Little White Schoolhouse

Miss Arnold's Schoolhouse, Allendale, SC 

When I go to a new area I do a google image search to see what sights I want to find and I had my eye out for this sweet little one room school house in Allendale, SC. It wasn't hard to find since it has been relocated to the backyard of the Salkahatchie Arts Council and they were kind enough to leave the back gate open for me. This information was from the Allendale Attractions page:

This tiny structure was built in 1875 for Miss Augusta Salena Arnold. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Miss Arnold was only about 14, and the war made it impossible for her to pursue her education in a formal way. So she educated herself by reading and emerged with a well-rounded education that was well suited for teaching the young pupils of her time. It was said the she could almost recite from memory any page from her well-worn encyclopedia. Her passion for knowledge and for teaching children inspired her to continue teaching for almost fifty years in the tiny school house, even after public schools had been established in Allendale. Miss Augusta Salena Arnold died in 1929 and is buried in Allendale's Swallow Savannah Cemetery in the Searson family lot. She is remembered with great fondness by the people of Allendale. Her school house was restored in recent years and moved to the property of the Salkahatchie Arts Council, where it can be appreciated by visitors. 

In other news, my follow up research led me to discover that one of Allendale's claims to fame is birdwatching! Who knew? Not me. Apparently it is the place to find Swallow-tailed and Missippi Kites:

Every summer from mid-July to mid August, the kite show begins over the cow pastures of Allendale, South Carolina. Hundreds of Swallow-tailed and Mississippi Kites converge on this area of our state to feed on a horde of dragonflies and other flying insects. It is a spectacle to behold -- a birder's delight -- to watch these flocks feed over the fields." (Puff Mud Perspectives)

You know you are in the South when....

Old Southern Bombshell Fireworks, Allendale, SC 

I ain't gonna lie. Fireworks are popular items in South Carolina. Here is a recent update about SC Fireworks law from About.com:

As a general rule, South Carolina fireworks laws are pretty inclusive, meaning they're pretty loose (especially compared to North Carolina). In fact, almost all consumer grade fireworks are legal in South Carolina.What fireworks are legal in South Carolina? South Carolina fireworks laws aren't just less strict than North Carolina, they're far less strict than most states. Overall, pretty much anything goes. Bottle rockets, mortars, spinners, cakes, aerial fireworks - they're all okay to use in South Carolina.It is pretty common for residents from North Carolian (and other states) to slip just across the border to purchase the higher grade fireworks, remember that it is still illegal to possess many South Carolina purchased fireworks in other states. What fireworks are illegal in South Carolina?There are a few fireworks that you can't have in the Palmetto State. Large explosive firecrackers like M-80 and Cherry Bombs are illegal in SC. Also specifically prohibited are small rockets (not bottle) less than 1/2 inch in diameter and 3 inches long.How old do you have to be to purchase fireworks in South Carolina?You must be 16 years old to purchase any fireworks in South Carolina

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - Virgin Mary Baptist

Virgin Mary Baptist Church, Allendale, SC  

Say what? You must admit this is an unusual name for a Baptist Church. I once gave a friend a calendar I had designed of Lowcountry churches and I was reminded that I had not included a single Catholic church in the selection. Today's candidate for Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance certainly sounds Catholic but is indeed a Baptist Church. I don't know of any other Baptist Church named for the Virgin Mary. The sign was quite a surprise.

A star is born and died

Cresent Motel, Allendale, SC  

I haven't been posting much downtown Charleston in the Charleston Daily Photo series lately but heck, it's been too hot to walk until right before dark so I run around my neighborhood at dusk. Meanwhile I will try to entertain you with fun shots from my backroad albums. I love these rusty old signs on the abandoned motels up and down the old highways. Seems like someone should be buying them up to refurbish. Not me, but someone.

Edit: Interesting discussion came up on facebook as to whether this was simply a typo that became permanent. I am not the first or last person to get the image. Here is an old postcard when it was in business.

Then I found this key for sale on ebay with Crescent spelled the usual way. Perhaps Room 3 had special meaning for someone and they will turn over $16 for it.

Red dot, dot, dot...

Liquor Store, Allendale, SC 

This scene called for a quick stop to fill two things on my roadside check list - red dot stores and tiny concrete business buildings. I'm like a roving Santa check, check, checking off my odd list. 

Red Dot Stores AKA Liquor Stores: Ever wonder why in South Carolina liquor stores have red dots as their sign? It started with Jesse Fabian a liquor store owner from Charleston and his sign man Alford "Doc" Wamsley. In 1945 the legislature enacted the requirement that sign lettering for a liquor store sign could not be any large than six inches high and four inched wide. After painting the correct size lettering on Jesse's store, they thought the letters were too small to be seen. Inspired by a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes, Doc painted a red dot around the lettering. It spread all across the state. The reason you see a lot of stores using three dots with the letter A, B and C (one letter on each dot) is it stands for Alcohol Bureau of Control, the agency that oversee liquor stores. If you ask a local for a red dot store or a ABC store, chances are they will know what you need.