Carl Smith and his wife, Stephanie, moved to Sullivan's Island in 1972 and immediately fell in love with it. Though an architect by profession, Carl soon became involved in island politics. His first involvement was on the Board of Adjustment, now known as the Board of Zoning Appeals. In those days there were basically no ordinances protecting historic structures on the island. However, there was the long established requirement for a minimum half acre lot size, something that Carl considers one of the most important aspects in protecting the island's character. In 1987 Carl was elected to Sullivan's Island Town Council. He was a council member during the destruction of Hurricane Hugo. He describes the devastation of the storm and the residents' return to the island. Hugo led to many changes, including the establishment of the island's first disaster plan. In the mid 90's Carl made his first run for mayor, but was defeated then and in 2001. His first successful bid for mayor came in 2005, and he ran unopposed in 2009. Carl feels that there were three issues that defined his time as Mayor of Sullivan's Island, in addition to his strong advocacy for preservation of the island's character. The first was that of the fate of the Ben Sawyer Bridge and the island's connection to the mainland. The second was the way in which water and sewer were handled on the island rather than being shipped to Mt. Pleasant. The third was the new Sullivan's Island Elementary School, a facility that Carl felt was ill-conceived and over-built. A referendum on the school was never allowed by Town Council, but the write-in vote on Carl's behalf in the mayoral election of 2013 was considered by many a referendum on the school. There are other accomplishments that Carl remembers with pride during his time as mayor including initiating an architectural survey of the island, designing the town sign at the entrance to the island, recovering and rehabilitating the old bandstand from Ft. Moultrie, erecting the monument in the historic town cemetery, and preserving the historic character of the Devereaux mansion gatehouse. Finally, Smith details his reasons for leaving the island.
In this interview, Father Lawrence McInerny relates his family tree, starting with Michael McInerny from County Clare, Ireland, the first family member to come to Sullivan’s Island in 1840. Married to Julia Lillis, Michael McInerny bought property but had trouble retaining it. He owned a bakery that was destroyed by arson. In 1884, he died in a horse and buggy accident. His son, John Francis McInerny, was born on the island in 1842. John Francis became a brick mason and later operated a lumber business. John Francis briefly served as marshal of Moultrieville. His brother, James, died in Confederate service during the American Civil War. The hard times of Reconstruction forced John Francis to move to Brooklyn, New York, where he married. He moved back to the island in about 1875. In 1876, during the last great yellow fever epidemic, two of his children died. In 1889, he bought Centennial Hall which he renovated but sold soon after renovations were completed. John Francis died in 1914. His son, Joseph P. McInerny, was a merchant on the island and was instrumental in starting the local elementary school. Joseph’s son, Edward Reynolds McInerny, was born in 1910 and ran a successful laundry business. Reynolds, as he was called, was the Father Lawrence McInerny’s father. Father McInerny reflects on his and his family’s recollections of many aspects of island life including the presence of many more children, a significantly larger African American population, an easy-going lifestyle focused on boats and bicycles, the storms that have hit the island, prohibition, the ferries once needed to bring people to the area, and the businesses that used to dot the island. Closing on a personal note, Father McInerny talks about his summer work with the National Park Service and his call into the priesthood.
The story of Rosamond Lawson's family connection with Sullivan's Island is the story of houses. Her great-great grandfather, German immigrant Charles Otto Witte, bought the first house at Station 18 in the late 1860's. That house ultimately burned, but a second house at Station 11, built in 1868, was bought in 1910 and remained in the family until 2018. Having moved from Charleston to Virginia when she was six, many of Rosamond's early memories are of summer visits. However, in 1994 she moved back to this area and spent many more years in the house with her own growing family. Summertime memories in the early years included crabbing, fishing, playing kickball, and entertaining Charleston friends. She learned to drive on the dirt road that ran along the back of the island. Rosamond recalls all the front beach homes being summer residences. Few people lived on Sullivan's Island year round, and those were not on front beach. Most houses, including her own, had neither heating nor air conditioning. On the rare visit to the island in the winter, the place was nearly deserted. There was a vegetable man who would come over every few days to deliver fresh produce. Rosamond recounts the few businesses that existed in those days. Playing hide and seek in the old batteries and Fort Moultrie before it became a National Park are all fond memories. Rosamond describes the typical summer thunderstorm and experiencing that in the old house. She also shows the damage done by Hurricane Hugo. Rosamond is also part of the Waring family. That includes Judge Waties Waring whose controversial decision became part of the famous Brown vs. Board of Education case leading to his ostracization and eventual move from Charleston to New York. Finally, Rosamond discusses her favorite memories as well as all the changes she has seen in the area over the past twenty-five years.
