just down the street. For other seafood that isn’t available from McClellanville, Runey doesn’t venture further than South 38 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Local Fare This page clockwise: The screened porch dining area; the rustic charm of the entrance; owner Patrick Runey. Opposite: Shrimp boats unload their catch just blocks from the restaurant; grilled shrimp and hand-cut fries.
Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida, besides his scallops that are flown in from Rhode Island. Must-haves on the menu here are the fried baby clams, the whole fried flounder available on Friday and Saturday nights, or the shrimp, crab, and corn chowder—that’s all in one bowl, folks. Runey and his Johnson & Wales-trained chef Lisle Millard concoct seasonal specials like Creek Cakes, a shrimp and scallop cake served with a cream or honey Dijon sauce. The desserts are nothing to sniff at either, with options like homemade key lime pie, pecan pie, and their famous Pawleys Island Pie made with chocolate chip, pecans, and cookie dough. T.W. Graham & Co. is located at 810 Pinckney Street in McClellanville and is open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and Thursday through Saturday for dinner.
istory is Here
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DiscoverCamdenSC.com
Our town square hasn’t changed much in appearance since the 1700’s,
but from our world-renowned pottery to shopping, local eateries, museums, outdoor adventures, live theater, historic sites and even our own moonshine distillery... exploring Edgefield has never been so charming.
Arts & Antiques
Locally Owned Restaurants
Living History
Live Theater
Wildlife Conservation
Heritage Attractions
www.E x p l o r e E d g e f i e l d .com Call (803) 637-4010 for Visitor Information
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by Su s a n Fr a m p t o n
• Illustration by Jason Wagener
Batman and Starbucks
With so much to do and so little time, the classic family road trip has drastically changed –which might seem like a good thing until you have a burning question about Batman
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t is a cloudless summer day, and the hot wind that sends my hair swirling around my head carries the scent of sunscorched pines and hard-packed southern soil. Staring down the endless ribbon of road stretching ahead, I imagine that the wavy lines of heat rising from the asphalt are an ocean that is always just out of reach. I think about asking, “Are we there yet?” or inquiring how much longer until we reach our destination, but I know the words will simply blow back in my face. Once, on a trip through the mountains, near Bat Cave, NC, I yelled from the far reaches of the third-row back seat, “Dad! Why did Batman go to the Bat Room?” His answer, “Honey, I can’t look at anything while I’m driving,” told me no one but my brother on the second-row seat could hear me above the roar of the wind through the open windows.
Arthur and I fell into fits of laughter at his reply, and Dad eyed us in the rear-view mirror as we shouted, “No, Dad!” We began to sing the theme to the Batman show at the top of our lungs, “DooDooDooDooDooDooDooDoo,” which struck us as simply hilarious in this particular context. Years later, it still cracks us up. I’ve always loved family road trips. Whether long and arduous or a short zip down the highway, they are as different from a drive to church or a trip to the grocery store as asteroids are to light bulbs. They evoke a sense of anticipation that gives the landscape a different look, a heightened awareness that makes us restless in our seats, and in some of us, an inexplicably ravenous hunger that kicks in before we reach the city limits. Before we’d leave for a trip, Dad would get out the highlighter to mark the route we’d travel, and appoint a navigator—a position of great importance. palmettomagazine.com
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I was seldom appointed, due mostly to the fact that the concepts of north and south eluded me until much later in my life. Things were different, back in the day, when there were no fast food restaurants or convenience stores for what seemed like hundreds of miles. We’ve come a long way in terms of convenience, but there are things that I miss about the way traveling used to be an “event.”
Drivers picked service stations with the same loyalty they chose NFL teams, and an actual human attendant came out to greet you, pump the gas, check the oil, and wash the windshield. Drivers picked service stations with the same loyalty they chose NFL teams, and an actual human attendant came out to greet you, pump the gas, check the oil, and wash the windshield. Our car was a hearse-sized, aqua-and-black International Travel-All. It was a beauty, if you admired box-shaped behemoths on wheels. It was also equipped with two gas tanks, so we didn’t stop often—and this was the reason we seldom got refreshments along the way. If the stations offered refreshments at all, they came in the form of canned or bottled drinks obtainable only by vending machine, for those with correct change. There were few options, usually just Coca-Cola or a carbonated fruit-flavored drink that was certain to trigger colorful car sickness within 15 miles. We found out early on that my system did not tolerate grape sodas. Access to the restroom required asking for a key, which was usually tied to something about the size of a brick. I have no idea why, but I surmise that restroom door keys must have been highly sought-after by bathroom bandits during this period in our history. There is no other reasonable explanation for the extraordinary security measures required for entry into facilities offering a level of luxury better suited for a maximum security prison. There weren’t hotels at every turn. The few we saw always seemed a little skanky, and they were distastefully referred to as “motels” by my mother. I remember only once staying in a hotel during the first decade or so of my life, on a trip to the zoo, where a giraffe named Jane slimed one entire side of my brother’s head with her long, purple tongue, and a co-traveler came down with measles. Instead of staying in hotels, we pulled a pop-up camper all across the country behind our odd-looking SUV. We camped year-round, despite hurricanes, ice storms, and swarms of quarter-sized mosquitos. We rarely had a set itinerary, but no matter how far we traveled, my
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grandparents could always find us and come rolling up in the Oldsmobile; Grandad in his white dress shirt and hat, and Granny in a shirtwaist dress, stockings, and pearl earrings. Their arrival made my mother crazy. Sometimes, they stayed. With six people in a pop-up camper, things get shaky in every respect. One night, while I slept on the dining table that converted to a bed, and my brother on a lounge chair in the narrow aisle, my grandmother mistook the movement of the camper for my grandfather having a chill. It was June, and the poor man awoke sweating, with three blankets and all of our jackets piled on him. These days, family road trips just aren’t the same. We rarely ever leave the house without insulated cups of ice and our favorite beverages, which are easily refilled at any stop. The bathrooms are mostly clean and don’t require a key, and we can get gas, pizza, ice cream, a CD to learn to speak French, and a bag of Cheetos the size of our head at almost every convenience store. I don’t see many pop-up campers anymore, and we’re so busy watching the movie screens in the back seat, searching for the golden arches at every exit, or frantically Googling Starbucks locations, that we miss some good moments. I remember well the velvet-soft nose of a black cow, poking through the barbed-wire fence near a pine-shaded picnic table off of a two-lane road in South Georgia. Another time, I shivered at the exotic feel of the Florida Welcome Center, with its free orange juice and pamphlets that made me dream of being a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Water World. I still get the willies at the stomach-churning knowledge of how close we came to the guardrail on the hair-pin turns in the mountains, and I’ll never forget the anticipation of biting into the tomato sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper that awaited us in the green Coleman cooler—if we could ever get Dad to stop. Today, we travel in air-conditioned cars down interstates that all look the same, where cows are dots in far-off pastures, and mermaids swim by on blurry billboards. I cannot deny that I am the first to take advantage of the conveniences of modern-day road trips. I love that I can get those big cups of crushed ice and some M&Ms almost any time I feel like it. Recently, reflecting on the thousands of miles I traveled with my family and all the fun we had, my curiosity got the best of me, so I picked up my phone. “Siri, why did Batman go to the Bat Room?” “That’s an interesting question,” she replied. Evidently, she can’t look at anything while she’s driving either. “Siri, can you sing the theme to Batman?” “You know I can’t sing,” she told me, in what seemed a snippy tone. “Then give me directions to Starbucks,” I commanded. Then I laughed out loud and sang the answer to what remains one of my favorite riddles…“DooDooDooDooDooDooDooDoo.” Yep. It still cracks me up.
