Teeny, tiny restaurants - H & R Sweet Shop

H & R Sweet Shop & Soul Food, Mt. Pleasant, SC 

I didn't actually eat at the H & R Sweet Shop because my walks are normally timed for when most businesses are closed. That trick has saved me a lot of money through the years but I wouldn't mind returning to eat one of their burgers and enjoy the ambiance. There is a fun write up in the Moultrie News from 2017:

The "H" stands for Harriet and the "R" is for Raliegh "Pat" Johnson, Sr. In 1947 Raliegh Johnson was discharged from the army and returned to Mount Pleasant where his father, Peter Johnson, owned a strip of land on the north side of Royall starting at Morrison and extending to the playground. Peter Johnson, Sr., bought the property from the school district for $150 in 1903. The Inflation calculator indicates that $150 in 1903 equates to $1,574 today. However, that amount of money was quite an investment in those days. In 109 years the property has not been out of family hands.Years ago the Sweet Shop brought in jazz performers to entertain patrons in the club room in the rear. "Oscar and Fabian Rivers brought their Chicago-based band to Charleston," says Raliegh, and they performed here. Also performing were Nita Nelson with Donald Fields on drums, with Jack McDuff and Joy Pryor. All of this occurred when jazz was practically dead in this part of the country.Raliegh Senior's brother Peter started the P.S. Johnson Funeral Home, now called Johnson and Hall, located on Venning Street. Together, the Johnson brothers were successful entrepreneurs in the area, and they were instrumental in the rebuilding of nearby Friendship A.M.E. Church. The Quaker Church of Philadelphia had operated a mission and a freedman's school on this land during Reconstruction. As years progressed, parcels of land were sold off to families who could afford it. The Johnsons have jealously guarded their inheritance and it appears that the H & R Sweet Shop and Major's Hats and Suit business is on track to see its 100th anniversary.Raliegh, Sr., was both a cook and a barber in the U.S. Army. In 1947 he engaged a contractor to build the block and stucco building that you see today. On one side, Raliegh operated a barbershop and on the other, a full-service ice cream shop and diner. For a while Raliegh was the only licensed barber in Mount Pleasant. In the 1960s before desegregation, the Sweet Shop was a beehive of activity for the African-American community, and Raliegh was known to help a lot of people out when they got into a jam, financially.

Alhambra Hall

Alhambra Hall, Mt. Pleasant, SC 

I took enough pictures on my recent walk through old village Mt. Pleasant to serve as blog fodder through the week! Handy.

According to the sign, Alhambra Hall was built as a summer retreat and dance hall by owners of the Mt. Pleasant ferry company. It is still used for special events and weddings. It has a lovely grassy lawn on the water front and a playground across the street.

No walk for me this evening as I was attending a celebratory work event acknowledging a recent successful hospital survey inspection at Patriots Point. Yay us!

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - St. Paul's Lutheran

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mt. Pleasant, SC  

I haven't posted a Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance for a while but spotted this pretty scene as I was walking in the old village of Mt. Pleasant yesterday morning.

This is St. Paul's Lutheran Church, established in 1884. Visit their website here. This message is borrowed from the Pastor's newsletter message:

We can get into rhythm with God. We can do this by going somewhere and being alone. Lie on the grass; listen to the God’s creation, the earth. This is difficult to do in traffic, with all the congestion. Nature has a definite tempo. It is more about being plenty of time, plenty of time. Sped up people are always tired. Get alone and listen. Can’t find a place; go to church. Listen to the word of God. Sing hymns. This will help you get in the right tempo. 

Walk with me - Pitt St. bridge, Mt. Pleasant

Pitt St. bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC 

Following my usual pattern of leaving everything productive to the last few hours of the weekend, I grabbed an early coffee and caught up on an old New York Times newspaper at Broom Wagon coffee and then headed to Mt. Pleasant to walk both the Shem Creek boardwalk and then on to the old Pitt St. bridge.

The park is the best use possible of a former bridge and was being well used this morning with fishing, crabbing, bicyclists and kayakers and dog walkers.

