John William Swistak Sr. built some of the most iconic structures in West Ashley
John William Swistak Sr. is not an everyday name in West Ashley. Today is the day we make it one.
Swistak’s company, Liberty Construction, built two beloved and iconic buildings in Avondale west of the Ashley River. Rodenberg’s Grocery Store (now the Victory) and The Ashley Theater (now Mellow Mushroom). Both have stood the test of time in the community. These locations have evolved with different functional purposes as the needs of the residents have changed over the decades.
After the grocery closed, the Rodenberg’s building housed a fun and funky thrift shop for many years before the transformation to the Victory where one can enjoy food, fitness, or finesse in a variety of shops.
In addition to the regular movie lineup, The Ashley Theater was used as a sanctuary on Sunday mornings before the afternoon matinees start times. Then after the theater closed, Consigning Women occupied the space prior to the transformation to the Mellow Mushroom replete with a lighted sign that harkens back to the neon sign of the original theater. Coincidently, the Feb. 26, 1950 Sunday edition of The News & Courier announced both the opening of The Ashley Theater and the upcoming opening of Rodenberg’s.
So, who was John William Swistak Sr.? In a delightful phone conversation, his daughter, Nancy Swistak Ulery Biddlecom, shared his story. Swistak was the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. When he moved his family to Charleston, he initially worked for Dawson Engineering. He formed a partnership with Daniel Ellis Grimball to establish the construction business known as Liberty Construction. The partnership was short-lived, as Grimball was tragically killed in an automobile accident at the very young age of 24. Swistak would also leave the community too soon at the age of 33. However, in that short time, he developed a friendship with many of the influencers of the time: Augustus Constantine, Ed Kronsberg, and Adolph Rodenberg to name a few. In addition to the iconic, beloved buildings in Avondale, his “construction fingerprints” are left on many other buildings on the peninsula, like Leon’s Men Wear at 497 King St. and St James Methodist Church Education Building at 68 Spring St., to name just a couple.
Swistak and his family enjoyed living in the Bur Claire area of James Island and were members of the Blessed Sacrament Church in West Ashley. One can see his devotion to the Catholic community through some of this volunteer work. It’s reported that Swistak directed the volunteer labor that built the Catholic Church on Folly Beach known as Our Lady of Good Counsel. His sister, Katherin was the teacher at the church kindergarten until she returned to Pennsylvania in 1949 to care for their ailing father. Swistak and Father John J McCarthy, the Pastor at Blessed Sacrament Church on Savannah Highway were close friends. Father McCarthy officiated at his funeral, according to Swistak’s obituary.
Swistak left us reminders of his short, productive life from Folly Beach to West Ashley to the peninsula of Charleston. Remember the Swistak name next time you are out and about in Avondale.
Hidden stories about West Ashley? Contact Donna Jacobs at westashleybook@gmail.com.