Refined & Remembered
Once a place that offered hospitality and restorative comfort for travelers, Tom and Gail Jeter’s home holds a significant place in the days of Summerville’s Golden Age of Inns by Susan Frampton photos by Dottie Rizzo
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ucked behind a white fence, amidst live oaks and azaleas in full bloom, the Brailsford-Brown House has watched the world pass by on Sumter Avenue for almost two centuries. Much has changed since then in the area designated as Old and Historic Summerville, a zone which includes the majority of the town’s oldest homes and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 44 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Curb Appeal This Page: The living room and dining room are located on the bottom floor; the whimsical side gate. Opposite: The home seen from the street; the second story porch; the historic brick of the backyard path
When Dr. and Mrs. Tom Jeter purchased the house at 408 Sumter Avenue in 1981, they were attracted to its place in history. They also recognized the layout of the fivebedroom house, situated on over ¾ acres in Summerville’s Historic District, as the ideal place to raise their family. The couple’s daughter and two sons grew to adulthood on the quiet street, and it is not surprising that the character of the historic home made it a popular destination for their children’s many friends. Appreciating the home’s rich colors and warm hardwood floors, the Jeters’ have paid homage to the time period of the home’s construction without sacrificing the modern conveniences necessary for a family. It is a home that lends itself to the laughter of children. Though they admit that the 3,700 square feet is a bit more than they need, it offers their three granddaughters plenty of room to explore when they come to visit, and the back lawn is perfect for little bare feet. palmettomagazine.com
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Once a part of Colleton County, the house’s original construction records were lost when the county’s courthouse burned during the Civil War, but the home is thought to have been built in the late 1830’s by Dr. William Brailsford, who first appears on a list of Summerville residents in 1838. One of Summerville’s 29 oldest homes, the dwelling would come to be linked to both the time of the great inns of Summerville and the town’s reputation for its healthy environment of sand hills and tall pines. At the time of its construction, the structure’s architectural form was typical of the South Carolina Lowcountry cottage design. Five bays wide by three bays deep, it is foursquare in plan, with a 1-1/2 story frame structure, over a raised masonry basement. A grand set of stairs led to the second floor, where a piazza supported by stucco piers spanned the length of the façade and led to the rooms of the principal part of the house. Three dormers set in the gabled roof, decorated with bargeboard trim, looked out over Sumter Avenue.
Pretty In Pink The formal living room is located on the second floor and looks out over the back yard; built-in shelves in a bedroom.
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Warm Welcome This page clockwise: The cozy family room on the first floor; a herringbone brick walk leads to the front door; Tom and Gail Jeter with their granddaughter, Lawton. Opposite: details from around the property.
In 1915, with Summerville’s reputation as a community offering health and hospitality at its zenith, the Brailsford-Brown House came under the ownership of the Carolina Inn, a magnificent resort noted for its excellent cuisine and located just adjacent to the house. Though the reason for the renovations enclosing the basement level under the body of the main house and the removal of its front stairs, remain unclear, it is known that about this time the home began to provide additional guest rooms for the constant flow of travelers to the town. Summerville had by then been named by the Tuberculosis World Conference as one of the world’s best health resorts. Most of the historic inns of Summerville’s Golden Age of Inns have been lost to time, but the Jeters’ Sumter Avenue home stands as a testament to the resilience of a historic town and the hospitality of its people. Through trials and tribulations wrought by both man and nature, the clapboard house has maintained its integrity and a place of distinction in the history of Summerville. In 1979, an architectural survey, leading up to the historic district’s nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, rated the home as one of only 73 out of 645 buildings designated as “outstanding.” As the Jeters’ granddaughter, Lawton, runs across the lawn where her father once played, she dashes beneath centuries-old oaks, through the fallen flowers of the ancient azaleas. She may not know the significance of her grandparents’ house in the annals of antiquity, or understand the restorative comfort it once offered travelers, but she will one day be proud to tell that her tiny feet once walked on the hallowed ground of a golden time, refined and remembered in the Jeters’ historic home on Sumter Avenue.
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The Natural Playground of the Lowcountry
THE NATURAL PLAYGROUND OF THE LOWCOUNTRY
Just minutes away from the hustle & bustle of Charleston you’ll find a totally different side of the
Lowcountry. Our charming small towns are connected by wooded landscapes, outdoor adventures, winding rivers, and centuries of history. Spend the night in a treehouse on the river, go kayaking or birding in the ancient cypress swamps, stop in for some farm fresh produce at the market, or visit historic sites that remain standing in time... whatever you do you are bound to experience some authentic rural South Carolina charm.
