Mobile Home Sales in Hagood, SC

The redevelopment plan for a vacant 10-story building described as an “eyesore” received warm reception this week from the city panel in charge of scrutinizing the design details.

Bennett Hospitality’s proposal to convert the former MUSC Harborview office tower at 19 Hagood St. into a nearly 250-room hotel was “welcomed,” said John Robinson, chairman of the Board of Architectural Review.

He said the renovation and reuse would be a “massive improvement” compared to the existing building, which he likened to a prison.

“I think you’ve done a great job, and it’s really nice that you’re able to work within the existing structure,” Robinson said during the BAR’s March 8 meeting. “This is actually a remarkable transformation.”

BAR member Jay White called the empty office building a “piece of garbage building” and that a “heroic effort” would be required to renovate it. The board members expressed optimism that Bennett Hospitality could be up for the challenge.

Despite the early praise, the BAR deferred the project to allow for further study of the building’s integrity and the impact that seismic-related bracing would have on the exterior architecture.

Bennett Hospitality bought the aging building in 2018 from the Medical University of South Carolina for $18.6 million.

The Charleston-based company, which developed The Bennett luxury hotel near Marion Square and at least two other downtown lodgings, did not respond to requests for comment this week.

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Richard Ellison of Rabun Architects told the BAR that office buildings are generally challenging to convert into hotels, but he noted this property is well-proportioned and well-suited for the conversion.

The developer’s plans include traditional amenities such as a pool, breakfast area, fitness center, meeting space, and a top-floor bar and restaurant that would offers sweeping views of the water.

The company is proposing to demolish the elevator and stair exterior shafts and move further to the inside of the structure. The building will need some reinforced bracing, which has been proposed as a possible architectural element. An existing parking structure would remain.

City staffers commented that while the proposed design is a move in the right direction, it still feels “static.”

The bland 1970s-era structure sits on 3.27 acres near the Septima P. Clark Expressway, the mixed-use WestEdge development, the Medical University of South Carolina and The Citadel.

Robinson asked the owner to focus more on the streetscape elements, noting that area of the city is expected to see some major changes in the years ahead.

“It may not seem like a big deal now, but it will be as this area transforms,” he said.

Built in 1979, the Harborview tower originally was called the Summerall Center. MUSC bought it in the late 1980s for about $7.2 million, according to county property records.

The medical university announced in late 2016 that it was seeking to sell the 180,000-square-foot building under a plan to move some of its office employees off the peninsula.

SCANA’s pick to lead its board is one of its longest-serving directors, a Charleston man whose family has long been connected to the power company.

Maybank Hagood, who becomes board chairman in January, traces his lineage back to the early days of SCANA’s primary subsidiary, South Carolina Electric & Gas.

The Hagood family has such deep ties to the company that a power plant on the Ashley River bears its name.

Hagood’s father, Benjamin Ambler Hagood, sat on SCANA’s board for more than two decades until he retired in 1998. The next year, Maybank was nominated to the board, taking a position he’s held for the last 18 years.

Each is a descendent of Benjamin Adger Hagood, who was the first president of the South Carolina Power Co., until his death in the 1920s. South Carolina Power, which was Charleston’s utility, later combined with SCE&G.

In 1947, the company named a power plant in North Charleston after him, christening it Plant Hagood. The gas-burning plant is still fired up when electricity use peaks.

Maybank Hagood, 55, has a long connection to SCANA himself. His 18-year term on the board is considered unusually long by the standards of corporate governance, though he’s one of four directors who have been on the SCANA board since the 1990s.

On the board he currently serves as lead director, the top board member who doesn’t work for the company full-time. He also sits on committees that shape the board’s composition and oversee the company’s one functioning nuclear reactor in Fairfield County.

Like most SCANA board members, Hagood was chosen for his $225,500-a-year job for his familiarity with South Carolina’s business climate, not his energy-sector expertise.

Recommending his re-election earlier this year, SCANA cited his experience with the “economic, environmental, and business development issues facing the manufacturing and building construction industries.”

Hagood is the chief executive of William M. Bird, one of Charleston’s oldest companies. The 152-year-old family business distributes flooring products throughout the Southeast.

He also runs its North Charleston-based parent company, Southern Diversified Distributors, which owns a trucking company and a chain of flooring-supply stores.

