Camden: A SWAMP

From the history of Camden, you know that in 1799 the streets of Camden were laid out in the north/south and east/west grid we know today. But, did you know from York Street to DeKalb Street and Campbell to Lyttleton was swamp? A large ditch ran from Lyttleton beyond Campbell in an east/west direction. In 1816 the city authorized the building of brick or stone sidewalks from the lower end of the town to the "Big Ditch" bridge which is now the heart of the city.

As time went by, larger ditches were dug to drain more water off of the swamp so firm land could be cultivated for the building of what we know as downtown Camden. According to Ken and Boo Dubose, by the early 1900s, the ditches were three to four foot wide and five to six feet deep. Foot and wagon bridges were used to gain access to and from the streets. These ditches were on both sides of Market Street and most of the other streets in downtown Camden. A large ditch started from the east side of Broad Street ran under the buildings, headed west. When it rained, these ditches often overflowed as they kept downtown from becoming a swamp once again.

Behind Bloomsbury, another large ditch ran north/south from Pine Street to what is now becoming the Town Green. In the 1950's the Bloomsbury ditch was filled with culverts and covered with dirt. Many of these culverts intersect in the Rutledge/DeKalb/Lyttleton/Broad block. The Bloomsbury culvert and the associated culverts are essential infrastructure for the city. These culverts (modern ditches) keep downtown Camden from becoming a swamp once again.

Periodically, city infrastructure must be replaced and in some cases expanded. The drain infrastructure in the downtown area had to be torn up in order to replace/repair the culverts, along with other utilities, and to secure the downtown area. With time to replace culverts upon us, the Town Green was born.

You know from exploring town history that there has long been a plan for a central square. A square envisioned to function as town common. It is true, The Camden Town Green was not "our" idea. However, it is incredible that the infrastructure repairs have led to the creation of a beautiful common area as our fathers envisioned and desired.

Our Town Green is a win - win!. Good on you Mayor, Camden City Council and the great citizens of Camden.

Oak, Sumac or Ivy

As the days grow warmer and you head for the gardens, please remember that Poison Oak, Sumac and Ivy will get you long before you see their leaves! Although, we make every effort to combat and control these three friends, we do find them living in the gardens of Bloomsbury.

Poison oak has leaves that look like oak leaves, usually with three leaflets but sometimes up to seven leaflets per leaf group. It grows as a vine or a shrub. Poison oak is more common in the western United States, but it is also found in the eastern United States and, rarely, in the Midwest. Yes, eastern US as in South Carolina!

Poison sumac has 7 to 13 leaflets per leaf stem. The leaves have smooth edges and pointed tips. Poison sumac grows as a shrub or small tree. It is found in wooded, swampy areas, such as Florida and parts of other southeastern states, and in wet, wooded areas in the northern United States. Yes, other southeastern states as in South Carolina.

Poison ivy usually has three broad, spoon-shaped leaves or leaflets ("Leaves of three? Let it be!"), but it can have more. It may grow as a climbing or low, spreading vine that sprawls through grass, Azaleas, ground covers (more common in the eastern United States) or as a shrub (more common in the northern United States, Canada, and the Great Lakes region). Yes, more common in the eastern US as in South Carolina.

Architectural History: Bloomsbury - Part 2.

Thank you Dick Simons for providing us with a copy of the Fall 2009 edition of the magazine, Carologue. From an article by Katherine W. Giles entitled Albert Simons, "The Dean of Charleston Architects," I derived information on Albert Simons.

To understand the Bloomsbury of today you need to know the man who guided its restoration. Albert Simons has been called the Charleston "Dean of Architects." Born in Charleston on July 6, 1890, he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. There, he studied under the acclaimed French architect Paul Cret. After graduating in 1912, he toured Europe and North Africa for 18 months. Upon his return, he went to work for the prominent Baltimore architect Lawrence Hall Fowler, through whom he was privileged to meet Howard Sill.