Dorchester
Harleyville
St. George
www.villagesofdorchestersc.com
Ridgeville
Reevesville
www.villageofsaintgeorge.com
Travel the ridge region of the state in the spring, and all along the highways you will find yourself surrounded by rows of peach trees dressed in delicate pink flowers. They stand with arms lifted and ready to dance to the rites of spring, knowing they will be the honored guests at the celebration of the season. Other states may wear the peach on its license plates and coffee mugs, but for generations, farms such as Dixie Belle, Titan, McLeod, and Big Smile have been quietly cultivating a commercial crop that has made South Carolina the second largest producer of peaches in the country and the largest east of the Mississippi. Originating in China over 3,000 years ago, and first introduced to the state in the 1800’s, today peaches are our signature summer crop, and South Carolina growers produce over double the volume of the state’s next-door neighbor. With a sun-ripened South Carolina peach on our plate, we know that we will find the taste and texture of perfection. We can’t get enough. We love the flavor that reminds us of our grandmothers’ kitchens, we love the versatility that adapts them to our recipes, and we love the fresh breath of summertime that drips from our fingers when we bite into the downcovered fruit. As proud South Carolinians, we love them most of all because they are ours. Adopted by the state legislature in 1984 as the state fruit, South Carolina is known as “The Tastier Peach State.” But then, we knew that all along. by Susan Frampton photos by Dottie Rizzo
Meet Chef Forrest Parker, named 2016 South Carolina Chef Ambassador for the Lowcountry, and Chef de Cuisine at The Vendue Inn’s Drawing Room. Few know more about the state of peaches than Chef Parker, celebrated for his work as an “agricultural archeologist,” rediscovering and reintroducing heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables to state growers. His historical perspective adds a unique sense of time and place to his menus. Drawing from the rich heritage of our culinary past, Parker brings us his recipes for South Carolina’s favorite summer fruit, created in homage to the seeds of the past. Brine Dining This page:Fresh oysters at The Ordinary. Opposite: Prep work at The 52 Darling palmettomagazine.com
Introduction by Susan Frampton Food photography by Dottie Rizzo
Photo provided
PE A CH RUBBED PR IME R IB OF HE R ITAGE P ORK Time: 5 Hours
Temperature: 137°F / 58.3°C Serves: 4-6
Ingredients For the Prime Rib of Heritage Pork 3-4 pounds Duroc Pork rib roast Salt and pepper 8 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled 4 thyme sprigs 2 rosemary sprigs sous vide cooking bag For the Glaze 8 peaches, pitted and diced 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1 bunch thyme, stemmed and chopped
Preparation Pre-heat a sous vide water bath to 137°F / 58.3°C. Cover the prime rib roast with salt, pepper, garlic, and place in a pouch. Add the thyme and rosemary to the sous vide pouch and then seal the roast. Place the prime rib roast in the water bath and cook for 5 hours. Prepare the prime rib glaze by combining peaches, sugar, vinegar and thyme to a pan. Cook on medium heat until peaches are soft and liquid thickens. Pour into food processer or blender and puree to a spreadable consistency. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the Prime Rib of Heritage Pork from the water bath and remove it from the pouch. Dry it off with a paper towel or dish cloth and place in a roasting pan. Smear the glaze on the sides and top of the sous vide prime rib, reserving one cup for serving. Place the roast back in the oven, for about 5 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the Prime Rib of Heritage Pork from the oven, slice into chops, top with glaze, and serve.
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T R ADI TION A L C O T T A GE CHE E SE In the Style of Robertson’s Cafeteria, formerly of 11 Broad St, 1947 Ingredients 1 gallon pasteurized skim milk 3/4 cup white vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 cup heavy cream
SP IC ED P OACH ED P EACH ES Inspired by Sarah Rutledge, 1847 Ingredients 7 pounds peaches (pared & cut in half) 3 pounds brown sugar
Preparation
1 qt vinegar
Pour the skim milk into a large saucepan and place over
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered clove
medium heat. Heat to 120°F. Remove from the heat and gently pour in the vinegar. Stir slowly for 1-2 minutes. The curd will separate from the whey. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Preparation Boil spices, sugar, and vinegar for 15 minutes. Pour over peaches into bowl and allow to steep
Pour the mixture into a colander lined with cheesecloth
for 30 minutes. To can, pour over peaches in
and allow to sit and drain for 5 minutes. Gather up the
sterilized glass mason jars and allow to cool.
edges of the cloth and rinse under cold water for 3-5 min-
Seal and process as per canning.
utes or until the curd is cooled, squeezing and moving the mixture the whole time. Once cooled, squeeze as dry as possible and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine, breaking up the curd into bite-size pieces as you go. If ready to serve immediately, stir in the heavy cream.
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POA CH ED P EAC H SYL L ABUB Inspired by Sarah Rutledge, 1847 Ingredients 1 quart heavy cream 1 cup sweet wine, such as Eiswein or Sauterne 1 cup madeira (I prefer the Historic Charleston Sercial) Juice and zest of 2 lemons 1/2 cup sugar Pinch each grated nutmeg, cinnamon
Preparation Whisk all ingredients vigorously for 10 minutes, until froth forms. Pour into individual glasses or one large serving platter. Allow to chill overnight until thickened. To serve, top with chilled spice poached peaches (recipe on previous page), a drizzle of SC honey, fresh basil, and peanuts.
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Sweet Spirits You’ll f ind that the fuzzy-skinned blushing beauties not only add flavor to our plates, they have also found their way into fresh, new cocktails creatively prepared by local mixologists, offering us yet another vehicle to enjoy the taste of summer photography by
Dottie Rizzo
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SIP P I N ’ T H Y M E Ingredients 2 oz peach infused bourbon 1/4 oz aperol 2 dashes peach bitters 1/4 oz thyme infused honey
Preparation Add all ingredients into glass and stir well. Pack glass with crushed ice. Garnish with peach slices and fresh thyme.
Peter Nickle Mixologist
Peter Nickle’s life experience has led him on a journey from Spain to Scotland, to Hawaii, and f inally to Summerville,SC. Each stop contributed to the collective foundation of his culinary and beverage style. For the past 15 years Nickle has tended bar with Upstairs at the Icehouse and operates Charleston Flair Bartenders, a group of bartending buddies who travel with the common goal of bringing the best party possible for any occasion.
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T EA C HE S OF P EA CHE S Ingredients 1.5 oz bourbon .75 oz apricot brandy .25 oz Cynar 70 Proof 3 peels of fresh peach skin; muddled Finish with a garnish of lemon twist
Preparation Muddle peach skins, and add ingredients into stirring glass. Add ice, and stir. Strain over rocks. Add a twist of lemon.