“I look forward to helping the company navigate the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities ahead,” Hagood said in a statement.

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Years ago – nobody knows how many – people of a long-forgotten culture carved symbols and human figures on a large creekside rock in upper South Carolina.

Now, the 30-by 40-foot section of boulder and the 32 symbols and figures it contains are the centerpiece of the new Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site of South Carolina, open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Pickens County’s Historic Hagood Mill site.

It is probably the most accessible site for viewing petroglyphs (rock art) in the Southeast, according to Tommy Charles, the retired S.C. archaeologist whose S.C. Rock Art Survey discovered it in 2003. Around the rock, Pickens County has built a two-room museum, with one room explaining the rock art survey work, the other a darkened chamber where special lighting and Charles’ recorded voice highlight the drawings on the rock.

The special lighting is needed because erosion has partially erased the 18 human figures and 12 symbols thought to be prehistoric, plus a couple markings thought to have come later. Because of the erosion, these petroglyphs are not visible in broad daylight, and survey volunteers missed them the first time they searched the area.

But one volunteer went back on a rainy day when the incisions stood out in bolder relief. “Tom, you’re not going to believe this,” he told Charles when he excitedly called him.

“That Hagood rock is covered with little people.”

The 18 little people average about 5 inches high, with stick arms and legs and sometimes, incredible sexual endowment. There’s one box-like figure with head and legs that researchers have dubbed “Refrigerator Man” (or “Refrigerator Woman”).

Who drew them – and when – is a mystery. Unlike the famed petroglyphs of the American Southwest, these cannot be carbon dated because the moist Eastern climate washes away the organic matter that carbon dating depends on.

Charles thinks the little people and a dozen of the symbols are prehistoric because they are patiently pecked with stones. Metal carving tools came later, with the Europeans. The pictures also show no sign of European culture, such as guns and clothes.

“They could be 400 years old. They could be 4,000 years old. We just don’t know,” he said. They do show, however, that “people have been stomping over these hills for a long, long time.”

Want to go?

Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site, 138 Hagood Mill Rd. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday-Saturday. Cost: Free ($5 parking on third Saturdays.) Handicapped-accessible. No photography of rock.

Directions: Pickens, S.C., is 20 miles west of Greenville, S.C. From Pickens, take U.S. 178 north 3 miles; turn left on Hagood Mill Road to Historic Hagood Mill.

Details: 864-898-2936; www.visitpickenscounty.com.

This story was originally published November 22, 2015, 3:00 PM.

Three Williamston Town Council members walked out of a meeting this week during a heated debate over reopening parks.

Near the end of Monday night's meeting, Councilman Rockey Burgess made a motion to immediately reopen the town's two parks, closed by Williamston Mayor Mack Durham during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are one of the few municipalities around that still have parks closed," Burgess said.

He also said many of the town's residents wanted the parks to reopen.

The town has two parks, Mineral Springs Park and Brookdale Park. Their scheduled reopening on Monday was delayed before the council meeting. In a video posted Tuesday morning on the town's Facebook page, Durham announced the partial reopening of Mineral Springs Park.

What to know:Coronavirus in South Carolina

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Durham said the playgrounds and bathrooms at Brookdale Park and Mineral Springs Park will remain closed for the time being. But he said the walking trail at Mineral Springs Park and a field at Brookdale Park are available for use. He also said there are portable toilets at the parks.

Durham, who is the town's top official under its strong-mayor form of government, voiced his opposition to Burgess' proposal at Monday's council meeting. Durham said his decision regarding the parks was based on the advice of Anderson County emergency managers, health officials and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Personally, I would love to see the parks back open, but we do want to do this in a prudent way," Durham said. "It is not time. We don’t want to be like Greenville County, which has now exploded with positive cases."

Durham also criticized Burgess' motives.

"To try to come in and sensationalize that for political purposes I think is very low, poor character," he said.

Councilman Chris Alexander said Durham should have notified the council when he changed his mind about reopening the parks on Monday.

Councilman Tony Hagood was the first councilman to leave the meeting. Burgess and Alexander walked out a few minutes later.

Hagood said he left because he dislikes controversy.

"We have got to maintain and exemplify professionalism at all costs," he said.

Alexander said he walked out because "I didn't see the point in staying."

