Help Preserve the Legacy of Philip Simmons

As the Charleston area continues to honor and remember the life and work of celebrated blacksmith Philip Simmons, who passed away last month at the age of 97, the Philip Simmons Foundation is continuing its mission to raise money to document his work and restore his Charleston home and workshop.

Daniel Island residents and visitors who want to help with this effort need go no further than Daniel Island’s Sales and Information Center on River Landing Drive. Here, the Foundation is offering for sale signed prints of artist John Jones’ painting of Daniel Island’s Simmons Park. Mr. Simmons designed the gate and Daniel Island logo that are prominently displayed at this urban park in the heart of Daniel Island’s downtown. Born on Daniel Island in 1912, Mr. Simmons is an important part of the island’s history. This park was dedicated in his honor in 2001.

For the month of August, Daniel Island residents may purchase prints of this painting, signed by both Philip Simmons and the artist, for a special price of $45. All proceeds benefit the Philip Simmons Foundation. Simply stop by the sales center at 101 River Landing Drive to check it out. And while you’re there, be sure to peruse Mr. Simmons’ own original sketches that areon display throughout the building’s first floor.

For an informative look at Mr. Simmons’ life and work in words, pictures and music, check out the video below, produced as a tribute to Mr. Simmons by Mark McKinney and partner Steve Lepre at Sunhead Projects. They are working with the Philip Simmons Foundation on a multimedia “Documentation Project” to archive more than 600 pieces of existing ironworks attributed to Mr. Simmons.

Philip Simmons Tribute from Sunhead Projects on Vimeo.

Exploring The Citadel

The Lowcountry Explorers, a growing group of Daniel Island residents who regularly embark on day trips to check out some of the Lowcountry’s endless array of attractions, recently enjoyed a tour of The Citadel in downtown Charleston.

Founded in 1842, The Citadel is a military college that is noted for its educational reputation as well as its rich history. The school has an undergraduate student body of about 2,000 students who make up the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. Another 1,000 students attend The Citadel Graduate College, a civilian evening program that offers undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Originally located on Marion Square in downtown Charleston, the picturesque campus was moved in 1922 to the banks of the Ashley River next to Hampton Park.

The Explorers’ cadet-led tour covered many of the school’s 24 plus buildings, including the museum and library. The highlight was at the end of the tour, where the group enjoyed reserved seating for the Friday afternoon dress parade on Summerall Field.

Walking: Out and Back

By Contributing Resident Jeanne Wells

Since Christmas day was 75 degrees and sunny, my husband and I decided to take a walk around Daniel Island, where we live. There are a lot of walking/biking paths and we picked a nice long one that we like. It winds around behind the Family Circle Cup arena/tennis center, over some marshy areas, and eventually runs parallel to the Wando River.

During our walk, we passed by a fence that we had noticed before, but since we were heading in the opposite direction from our usual route, we noticed what was beyond the fence for the first time: an old cemetery. Since the fence seemed to be more of a demarcation line than an actual barrier (there was ample space beside each end of the fence to walk around it, and it also would have been easy to crawl under, climb over, or step between the slats) we wandered into the cemetery to explore a little bit. There were a few headstones, and a couple of ancient benches, but it was clear from the unevenness of the ground that there were many more unmarked graves here.

It was a beautiful place, overlooking a section of marsh. Based on the headstones and markers we could see, it looked like the last time anyone was buried there was in the 1960s or 1970s sometime. When we got home, my husband did a little cursory Internet research, and came across an excerpt from a book about Daniel Island, which mentioned the cemetery. According to the information he found, it is known as Simmons Cemetery because it was adjacent to a plantation owned by someone named Maurice Simmons around the time of the Civil War. We also learned that some of the graves we had seen were those of African-American soldiers, two of whom had served in black infantry regiments during World War I and another who had served in the U.S. colored infantry during the Civil War.

It was interesting to find this old place in an area that is better known for its newness. It was so tranquil and lovely, and seemed like a wonderful final resting place.