Walker Pickering Mixologist
After over a decade in the food & beverage industry, Walker Pickering has come to know at least one thing about himself and why he loves what he does: he loves making people happy. Walker is the bar manager at Nose Dive and CRAFTED at Nose Dive where he oversees the cocktail menus, and develops new concepts for the bar. In his free time, he enjoys stand up comedy, music, saving kittens from burning trees, and helping the elderly carry heavy objects. Photos provided
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P EAC H I T S I ST ER Ingredients 1/4 of a ripe peach* 1.5 oz of London Dry Gin 0.5 oz of Strega liqueuer (Italian Saffron Liqueur) 0.5 oz of Aperol 0.5 oz of honey syrup (1:1 honey and water)
Preparation Muddle the peach well in a tin, and add remaining ingredients. Add ice and shake well. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy! *when not available seasonally, 1 oz of peach marmalade makes a fabulous substitute.
Megan Deschaine Mixologist
A Charleston native, Megan Deschaine cut her bartending teeth in Baltimore, Maryland while self-funding a degree in Spanish Education. Realizing she spent more time studying her cocktail books than her school textbooks, she set her sights on mastering the art of the cocktail, and has never looked back. Now back in Charleston, Megan is a staple behind the bar at high-end establishments in town, and is known for her playful experimentations with cocktails. Photo of Megan by Hunter McRae
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by Susan Frampton
C O A X E D F R O M
C L A Y From the red earth of the midlands, the creators of Old Edgefield Pottery created a lasting legacy, leaving their unique fingerprints on the history of South Carolina
by
SUSAN FRAMPTON
Photos by
DOTTIE RIZZO
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B
Beneath the feet of those who live in Edgefield County, SC, there is a substance that has long bound the region together. It holds its rivers within the grasp of slippery red walls, and it swirls amidst rainwater rushing through nearby fields and forests, painting everything it touches with a rusty patina. It does not always endear itself to the population; adhering to bicycle tires and boots with great tenacity, it leaves evidence of its presence in tire tracks on otherwise pristine driveways and in footprints across freshly-mopped floors. But in the hands of Native Americans known to have molded it thousands of years ago into cooking pots and storage vessels, the red clay was a valued gift from the earth. Shards of porous, unglazed earthenware created 2,000 years ago, mottled by the embers of cooking fires, have been found in the area. The methods creating them are thought to be the oldest North American art form still in use today. In the more recent history of the 19th century, new hands from a far continent would sculpt Edgefield clay, placing it in the heat of a thousand fires to forge another unique art form—one that would shape a culture, and create an identity for those whose fingerprints remain etched on its surface. “The earth has music for those who will listen.” The lyrical words were written in 1955 by Reginald Vincent Holmes, but it is a sentiment that was a reality for those brought to the midlands of South Carolina 150 years earlier—those who listened and coaxed from the clay a symphony of graceful form and practical function, creating a distinctive stoneware known as Old Edgefield Pottery.
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Old Edgefield Pottery was birthed around 1810, when Dr. Abner Landrum constructed the first pottery factory in the Edgefield District, now known as Edgefield County. Taking advantage of the red clay, kaolin, sand, pine, and minerals naturally available nearby, and the talents of gifted, enslaved African-American artisans, Landrum’s factory was the first in the country to succeed in the commercial production of stoneware. Around it, he built a village of approximately 150, appropriately named Pottersville. There, huge wood kilns, stoked to extremely high temperatures, produced strong, water-tight pottery. The lead glazes of the time made the vessels deadly for both those who created them and those who used them to store food or potables. Around 1820, Landrum began experimenting with a Chinese celadon alkaline glaze. Landrum’s success in creating the alkaline glaze for stoneware made at his Pottersville Stoneware Manufactory revolutionized the manufacturing of the claybased art form, bringing a unique signature to pottery produced in the area. Of those producing the pottery, historians estimate that 75% to 95% of Edgefield’s stoneware was created by enslaved AfricanAmerican men and women. By mid-century, other pottery factories sprang up in the Edgefield District, and the area became well-known for its well-made, durable, and inexpensive stoneware. Kilns up to 100 feet long, requiring 10 tons of wood per day, began to dot the landscape of Edgefield. They were built by the likes of Landrum, Lewis Miles, Thomas Chandler, and Collin Rhodes, names now synonymous with the art form. Sadly, most of the artisans remain nameless, although there are those whose style alone makes them stand out. The work of one enslaved man known as Dave the Potter has most famously come to represent Old Edgefield Pottery. Born around 1800, and thought to have had as many as five owners in his lifetime, it is thought that Dave, having lost one of his legs in an accident that made him unfit to work as a field hand, was taught to write and read the Bible by one of his first owners, Harvey Drake. Later, as a freedman following Emancipation, Dave took his first owner’s name. It is presumed Drake taught Dave the art of making pottery. The pottery of David Drake was unique in many ways. Many of his vessels were large jugs and churns of a size and strength to hold large quantities. The largest known jar is nearly three feet tall, capable of holding almost 40 gallons. In the early 1840’s, under his ownership by Lewis Miles, Drake’s beautifully crafted work began to be inscribed with bits of poetry or Bible verses and signed and dated, a privilege almost unheard of for enslaved artisans. “I saw a leopard and a lion’s face/then I felt the need of grace,” he wrote in his elegant script on one vessel, signed and dated August 7, 1860. The dates on his work have been instrumental in helping to trace his movement between the various pottery factories. Drake has also been credited with the creation of Face Jugs, which originated in the Edgefield District following the injection of over 100 slaves from the coast of Angola, illegally brought
Form and Function Clockwise: Master Potter Justin Guy on the wheel, the museum, a signed piece in the museum, the shop’s welcoming comittee.