Burgess was out of town this week after the meeting and could not be reached for comment. But in a public post on his Facebook page Monday night that included an 11-minute video excerpt from the meeting, Burgess said, "I've had it with being disrespected, condescending and demeaned by the mayor."

Reached by phone Tuesday, Durham said his actions at Monday's meeting were "not my finest moment."

"I would have liked to handled it better," said Durham, who has served as Williamston's mayor since 2013.

Durham said he wrote an apology to council members and Williamston residents that will be posted on the town's Facebook page.

Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM

The Sunshine House

SPONSORED

Field Trips, Friends & Fun at the Sunshine House’s Legendary Summer Camp

Dive into all things LEGENDARY at the Sunshine House Early Learning Academy’s Legendary Summer Camp!

This summer, immerse yourself in the legends – from Bigfoot to Atlantis, legendary stars from music and screen, tales from the legends of sports, explore legendary fables, and even the Knights of the Round Table!

Each week is a blast, with unique themed experiences and hands-on activities. And our field trips are always a highlight! Water parks, zoos, planetariums, amusement parks, museums, stadium tours, and the list goes on.

Where else will your camper splash around a water park, design their own comic book character, recover dragon eggs, and tour a football stadium – all in the same camp?

Spots are limited, so contact us today to register and claim your FREE swag bag!

Designed for campers 5-12 years old. Junior camp, designed for younger children, is available at select locations.

13 Upstate locations!

Encore Theatre Company Summer Drama Camps

864.360.3369 | 117 South Pendleton Street, Easley, SC

Starting June 5, we will be offering an array of different weekly drama camps for different age ranges and levels.

Price is $110-150/week Ages K4 – 12th grade

Sign-up prior to April 30 and get $10 off with SUPEREARLY; Sign-up prior to May 31 and get $5 off with EARLY

Summer Farm Camp at Triple Lake Farm

864.908.8640 | 123 Lida Falls Road, Easley, SC

Designed for children ages 8-10, campers will learn about life on a farm, including the responsibility of daily feeding, cleaning, grooming, animal care, and growing food and plants.

Camp Voyager

864.878.1103 | 698 Concord Church Rd, Pickens, SC

Over the course of a fun-filled week at Clemson University YLI Headquarters in Pickens, SC, campers will test their creativity and problem-solving skills. This camp is for children aged 9 – 15.

2023 schedule: June 4th – July 28th

Daydream Art

864.419.4296 | 117 South Pendleton Street, Easley, SC

Summer art camp (multimedia) for ages 5 – 12, located at the Fine Arts Center of Easley July 17 – 21, 2023 9 am – 12 pm Cost: $135 (registration and payment due by June 30th)

projectROCK Easley

864.307.9152 | 212 Farrs Bridge Road, Easley, SC

Enjoy a summer camp with rock climbing, crafts, science projects, and more!

Camps are Monday-Friday, 8 am to noon or 8 am to 5 pm

Camp is for ages 5 – 12 years old

Half-day and full-day options are available. June and July camps are available.

Clemson University Summer Scholars

864-656-2314 | 2045 Barre Hall, Clemson, SC

Wanna have your child ‘try on’ Clemson for a week this summer? Give them a sneak peek at college life. Check out Summer Scholars!

Offers: Week-long course in a field of interest with a university instructor. Current Clemson students serve as mentors who guide Scholars through the week.

Age: Rising 7th grade – 17 years old.

The Arts Center of Clemson

864.633.5051 | 212 Butler Street, Clemson, SC

Offers: Half and full-day art camps for preschoolers, kids in grades 5K – 8th grade, and teens.

2023 Registration opens in March.

Hagood Mill Historic Site

864.898.2936 | 138 Hagood Mill Road, Pickens, SC

Education and Field Trips: Hagood Mill offers tours of the 176-year-old mill, the Hagood Creek Petroglyph Site, blacksmith shop, and moonshine still. Children may watch demonstrations by local artisans, participate in hands-on activities, and experience workshops. There are several field trip options including one-day or multi-day trips, traveling field trip shows, and virtual field trips.

Summer Camp Offers: Hagood Mill offers a one day blacksmithing camp June 3, 2023, and one 3-day camp June 6 – 8th for rising 3rd to 12th graders, featuring classes in blacksmithing, leathercraft, plant medicine, pottery, and much more. 2023 registration is now open.