Quirky, Eccentric or Just Plain Strange

Travel down country roads, alleyways and out-of-the-way places and you’re sure to see the quirky, eccentric or just plain strange. This is certainly true in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Here are a few worth your attention during your tour of the odd and peculiar.

Boneyard

Hunting Island State Park

Erosion has long taken its toll on the beaches of Hunting Island. Salt water has intruded on the maritime forest, felling trees and creating a “boneyard” of sorts. Take a walk at the south end of the island along the stretch of beach known as the boneyard and you will find yourself through and around fallen pine, oak and palmetto trees. The exposed roots of these tumbled trees have created a melancholy display with some roots reaching a height over 10 feet as the trees resists the persistent pull of the tides.

Edisto Island Serpentarium

Edisto Island, SC

In 1999 the Edisto Island Serpentarium opened thanks to the culmination of more than 50 years of snake hunting adventures by the Clamp brothers, Ted and Heyward. The reptiles on display are not behind glass. They are viewed by looking over low-called enclosures, allowing visitors to seem them in a natural setting – in trees, streams and basking in the sun. The design is intentional, evoking the sudden thrill when encountering a reptile in its natural habitat. Eeeeeew!

A tree full of bricks

Various locations throughout Beaufort County

As you wander around Beaufort and points beyond, you will, on occasion, come across a tree filled with bricks. There was a method (of sorts) to the madness. Back in the day, the practice was to fill a big hole in a tree with bricks or concrete, believing it would help support the tree. It was all done, painstakingly by hand. Just in case you are wondering this is no longer done.

Stairway to nowhere

Hancock Street, Beaufort, SC

Standing alone and forlorn on Hancock Street is a set of stairs, not to heaven but to nowhere. The stairs are the only remainder and reminder of the Tailbird house which burned to the ground back in 1907.

Thelma and Louise

Hardeeville, SC

Originally known as Al and Lizzy, this pair of life-size elephant statues (yes, elephants) were purchased back in 1974 in Alabama by Papa Joe of Papa Joe’s Fireworks. They’ve been drawing admirers to Papa Joe’s ever since. The elephants are kept in tiptop condition with regular, spiffy coats of paint, one pink, one gray, welcoming all who notice them – and who doesn’t?

A buoy on the move

Port Royal, SC

In 1970, a buoy in Port Royal Sound decided it was time for a cruise. It broke its mooring and traveled 6,000 to Scotland. One year later the errant buoy was spotted by a British ship and towed to port. The travel weary buoy was returned to Charleston, SC in 1973 at the bargain cost of $92. The Port Royal Clay Company then returned the buoy to Port Royal, where it sits today with a plaque commemorating its adventure. It was decided a park was the best setting – if left to its own devices in Port Royal Sound, who knows where the buoy would go next?

Water tower and jail

Walterboro, SC

Standing 133 feet tall the Walterboro Water Tower, is one of only three standpipe systems in the State of South Carolina. 100,000 gallons of water is stored in the top and employing gravity (and some help from hydro pumps) to pressurize the water up above, the water is pushed down through a pipe system and out to homes and businesses in the community. Completed in 1915, a small door at the base of the tower leads to what was once the county jail. The tower base contained three small cells as well as a couple of windows. This structure took multi-tasking to a whole new level. Makes you wonder if the inmates were on a bread and water diet.

Watermelon buses

On roads throughout the Lowcountry

The wheels on the bus go round and round AND take the watermelons to market! Someone came up with the bright idea of taking an old school bus, cutting out the windows and filling it with watermelons to take to market. An old school bus was far cheaper than farm equipment and allowed for fewer workers hauling the watermelons from field to truck to market. Watermelon buses are a just a thing in South Carolina. And it makes us smile.

Chaser, the smartest dog in the world

Spartanburg, SC

Chaser was a border collie whose human, John Pilley, was a professor of psychology at Wofford College. Pilley began what was to be a lifelong experiment when Chaser was just a scrap of a pup two months old. It all started with a blue ball. Pilley would show the ball to Chaser saying, “catch blue,” then throw it to her. Three days later, she could retrieve the blue ball from another room when asked. A few months later she knew the words for dozens of objects. Three years later, Chaser could identify over 1,200 objects by name. She could comprehend a variety of grammatical forms and understand questions asked in multiple ways.

For obvious reasons, she became a local celebrity, and she was awarded the title of “Smartest Dog in the World.” When Chaser died in 2019, her memory was honored with a statue erected at the Spartanburg Children’s Museum in Morgan Square.

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