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from Africa by Wanderer, a luxury racing schooner turned slave trading vessel. There are many theories behind the exaggerated features depicted on Face Jugs. Some have interpreted them as bridging the gap between enslaved African-Americans and the mysterious Kongo region of their ancestors. Others speculate their significance to be as vessels for medicinal brews such as laudanum or opium, and their use as religious or burial markers, since many have been found on gravesites. There is no question, however, as to the value of Dave the Potter’s work in today’s market. A 2012 article in the New York Times reported an offering by Charlton Hall Auctions in West Columbia, SC, of an 1858 stoneware churn by Drake with the inscription, “This is a noble churn/fill it up it will never turn,” estimating its value at $100,000 to $175,000. The churn sold for $130,000. Records indicate that Drake died a freedman some time in the late 1870’s, leaving behind a lifetime of beautiful reminders of his creative hands and enduring spirit. Pope Francis recently observed, “We are all jars of clay, fragile and poor, yet we carry within us an immense treasure.” Paradoxically, it is through Old Edgefield Pottery’s iconic jars of clay that the immense treasure within a generation of enslaved artisans has been preserved for all the world. ••• Rising From the Ashes Once a curious boy with his feet firmly planted in Edgefield clay, Master Potter Justin Guy’s childhood passion for shards of pottery brought him full circle to The Phoenix Factory Tucked into a side-street just behind Edgefield’s public library, the double doors of The Phoenix Factory stand open to the morning sun. Master Potter Justin Guy, who steers Old Edgefield Pottery and was appointed by the Edgefield Historical Society as Director of Pottery Initiatives, is mid-story when Chandler, a Welsh Corgi lad of great vocal talent, rolls onto his back, interjecting grunts and deep sighs of punctuation into the conversation. “Would you rather tell the story?” his master asks, laughing at the dog’s determined efforts to get attention. Old Edgefield Pottery is a comfortable space that Guy describes as “half museum, half working pottery.” One side of the small studio is lined with vintage pottery, some complete, others mere shards of vessels that have helped write the history of a small town, and the history of a young boy who knows it like the back of his hand. Growing up nearby, Justin was somewhat of an expert on Old Edgefield Pottery before he had been alive an entire decade, having spent a large portion of his short life teasing shards of pottery from the clay of his home. He recalls a group from a visiting university calling to ask if they might speak with Justin Guy. “Yes,” his father replied. “But you do realize he is only eight years old, don’t you?” They were aware, and his dad handed him the phone. Though his parents bought him a potter’s wheel when he was thirteen, few ever imagined that the boy carrying bits of old stoneware in his sandy pockets would one day carry on the 200-year-old customs of the very potters responsible for the stoneware’s creation.
The young potter says that he forgot all that he learned in college in exchange for the skills he learned as an apprentice under Master Potter, Stephen Ferrell. Those shards were the inspiration for the pottery Guy turns on a kick-foot potting wheel in the building restored by his joint efforts with the Edgefield Preservation Association, the Edgefield Civic League, and Edgefield Cultural Arts and Tourism. Aptly invoking a vision of rising from the ashes, the studio opened in 2016, taking the place of the previous Old Edgefield Pottery, which opened in 1992 and closed in 2015. The young potter says that he forgot all that he learned in college in exchange for the skills he learned as an apprentice under Master Potter Stephen Ferrell, who retired from Old Edgefield Pottery in 2011. Guy is a wealth of information, relating the fascinating history of the region conversationally as he steps to a large container of local clay, scooping out and weighing a large block. His ability to bring the past to vivid life is a testament to the depth of knowledge he possesses of Edgefield’s heritage, liberally laced with rich and raucous events and characters. The clay seems to relax in Guy’s hands, almost as though recognizing his touch as he throws it onto a hard surface to release pockets of air. His ease at the wheel belies the skill required to shape the perfectly symmetrical vases, pitchers and bowls from the clay he digs from local sites, the location of which he holds close to the vest. Almost magically, the shape of a tall, thin vessel emerges. It takes only a few quick motions to form the spout of a perfect pitcher, which will later be glazed and fired. Sure to be treasured for many years for its timeless beauty and durability, Guy’s work pays homage to the artisans of the past, and his respect for those men and women is apparent in each vessel he creates. Edgefield is hallowed ground for those who understand the struggle and sacrifice of those whose hands first worked the clay, and there is no better ambassador for Old Edgefield Pottery than Justin Guy.
Located at 230 Simpkins Street near Edgefield’s Town Square, The Phoenix Factory is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:00pm, and on Saturday by appointment.
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W I L D AT HE A RT Lowcountry-based New York Times
bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe f inds
success in sharing observations gained f rom her extensive work with animals, while telling immersive stories about the people who share their world by
J AN A
photos by
D OTTIE
R I L E Y
RIZZO An Open Book Mary Alice Monroe at home in Isle Of Palms
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M
ary Alice Monroe sits in her office, daydreaming. Located on a high floor in her stately Isle of Palms home, the room is her sanctuary, the only place the author will write. The air, forever permeated with the salt of the sea, is filled with the sounds of canaries competing for her attention, their songs growing increasingly louder and more complex as they perform for her familiar affirmation. Books fill every shelf, nook, and cranny, and images of local wildlife abound all around her. On her desk, a tall stack of paper takes center stage: the final pages of her most recent novel, Beach House for Rent, waiting for its final edit. A year has gone by since she began the book: a year of research, of building psychological profiles for the characters, of experiencing their pains and joys. In the last few months, she has holed herself up in this room, writing for twelve hours a day, taking breaks only to eat, sleep, and get fresh air down at the beach, determined to meet her deadline. With one last edit ahead of her, the light at the end of the tunnel is within her grasp. She is exhausted. She is dreaming. She is ready to begin the path to her next book. “I need to get outside,” Monroe explains. “I have to get involved with animals. I don’t know what the next book is, and I’m hungry to discover it. I want to get on the road as soon as I turn in this final edit.” As the third eldest in a family of ten children growing up in Chicago, Mary Alice Monroe was always a storyteller. She would often regale her younger siblings with naptime fairy tales and fables, and she delighted in creating plays and musicals for the children to perform together. In third grade, her teacher 72 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Animal House In her office; a rare white canary is one of many pets living under Monroe’s roof
took note of her talents and asked if she had ever considered becoming a writer professionally when she grew up. “I’ll never forget that feeling,” Monroe recalls. “She named it. I suddenly realized that telling stories could be a job, and I was thrilled. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to be a writer.” Monroe went on to study Journalism at Northwestern University, where she also met her husband. Her first foray into the world of professional writing began at Encyclopedia Britannica, the powerhouse of knowledge respected the world over. At the time, they were putting together the 15th edition of the encyclopedia, a 28-volume set called Britannica 3, featuring contributions from more than 4,000 contributing authors in more than 100 countries. As the Assistant to the General Editor, Monroe worked closely with writers, editors, and experts, and the experience proved to be an invaluable opportunity, serving as an intensive course on researching, writing, editing, and meeting deadlines. Later, Monroe and her husband moved to Japan, where she learned the language and developed an affinity for the country. Back in the United States just outside of Washington, D.C., she taught English and Japanese, raised her two young children, and dreamed about the day she could write her first novel. When she became pregnant with her third child, her doctor ordered her on prone bed rest. “It was the end of July, and the baby was born in October,” Monroe remem-