Pitt Street Bridge

Pitt St. Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC   

Say "Oh" what a beautiful morning. The forecast predicted rain but I had a delicious brunch at Water's Edge on Shem Creek and a walk down to the end of the Pitt St. bridge and got home before I heard the rumble of thunder.

Home for Destitute Children - Mt. Pleasant

Home for Destitute Children, Mt. Pleasant, SC  

This sign stopped me in my tracks. There is a beautiful and prosperous home on the location now. See the link for some historical and clearly posed photos. 

At this site in 1881, Abby Munro, a Quaker from Philadelphia, established a home for orphans, neglected, and destitute children. Funds to purchase and operate the home were solicited locally and from friends in the North. It was incorporated in 1883 and is believed to have been the first orphanage for colored children in the State. Room and board cost approximately one dollar a week per child. The children were taught to cook, wash, iron, knit, sew, mend clothes, and all the duties of a household. The older children attended school regularly and made commendable progress in their studies. The orphanage operated here until the building was destroyed by fire in 1920.

Am I the only one who got slapped back into reality at work today?! Hello 2017.

Patjens Post Office - Mt. Pleasant

Patjens Post Office, Mt. Pleasant, SC   

With winter evenings dark so early I make the most of the photo-ops I find on my weekend walks and I found so many scenic finds in the quaint old village area of Mt. Pleasant. What a cute little Post Office!

In 1899, the Patjens family built this small office adjacent to their store on Church Street, to serve as the post office in Mount Pleasant. The Patjens family served as postmasters until 1917. Patjens Post Office has been owned and maintained by the Alhambra Garden Club since 1971, when it was moved to Edwards Park. The club restored the building in 2001.

Old Village Mt. Pleasant

Old Village Mt. Pleasant, SC    

Is there any more charming village than old town Mt. Pleasant? With the historic homes, beautiful gardens and shade tree streets I hope the inhabitants are as happy as I imagine them to be.

Old Village:  Mount Pleasant’s most historic neighborhood, once only accessed via ferry boat, The Old Village is a special place that was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 in order to preserve its architectural styles and encourage harmonious growth and development in the area.
The Old Village sits right on the Charleston harbor, with spectacular views of downtown Charleston and the Ravenel Bridge. Nestled quietly amid grand live oaks with a ‘Normal Rockwell-esque’ setting, it’s only a hop, skip and jump to the beautiful Sullivans Island and Shem Creek. The shops in the village have been preserved as well so you can still sit at the soda fountain and get a milk shake at the Pitt Street Pharmacy or eat a fine meal at The Post House restaurant.

Picturesque playhouse

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Isn't this the most adorable playhouse? The entire yard looked like it was primed perfectly to catch the eye of a walker-by with a camera - me! I took advantage of it. There was no actual sign of children so it might not be a play house but it certainly made for a charming scene.

I am home with the sniffles this evening and had some lazy time to process photos. 

Moe's Mural Woes

Moe's Southwestern Grill, Mt. Pleasant, SC 

I visit mural districts when I travel, I try to keep up with most local displays and I knew I had to track down this one since it may not survive the Mt. Pleasant zoning department. Painted by artist Odeith, it is considered larger than an allowed sign in that part of town. 

Sadness. It will be very painful to see this painted over. Check out his website for other international examples of his work. Hopefully there will be some way to save it. 

The work, a portrait of Marilyn Monroe, Al Capone and John Lennon by Portuguese artist Odeith, was cited in July by Mount Pleasant’s zoning department for exceeding the maximum allowed signage. Businesses in the town are allotted a certain amount of signage per square foot of commercial frontage.
But while oversized, garish or low-quality signs might indeed visually pollute Mount Pleasant, it’s tough to argue that a mural by an internationally known artist is an eyesore. The town ought to encourage public artwork rather than stifle it.
Unfortunately, the Mount Pleasant Board of Zoning Appeals made the wrong choice on Monday, when it voted 4-3 that the mural should be removed.

