West Ashley Wanderer — Painting the Town
Local artists help make West Ashley a little more colorful When artist MASÁRE let me know he had completed the current eye-catching mural project on the side of the Drake Fitness building in Avondale, I walked down to catch the scene without cars parked in front of...
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West Ashley Flashback — Road to the Wappoo Causeway
The origin of one of West Ashley’s most travelled roads Wappoo Road. Almost everyone who lives in West Ashley crosses or drives this road on a daily basis. But does anyone really ponder the origin of the road or its name? Step back to when the first people arrived by...
West Ashley Flashback — The Bridges That Built West Ashley
For centuries, crossing the Ashley River has shaped the communities on both shores On October 5, 1955, the creosote tanker “Fort Fetterman” struck the Ashley River Memorial Bridge, destroying the western draw span. Folks living in St. Andrew’s Parish had become quite...
West Ashley Wanderer— Tangled Up in Blue
West Ashley family lives on the former Wappoo Plantation where Eliza Lucas Pinckney cultivated indigo In 1739, a 16-year-old girl was left in charge of her family’s plantation on Wappoo Creek. Following Betsy Road to its intersection at Lord Calvert Drive, you will...
West Ashley Wanderer — Leave Your Mark
Community members are buying inscribed bricks to support St. Andrew’s Parks I’ve long been jealous of people whose names are inscribed in the bricks on King Street. How did I miss that opportunity? I’ve considered taking a black marker into town on a Second Sunday to...
West Ashley Flashback — Returning to the Rodeo
Rodeos were part of the culture in St. Andrew’s Parish Who remembers the rodeo in West Ashley? Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a friend who lives in Drayton on the Ashley. As I entered the neighborhood, I thought about the West Ashley Flashback from 2017,...
Strength in Community
How Washington Park became a neighborhood with organizations that continue to function today Washington Park, the lovely neighborhood adjacent to Maryville, introduced in January’s West Ashley Flashback through the eyes of Cecil Diggs, began with a strong sense of...
Bird Bites Take Flight
West Ashley gardener turns decades-old family recipe into a backyard birding favorite Is it appropriate to host a baby shower for bluebirds? I was so excited when a mama bluebird settled in my new birdhouse that I did everything possible to make her welcome. I hung a...
Lowcountry Fishing Report — May is a Great Time to be on the Water
Along with the usual suspects, summer species have now joined the fray It’s an excellent time to get out on the water. Local waterways are full of baitfish, and gamefish are feeding aggressively. With all the summer species now present alongside the usual favorites,...
West Ashley Flashback — Piecing Together the Tidbits
Sometimes you have to go back to the start and fill in the blanks Many stories of the modern history of St. Andrew’s Parish, as the area transitioned from an agrarian culture to a suburban community, have developed from just a few sentences in a conversation. Some are...
West Ashley Wanderer — West Ashley Neighbors in Action
Volunteers are the heart of a community I hear joyful noise from the Charleston Miracle League from my house on a weekend morning. When I pop out of a trail at Charles Towne Landing hot and sweaty, a volunteer pulls up in a golf cart to offer me a ride. A reassuring...