Word of Wisdom Monroe at work on a new book
bers. “I probably would have just watched television that whole time if it wasn’t for my husband. But he marched in there, took the television out of the bedroom, and handed me a yellow legal pad and a pencil. He said, ‘You’ve always wanted to write a novel, but you didn’t have time. Now you have time.’” Monroe spent three months writing while lying flat on her back, and by the time the baby was born, she had written a full rough draft of her first novel. She went to the library to research how to get her book published, and there she met a young blonde woman named Nora Roberts. Roberts, today an international bestselling author, invited Monroe to join her writer’s group, and it was there that Mary Alice Monroe took her first steps into the book publishing world. She learned about critique groups, agents, and editors, and she eventually acquired her first agent by volunteering to drive her to the airport, using the experience as an opportunity to pitch her novel. It was not long before Mary Alice Monroe was finally a published author, but she was just getting started. When her husband received a job offer to head the Child Psychiatry Department at MUSC in Charleston, the couple was thrilled. They had spent years visiting the coastal city and falling in love with its culture and charm, and they were delighted to finally move to the area. Within 24 hours of arriving, Monroe went to the Isle of Palms Turtle Team headquarters and signed on as a volunteer. Always a nature lover, Monroe was fascinated with the sea turtles, and she could not wait to learn more about them and aid in their protection. As she worked with the organization, getting her license through the Department of Natural Resources, patrolling the beach, moving nests and advocating for reduction in disorienting lights, she became aware of the public coming to the beach. With the visitors came their fascination and excitement for sea turtles and their tendency to leave hazards for the animals in their wake—bright lights on at the beach houses, trash and food left on the beach, and large holes left unfilled. Inspired, Monroe again began to write. “I could write a nonfiction book about sea turtles and explain how our actions can positively or negatively impact them,” Monroe says. “But I realized that I could write a novel and affect greater change through story. If I can teach while entertaining, well, it’s a painless education.” From her work with sea turtles came The Beach House, which focuses on a woman returning to the coast of her childhood, rekindling old relationships, and becoming a “Turtle Lady,” much like Monroe did upon arriving to her island. Monroe took lessons she learned from the sea turtles to form themes for the novel: the solitary nature of sea turtles is present in the main character’s unattached personality, the camouflaged nest of the sea turtles finds representation in abandonment, and the belief at the time that turtles return to the beach of their birth forms the overall plot of the character returning home. Instead of telling the reader about the plight of sea turtles in a tourist area,
Monroe shows the reader through the eyes of her characters, while bridging the gap between the human species and the rest of the animal kingdom by forming connections to their experience. Upon finishing the novel, Monroe packed boxes of books into the back of her car and drove down the Eastern Seaboard, stopping at every bookstore along the way, distributing to those without a copy and signing the copies already in stores, placing them in prominent locations. Her hard work and dedication paid off: The Beach House was the first of more than a dozen of Monroe’s novels to make the New York Times Best Sellers List. Now finishing her twenty-first novel, Monroe has mastered the art of animal advocacy through story, and she remains true to her process for each new book. “I always have a message, and I always go species first,” Monroe explains. “I decide on a species to feature, do the research, and then I roll up my sleeves, and I find a place to volunteer. The animals tell me the story—it comes to me as I work with them. Then I build the metaphors and begin working on the human aspect of the story.” While sea turtles are a familiar sight in Monroe’s Beach House series, many of her other books feature different species, leading to an extensive resume of volunteer and research work. For Skyward, Monroe volunteered for two years at the Birds of Prey Center in Awendaw. In her Lowcountry Summer series, she studied the local dolphin population with NOAA researchers and volunteered at the Dolphin Research Center in Florida. For Butterfly’s Daughter, she raised monarchs from eggs, consulted with experts, and studied the life cycle of the butterflies, eventually travelling to Mexico to witness the majesty of their migration. She has also studied and written about shore birds, fly fishing, and the shrimping industry, and the canaries in her office make an appearance in her last book. Her work with animals never fails to provide memorable experiences, like the time she spent rehabbing a female eagle at the Birds of Prey Center in Awendaw. After Monroe worked with the eagle at the center every week for seven months, the bird was released. Two weeks later, her neighbor called her to go look on her roof. There, 25 miles away from the only place Monroe had seen her, was her eagle, familiar band shining in the sun. “I can’t explain it,” Monroe says. “How she found me, I just can’t explain it. I am constantly in awe of the power of nature. I do not understand it, but I accept it and believe it.” With a reverence for nature and the animals that share our delicate ecosystems, Mary Alice Monroe is honest and attuned to her mission of writing entertaining, multi-layered, emotional stories while sharing her knowledge and research on various species. Encouraging her readers to choose a cause, be the heroes of their own stories, and act, Monroe is an inspiring beacon of hope for the many lives she touches.
HOUSE PARTY A final book and a new movie On June 20, Mary Alice Monroe will debut Beach House For Rent, published by Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster imprint). Beach House For Rent is written as a stand-alone novel. However, it’s the final installment of Monroe’s successful Beach House Series, which began with The Beach House, a novel first released in 2002. The Beach House is now being adapted to a Hallmark Channel original movie, starring three-time golden globe nominee Andie MacDowell, who is also an executive producer of the movie. The Hallmark Channel plans to air The Beach House in July.
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Culture Club This page: Taking in some art at the Columbia Museum of Art. Opposite: Whipping up a cocktail at Motor Supply Company Bistro
CITY SCOUT
Columbia
C A P I T A L G A I N S Photo by by Forrest Clonts
A F T E R L I T E R A L LY R I S I N G F R O M T H E A S H E S , C O L U M B I A B U I L D S U P O N T H E S C A R S O F H I S T O R Y T O C R E A T E A N E V E R - E V O LV I N G S T A G E F O R C R E A T I V I T Y AND ADVENTURE WITH AN ECLECTIC OLD SOUL ALL ITS OWN
by
G R A C E N E LS O N
Photos by
DOTTIE RIZZO
A
Photo by by Sean Rayford
fter growing up just an hour south of Columbia, I now cannot help but think of the city from my childhood viewpoint: Columbia was a destination. With my chin resting on my fists, I remember staring at the cheap round clock hanging above the doorway of our home as my sister and I fidgeted in anticipation of our departure. Once on the road, we passed by what seemed like an eternity of open pastures on S.C. Highway 3 before, suddenly, a misty cluster of glassy towers appeared in the distance. We were almost there, and the excitement was electric. Even after going on to experience Columbia as a college student and now as an adult, I still feel a little flutter when I approach our capital city.
