West Ashley Flashback

In the Fall issue of the South Carolina Historical Society’s Carologue  Executive Director Faye Jensen poses the question: “What’s In Your Attic” in her Director’s Notes column. Funny she should ask that question. Several scrapbooks, rich with the modern history of St. Andrew’s Parish, have been shared and archived, but many are still collecting dust in West Ashley attics. Andy Schellhaas, who recently purchased a home in Westwood, discovered two such scrapbooks of newspaper clippings about the Westwood Garden Club in the attic of his new home.
The neighborhood of Westwood was originally platted as Byrnes Downs. In 1947 The John McCrady Company did a survey of blocks A-F on the north side of Savannah Highway. The plat is titled Byrnes Downs. Approximately one year later the company did another survey and this time each lot is larger and the name of the neighborhood is Westwood. There is still not anything known about the details of this transfer; however, World War II had ended and housing demands were changing. But what seems to be a constant theme is that with every new neighborhood there is the organization of a garden club and Westwood was no different.
The home of Mrs. Henry Cone at 1 Brennon Street was the site of the organizational meeting of the Westwood Garden Club in early 1951. The more than 50 pages of clippings in the scrapbooks that Schellhass found detailed the Club’s meeting times, elections, the names of the ladies who held office, committee assignments, agendas, activities, flower arrangement awards recipients, the names of speakers at regular meetings, luncheon plans, and Christmas festivities. It is a wealth of information from that period of time.
The Westwood Garden Club hosted a couple of Christmas events during its time. “Holiday Time” was the title of the December 2, 1953 festivities held at the homes of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wells of 2 Brennon Street, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Simon of 33 Moore Drive and Dr. and Mrs. J.M. Brown of 37 Moore Drive.  The committee who planned “Holiday Time” was co-chaired by Mrs. W.C. Witter and Mrs. E.D. Biggerstaff. A donation of fifty cents was recommended. On the event brochure was also listed the Chairs of the 11 other sub-committees for this event. On the back of the legal size paper the details of all the rules, various flower Arrangement Classes and Horticulture were outlined. Awards were presented in each class. Hamilton Jewelry donated the trophy for the most blue ribbons in Arrangement Classes and W.P. Cart Jewelers of Avondale donated the Horticultural Trophy.  This was going to be one of the highlights of the 1953 Christmas season in Westwood.
“Refusing to rest on past laurels…” according to the newspaper, the ladies of the Westwood Garden Club continued for what appears to be at about 6 years to dedicate themselves to the beautification of Westwood.  Like the Byrnes Downs Garden Club they sold trees to enhance properties. In addition they were instrumental in having the old Charleston brick markers with wrought iron lanterns erected at the entrances to the neighborhood.
Garden Club stories or other Interesting stories about West Ashley’s history? Contact Donna Jacobs at westashleybook@gmail.com.