Old Pitt St. bridge walking

Old Pitt St. Bridge, Mt. Pleasant, SC  

I stopped at BiLo on the way home from a funeral visitation to find the cold and flu remedy shelves ransacked and in disarray. Apparently I'm not the only one who got the sniffles for Christmas. Achooo. Netflix and chill for the rest of the evening. 

I did drag myself out to walk this morning aiming to get a picture of the controversial mural at Moes. It is very cool and I hope they don't make them take it down. I got the mural shot, walked the boardwalk at Shem Creek, roamed old Mt. Pleasant and then hiked down to the old Pitt St. bridge. For a sniffling gal I got my steps in for the day. 

The Old Pitt Street Bridge was once the trolley trestle connecting Mt. Pleasant to Sullivan's Island in the late 1920's. It closed when the Ben Sawyer bridge opened in 1945. Now the spot is an attractive park area and popular for fishing, crabbing, bird-watching and strolling. 

Our Lady of the Fence Post

Fence Post, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

I walked in quaint and charming old Mt. Pleasant village on Saturday and spotting this little statue on a fence post across from the Pitt St. Drug Store. I had to do the wide angle view to show how tiny she is.

My house smells good. It will be me and my son for Thanksgiving so we are hitting the road and driving up to lake Marion area. I feel like I am preparing a Thanksgiving picnic. It is not an easy meal to keep simple!

Dinner with a view

View from Shem Creek boardwalk, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

I am on a Salmon Caesar Salad kick and just like my Thai Curry streak last year, I've been eating it in every restaurant that offers it on the menu and some that will put it together for me. Nice having a craving that consists of healthy food! One thing that nudged Vickery's Bar & Grill salad to the top of the list is the waterfront views that come with it. Last night was a perfect lowcountry summer evening. It was warm but the humidity level was low enough to make for a pleasant outside dining experience.

I anticipate an exciting afternoon on my property today as I have tree trimmers coming to prune my trees and remove a large dying tree on my neighbors property. Woohoo! Hope all goes well.

Sunset on Shem Creek

Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

It was such a beautiful day I wanted to extend it by enjoying a sunset over the water and with as much waterfront as we have in the lowcountry there aren't too many restaurants that offer that. My friend Mike zipped us over the bridge in his Miata convertable which has to be the most fun way to cross the river. I stuck my camera out to get a shot.

I intended to eat at Vickery's Bar & Grill on Shem Creek (Caesar Salmon Salad....mmmmmm), which is the best place to watch the sunset over the marsh but apparently we weren't the only ones who know that. Since there was a long wait we grabbed a table inside at the bar and missed the direct view but the food was delicious and the company most enjoyable.

Welcome Home Gentlemen

Welcoming committee, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

I was part of such an extraordinary homecoming event last night. My friend Mary Lamb had passed me in the hall at work last week and said if I wasn't doing anything on Saturday night I might like to take some pictures at a BBQ at her house. I didn't commit to anything until I took a look at the facebook page that had been set up. Holy cow. I was completely blown away and honored to be included.

A young man who they had known since childhood was coming back from serving in Afghanistan for eight months. He was landing with forty four other marines for their debriefing before they headed home. They were put up overnight at Wild Dunes and he got special permission to bring the entire group to Mary & Mark's home in Mt. Pleasant for a backyard BBQ.

When word got out the event blew up. Who gets to be part of something like this? We got to hug these boys before they even got home. A trolly was donated to pick them up, kegs of beer, welcome home cakes, a blue grass band and a motorcycle escort appeared. The VFW decorated the road with flags, kids painted Welcome Home posters. Neighborhood friends decorated and brought cookies. Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Gilligans and Atlantic Bread Company sent over platters of food among others. I emailed Channel 2 and Haley Hernandez was waiting to record the welcome.

The marines were completely stunned by the unexpected welcome. As one of the mothers waiting for news said on facebook, "this was the first real food they have had since January" and she thanked Mary and Mark on behalf of all the boy's mothers. Mary and Mark are pictured in the bottom photo on the right. Thanks for including me!