Columbia continued to grow as an important trade, agricultural, and political powerhouse. In 1860, the Secession Convention met in Columbia at the First Baptist Church on Hampton Street to declare their intention to withdraw from the Union. Fast forward five years later, when about a third of Columbia’s structures were burned by Sherman’s troops.
As a capital, it takes on quite the responsibility. It is the center of our universe politically and stands as a symbol of everything our South Carolina is about. The weight of its status is almost palpable. And, like all good ones do, as a capital city, Columbia has evolved through the years by taking its foundation of significance and building upon it with layers of experiences through history, the arts, food, and fun. Here are a few of our favorites.
This pivotal event in history is very much present in the fabric of this place. It’s lurking in the street names and monuments and can be explored in museums, historic buildings and, perhaps most obviously, at The State House itself. The current capital building was in the midst of being built when Sherman arrived. The interior was severely damaged from his attack, but the outward structure was salvageable even after being struck with a total of ten shells from cannon fire. Reeling from financial devastation, the state was unable to fully repair the building until 1903. The structure is completely fireproof and still bears brass markers to indicate the shell damage in the blue granite, South Carolina’s official state stone. Guided tours of the State House are offered Monday-Saturday, with hours depending on when legislature is in session.
THE HISTORY
T H E A RT S
As people started to settle more inland from the port city of Charleston, it was decided by the powers that were that a new centrally located capital city was unavoidable. A bill was introduced to construct the capital at a 650-acre spot near an important ferry system on the Congaree River. It stipulated that the streets should be no less than sixty feet wide to prevent the spread of fire and accommodate future growth. By 1786, it was official, and Columbia became one of the first planned cities in America. The name itself was a nod to Christopher Columbus, beating out “Washington” by an 11-7 vote in the state Senate. General Washington had to settle for two street names instead: Washington Street for himself and Lady Street to honor his wife, Martha.
Located in the heart of downtown, The Columbia Museum of Art offers more than 25 galleries for visitors’ roaming pleasure, showcasing artwork from all over the world. The museum’s collection has been cumulating since 1950 and now boasts significant pieces from the likes of Botticelli and Monet, among others. The museum also has a menu of extras like adult art classes, tours, lectures, and children’s programs, along with national rotating exhibits. Open seven days a week, you can explore on your own or take part in docent-led tours.
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Not far from the museum, The Nickelodeon moved to the former Fox Theatre location in 2012. Growing from a volunteer-run place for film lovers
photo provided
Raising Capital Opposite page: Lunch at Motor Supply Company Bistro; inside the State House. This page: (Row One) Copper Horse Distilling owner Richard Baker; lunch on Main St.; Town Theatre. (Row Two) Columbia Museum of Art; the Nickelodeon; a stroll around the State House grounds. (Row Three) Cuppa Joe at Bourbon; a street peformer at Soda City Market; the State House.
photo provided
in an old converted bank building, it now resides at the cultural center on Main Street. An innate passion for film has been ingrained here from the start and is evident in their impressive array of independent films, series, and one-off screenings. The Nickelodeon avidly encourages support of filmmakers as the presenter of the annual Indie Grits Festival. Also making its very natural home at The Nick is the Helen Hill Education Center, which focuses on building critical viewing and production skills for members. FAMILY ADVENTURE The highlight of my childhood trips to Columbia usually involved Riverbanks Zoo. Thanks to their ever-growing list of options for visitors, that is still the case today for folks from all over the southeast. Along with providing habitat for over 2,000 animals and being a leader in conservation efforts, Riverbanks also has an extensive botanical garden, zip-lines, animal demonstrations, behind-the-scenes programs, rock wall, ropes challenges, and more. Riverbanks also takes on the unlikely role as a safe keeper of several historic landmarks, including the remains of a covered bridge burned in the Civil War and the ruins of a 1800s-era mill. The 170 acres of the zoo is actually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now showcases the land’s unique history at the Saluda Factory Interpretive Center and along a half-mile river trail. After exploring the zoo, round out the all-American summer experience with a baseball game at Spirit Communications Park. The Columbia Fireflies started their first ever Class A South Atlantic League season here just last year and ended it with the honor of “Ballpark of the Year” by Ballpark Digest. The stadium is the anchor for the redevelopment of the old state mental health campus and will soon add shopping, restaurants, and retail to the visitor experience. For a family adventure that is truly once-in-a-lifetime, head to Columbia for the forthcoming solar eclipse in August. Columbia is set to be on the short list of best viewing areas for the 2 minutes and 26 seconds of total eclipse, the first transcontinental total eclipse in 99 years. Thankfully, Columbia has compiled all of the special events for their Total Eclipse Weekend, including planetarium shows at the SC State Museum, hotel deals, and more. If you find yourself in Columbia on a Saturday, make sure to put the Soda City Market on your itinerary. The market on Main Street emphasizes 80 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
products for your brain, body, and belly and covers everything from fresh produce to soaps and crafts. The market gets especially festive with special events like Oktoberfest every fall. Soda City Market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. rain or shine, and parking is free throughout the city on weekends. E AT & D R I N K For an eclectic local favorite, pick the Motor Supply Company Bistro. The menu blends American, Italian, French, and Asian dishes built with ingredients from local farms or their house-made items such as sauces and smoked meats. Motor Supply opened in 1989 as one of the first restaurants in the historic Congaree Vista area of town and is located in a charmingly repurposed 1800s engine supply building. The menu changes daily, but you can’t go wrong with anything listing Adluh dirty grits and South Carolinacaught shrimp. The bistro is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday and both brunch and dinner on Sundays. Columbia is also contributing to the emerging craft beer and locally distilled spirit scene in South Carolina with places like Copper Horse Distilling and River Rat Brewery. Copper Horse is a micro-distillery in the Vista that specializes in small-batch handcrafted products made exclusively from locally-milled grains including Old Mill Vodka, a special edition whiskey series, bourbon, rum, and gin. Tastings and tours of the distillery are free, but reservations are required. Don’t forget to sample unique products like the pecan praline whiskey cream liqueur and the Copper Horse Hot, vodka flavored with a natural infusion of ghost peppers and Carolina Reapers. River Rat Brewery pays homage to the three rivers that run through Columbia through both their name and their products. The brews here are refreshing, strong, and simple in their local ingredients yet somehow intricate in flavor. Featured products include a Winter Warm Ale, Oktoberfest, Twisted Lemon Wheat Ale, Metal Man Pale Ale, Lost Port Porter, and Moncks Corner Abbey Ale. Combined with a covered deck, beer garden, and specials for Taco Tuesday and Trivia Thursday, River Rat is one of our new favorite watering holes. Edging on the University of South Carolina campus, you’ll find Five Points, a historic shopping and commercial district that has been in business for over 100 years. This is the place to go for unique finds from French candles at The Swept Yard to designer labels at Revente and espresso at Drip Columbia.
