It is now a glorious part of the public realm and it is enjoyed by local and regional residents and tourists. It is a very democratic place, as it should be.
Waterfront Park is a popular twelve-acre park along approximately one-half mile of the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina.
The location of the park, between Vendue Range to the north and Adger's Wharf to the south, had historically been a center of maritime traffic with several wharfs and shipping terminals. The area entered a long period of decline, capped in June 1955 by a fire at a steamship terminal at the site. By 1980, the site was an "overgrown area marred by charred pilings and gravel parking lots." [1]
Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. began making plans for a park on the site soon after taking office in 1975. Acquisition of land began in 1979, and after more than a decade of planning, fund-raising and clearing environmental hurdles, the parks department and Ruscon Construction Co. broke ground in 1988. Work on the $13 million park progressed into 1989, and a target opening date was set for May 4, 1990. In Spetmeber 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck, causing about $1 million of damage to the park. Nevertheless, the park opened on May 11, just one week past the prehurricane projection.[1]
The park was designed by Stuart O. Dawson of Sasaki Associates with assistance from Edward Pinckney Associates and has received other design awards. The park is composed of distinct sections. At the northern entrance to the park at the foot of Vendue Range (a street in Charleston), a large fountain was built which anchors the end of the park. From the fountain, Vendue Wharf is a wide, wooden pier which extends into the Cooper River and offers sheltered swings. A floating dock is attached at the far end and provides unobscured views of the Ravenel Bridge, Charleston Harbor, Castle Pinckney, the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriot's Point, and Fort Sumter. The pier extends into the river approximately the same length as the Tidewater Terminals, Inc. facility had, and its charred pilings from the 1955 fire are still visible.
The largest portion of the park, between Vendue Range to the north and Exchange St. to the south, is itself made of two distinct sections. Running along Concord St. and Prioleau St. for approximately one-quarter mile is a dense canopy of oak trees and many benches. Parallel the shady urban park and immediatley adjacent to the riverfront is an open lawn landscaped with palmetto trees. The 1,200 foot palmetto lined esplanade follows the natural water line ensuring public access to the water’s edge. In the middle of the grassy lawn is the Pineapple Fountain, a large fountain shaped like a pineapple located immediatley in front of the City Gallery.
At the southern end of the park, the formal esplanade follows the curve of the shore and turns back toward Concord St. At Exchange St., the park merges into restored salt marshes, creating valuable maritime habitat. Pedestrians can walk to the edge of the river at this point from Exchange St. to North Adger's Wharf. At the riverfront end of North Adger's Wharf, the 17th century Adger’s Wharf pier was rebuilt in the original footprint with the original granite which was fished out of the river and reused. The pier was reconstructed using log cribbing construction of native palmetto trees to last for many generations. The pier marks the southern edge of the park.
Sasaki Associates, Inc. et al., Charleston Waterfront Park: Master Plan (1980).