Unbuilding the Grace and Pearman Bridges


For Sparky and myself, curiosity drives passion which in turn fuels our life's engine. Our passion was capturing the story of both unbuilding the Grace (1929 - 2007) and Pearman (1966 - 2007) Bridges and discovering the unbuilders. It takes a lot of passion to track a project from July 2005 until April 2007 - rain, shine, hurricanes or moving to Singapore. We discovered the joy of discovery learning. Ken Canty opened the front door for us - then Steve Testa, Ponch Billingsley and Mickey Rogers opened many side doors. Below are the highlights of what we discovered, who we met and what we learned.

And a reminder from T.S. Eliot (East Coker from the Four Quartets)

Home is where one starts from. As we grow older
The world becomes stranger, the pattern more complicated
Of dead and living. Not the intense moment
Isolated, with no before and after,
But a lifetime burning in every moment
And not the lifetime of one man only
But of old stones that cannot be deciphered.

July 10, 2006:
Down memory lane - Between Meeting St. and East Bay

Sparky drives down memory lane - here is today and August of last year

The Ravenel Bridge

Looking down America Street

I thought this was the new Lee Street - but Lee St is to the left. So I am guessing that this is the new Grace Avenue.

More of Lee Street

Now you can see Aiken Street from Lee

Hanover - August 23, 2005

and now from Hanover looking down Lee St.

Look at the grass

Nassau Street - August 22, 2005

Nassau Street today

Meeting Street - August 15, 2005

Meeting Street today

More of Meeting St

Meeting and Lee St

More of Meeting St

It all started around the Lee street extension - where Joe Duffy is in deep conversation with Charleston's finest - August 14, 2005

and is the Lee St extension today

King Street - August 16, 2005

Looking from I-26 east

More of Meeting St.

and last - our Grace and Pearman skeletons - ready for unbuilding

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C. Frank Starmer

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