Local Color Opposite page: Blue Flower Bakery; Copper Horse’s Old Mill Vodka; a street performer at Soda City Market. This page clockwise from left: Fourth quarter at Williams Brice Stadium; a view of Main St. from the steps of the State House; Executive Chef Wesley Fulmer of Motor Supply Co. Bistro
Photo provided
Photo provided
Circling back closer to Main Street, you’ll notice the historic Brennan Building, which dates to around 1870 and is a stone’s throw away from The State House. Keeping along the same path as the building’s past lives as a saloon, billiard hall, and restaurant, you’ll find Bourbon here now. We recommend indulging in the Cajun-Creole menu with a classic gumbo or the Bavette Steak and pimento cheese. With 300 whiskeys on the menu and Bourbon as a name, it goes without saying that the craft cocktails here are not to be missed. Bourbon is open Monday through Friday for dinner and both brunch and dinner on the weekends. Also in the Brennan Building you’ll find Blue Flour Bakery. Quality, technique, community, and customer service are their self-imposed values, and these sentiments are indeed expressed in every tasty morsel. There are the usual suspects like chocolate chip and chocolate chunk mixed in with fun twists like mini sizes, dessert bars, custom sugar cookies, and seasonally inspired goodness. Blue Flour also has an Irmo location and an online shop. No matter which avenue you choose to explore in Columbia, it’s a given that you will find our capital is a beacon of South Carolina and a reflection of its people; enough of the past to remain nostalgic and authentic, paired with a diverse mix of opportunities to fully immerse yourself in our state’s history, culinary culture, and outdoor adventures. Photo provided
For even more information on special events, places to eat, stay, and play in Columbia, including the Total Eclipse Weekend, be sure to check out www.columbiacvb.com palmettomagazine.com
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S O UTHER N
THEOL OGY
•
by Rachelle Cobb
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Illustration by Jason Wagener
The next morning, we opened the blinds to discover it had snowed during the night—a day earlier than we or the weathermen had anticipated. Undaunted, motivated by the promise of restaurants in downtown Blowing Rock and resuming our itinerary, we piled on layers and cranked up our rear-wheel-drive truck. We made it around just one curve of that mountain before sliding off the road. Though my husband insists we were in no real danger in that moment, all rational thought fled my mind. I discovered I am also terrified of the thought of careening down a mountainside. It took five locals who graciously stopped to help us get turned around on the icy road.
We Are Such Planners
After we returned to the lodge, I pouted over the lost itinerary. My husband soothed me with the fact that we were together in a winter wonderland. But I wondered how in the world we were going to make it off that mountain alive to be back at work by Monday—and what we would eat in the meantime. Perhaps you’re familiar with that Bible verse most often found on Christian coffee mugs? “For I know the plans I have for you…” I’ve only ever focused on the fact that those words from Jeremiah 29 bring me comfort because I like that God has plans for me. I have plans for me, too. Plans are good.
The best-laid plans of mice and men so often go awry…especially when caught in a snowstorm with a rear-wheel-drive truck sliding off a mountainside
But what I’d not noticed before that “winter wonderland” weekend was that God says He knows the plans He has for me. Which unfortunately means I don’t. He doesn’t even promise to tell me His plans, to give me a hint, or warn me when I’m about to drive five hours to North Carolina for a three-day vacation in a January snowstorm.
When my husband, Devin, and I got married last summer, we stole from a sermon the blueprint for our marriage: that we would date weekly, take a weekend away quarterly, and enjoy a week-long vacation yearly. We are such planners. For our second quarterly weekend trip, we decided North Carolina in January sounded nice. At first, we talked about springing for Biltmore tickets but decided it was a bit too cold—little did we know.
That snowstorm obliterated the itinerary my husband and I had spent hours poring over. We later made it down the mountain in our truck, checking out of our Groupon lodge a day early (and thereby negating the deal) in order to avoid being snowed in. While driving, Devin had to hold the steering wheel in one hand and pat my arm with his other hand because I was white-knuckled and hyperventilating with fear all the way down that mountain road.
We typed out a three-day itinerary that included visits to notable, Pinterestworthy destinations such as antique shops, ice cream shops, and, well, more shops. We booked a lovely lodge with a beautiful mountain view on a Groupon deal.
We went to one antique shop on the way home. I bought one small green stone.
Enter Storm Helena. Indignant at the weather forecasts, convinced we would be invincible if only we had the proper outfitting, we stopped at a Walmart just before we reached our lodge in Blowing Rock. We bought boots.
“Yep,” I said eloquently. I who had been looking forward to going to shop after shop that weekend bought just that tiny glass disc. To remember. To remind me that marriage blueprints, itineraries, etc. don’t hold up against God’s plan for “winter wonderland” adventures. After all, the second half of Jeremiah 29:11 explains how God’s plans are not only known by Him, they are good. Because He is good.
Then we journeyed at what felt like a ninety-degree angle for nine miles up a mountain to find that our idyllic lodge was perched on the very mountainside. I discovered I am terrified of heights. So, instead of venturing back down that winding road that night for dinner, we pulled the blinds to block the view, ate Pringles we had packed to be roadtrip snacks, and watched SharkTank.
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“That’s all?” The guy behind the counter asked me after I laid it on the counter.
P.S. For our next trip, Devin and I are hoping to enjoy a tranquil week at the beach. We are such planners.