With the out-break of World War I, construction came to a stand-still. Simons lost his job in Maryland and returned to Charleston. He occupied himself by studying and drawing the city's old buildings. When the noted artist Alice Ravenel Huger asked for some architectural drawings for her book, Simons obliged. He helped to create what would become the acclaimed, The Dwelling Houses of Charleston. Next, he joined the architectural firm of Todd, Simon, & Todd. His first restoration job was the installation of bathrooms in the William Washington House at 8 South Battery. All were impressed with his ability to modernize without destroying the historic integrity of the home. In 1917, Simons married Harriet Porcher Stoney; they had four children.
After the war, Simons joined forces with Samuel Lapham. In 1920, they formed Simons and Lapham. It was tough times, they found work in unlikely places: local plantations and homes purchased by wealthy northerners (of which Bloomsbury is a perfect example). His pen walked through history and he wrote several seminal works including Plantations of the Carolina Lowcountry and the Octagon Library of Early American Architecture, Volume I: Charleston, South Carolina a definitive work on Charleston architecture.

The history of architectural renovation in Charleston has his fingerprints everywhere. In 1931 Simons led the effort to establish Charleston's Board of Architectural Review. For forty years, he was the only architectural member. He was part of the restoration of many of Charleston's most noted architectural gems: the Heyward-Washington House, the Joseph Manigault House, the Dock Street Theatre, the Nathaniel Russell House, and the Historical Society's fireproof building. And thanks to his work, the Robert Mills's Patent Office Building in Washington, D.C. was saved. Today we can all enjoy it as the National Portrait Gallery.
Robert P. Stockton of the Preservation Society of Charleston once observed, "Mr. Simons said he preferred the use of 'friendly persuasion' in preventing the harmful alteration or destruction of historic structures. 'Sometimes I won; sometimes I lost,' he said. But always, was avoided the kind of confrontation which might make an applicant take his case into court, 'where a judge may have keen knowledge of the law, but may have no sense of architectural propriety."

Through many years, Simons continued to practice and served on the National Committee of the Historic American Building Survey, the State Board of Architectural Examiners, president of the Carolina Art Association, associate member of the National Academy of Design, and as a member of the Society of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Albert Simons died on May 23, 1980. With continued gratitude, we hereby highlight the man who provided the architectural expertise that saved Bloomsbury in the early 1930s.

Architectual History of Bloomsbury Inn - 1930. Part I

In 1930, Mr. John Weeks, of New York, bought Bloomsbury for a winter retreat. If you closely observe a picture of Bloomsbury made in 1915, you can see that the shutters are falling apart and the paint is peeling off the house. Mr. Weeks contacted the most prestigious South Carolina architectural firm in the state, Simons and Lapham, to design the renovation of the home. Bloomsbury would not be here today if it was not for Mr. Simons.
On Tuesday, February 1st, Katherine and I meet with the family of the famed South Carolina architect Albert Simons. The meeting took place at the South Carolina Historical Society building in Charleston. The purpose of the visit was to bring the architectural drawings and the 50+ pages of specifications that we had in our possession, and compare them to what was filed in the archives. The Historical Society did have several drawings that we did not possess. We are in the process of obtaining copies. The Historical Society made a copy of our book of specifications for their records.
It was a great pleasure to meet Harriet Williams, the daughter of Albert Simons. It was most interesting to hear the history of the firm and stories of the famous architect and his work ethic, diligence and dedication to his craft. And, to once again see Dick Simons, his grandson. Dick stayed at Bloomsbury. As we were discussing the wonder of the architecture of the home, Dick asked who was the architect of the renovation; I said "Simons and Lapham". At that instant I put two and two together as Dick said Albert Simons was my grandfather. He invited us to Charleston to meet his aunt and to look over the materials in the achieves. That is why we were in Charleston. It is amazing the people you meet in a Bed and Breakfast.
This photo features Dick Simons and Harriet Williams. My next blog entry will talk about Mr. Simons and his many accomplishments. I think you will find it interesting as we walk through the architectural history of Charleston. Bruce A. Brown