This picture was taken by Thomas T. Faucette in the 1940s. SCIWAY thanks his son (and frequent contributor!) Steven Faucette of Williamston for submitting this photo.

This picture was taken by Thomas T. Faucette around 1950. SCIWAY thanks his son (and frequent contributor!) Steven Faucette of Williamston for submitting this photo.

SCIWAY thanks Jim Bryan for sending us this historic picture and information.

The church was named in honor of Prince Frederick of Wales, the son of King George II. Construction was completed in 1876, and the church became a focal point of religious life for early Pee Dee settlers. Its tower and front facade are all that currently remain (see a picture of the Prince Frederick Church ruins).

Many thanks to Karen Main, a Georgetown native who currently lives in Rock Hill, who provided this picture and historical information.

John Joseph Howell, who penned a memoir about his childhood in Swansea for SCIWAY, submitted this photo.

John writes: “This mill was built by my great grandfather Macon Huckabee sometime around 1867. This was the year he moved onto this property. The mill pond is over 65 acres and the house and outbuildings are still standing today. Until recently, descendants lived at this old home place. Pictured in the buggy is a drummer (salesman).”

Many thanks to Nancy Hellams who submitted this historic picture taken in 1910. She writes, “This photo was given to me by Nell Seawright Reeves. On the back is the following note written by Virginia Boggs McKnight: ‘Pendleton Cotton Mill Papa (Charles Jackson Boggs) helped build this. A turkey dinner is being served on top the day of completion.’

“Nell Seawright Reeves wrote the following note on the back as well: ‘My father worked here to help build this also, in 1910.’”

However, by the 1990s, these bridges were outdated for modern times. The Grace Bridge was deemed structurally obsolete and the Pearman Bridge was struggling to handle the heavy traffic between Charleston and Mount Pleasant. Charleston native Arthur Ravenel spearheaded the campaign for a new bridge to be constructed over the Cooper River, replacing the Grace and Pearman.

The Arthur Ravenel Bridge opened during a week-long celebration in July 2005. It is an eight-lane, cable-stayed bridge with two diamond shaped towers that allow clearance for modern ocean freighters to access the Port of Charleston.

Chuck Boyd of Charleston contributed this picture of his grandmother posing in front of the Grace Memorial Bridge in 1928.

He writes: “My grandmother, Alyce May Boyd, is shown primly ‘dressed to the nines,’ standing amid construction on the Charleston side of the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge. She ran a boarding house downtown and construction workers who were staying there escorted her to the bridge – note the tracks used to haul steel up the bridge.”

See more of Chuck Boyd’s pictures and read his blog.

Learn more about the history of the Cooper River Bridges.

The orphanage was officially chartered in July 1892 by the State of South Carolina; its mission was to create a safe haven for African-American children in need. In the 1930s, Social Security began providing assistance to families who needed financial help to care for children. This resulted in a dramatic decrease of abandoned children in America, greatly reducing the need for orphanages. In time, the orphanage was renamed Daniel Joseph Jenkins Institute for Children.

Jenkins’ mission today remains the same: To promote and support the social and economic well being of children, families, and individuals to enable them to become productive and self sufficient in their communities. It is a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors and an advisory board which provides direction and information on current legal policies.

While in the past the institute has housed children of both sexes, presently it serves as a refuge for girls between the ages of 11 and 21. The dorm can accommodate up to 19 children. Each room has a television and a computer and is semi-private. All the children live in this building and are supervised 24 hours a day by a staff of 10, which includes care specialists and counselors.

At 16, each child has the option to “age out,” meaning that they stay at Jenkins until they are 21. If a child decides to stay, she must pursue a higher-education degree. More typically, girls stay at the institute for one school year, and then return to their families.

Jenkins Institute receives support from local churches and mentoring organizations, helping expose the children to many different experiences and broaden their horizons.

In addition to state funds, the institute is sustained through private donations and grants.
Jenkins hopes to bring in additional funding by becoming a stop for historical tours in the area. When we visited the campus and met with administrators, they shared their plans to build a museum which showcases the impact of the Jenkins Orphanage Band on the history of American Jazz. They are also considering growing sweet grass on their many acres of wetlands, planting locally-renowned Noisette roses, and designing a hedge labyrinth, which would provide a nice atmosphere for picnics.

Learn more about the Daniel Joseph Jenkins Institute for Children by visiting the official website.

Read our article: Orphanage Band Instrumental in Jenkins’ Past and Future.