Monday, November 25, 2013

Riverfront Park in North Charleston by Shelley Hopkins


Riverfront Park







One of my joys in life is discovering new places, especially when these places are close to home.  On the way to one planned activity, we saw a sign for Riverfront Park in North Charleston, and we decided to drive by and check it out.  The park was built to honor the Charleston Naval Base and it does so in a beautiful way, with a water play area, lawns full of statues, and the Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial.  The memorial and several plaques tell the history of the Navy Base, from 1901 until it closed in 1996.  During the base’s busiest year, in 1943, 25,000 people worked there. 
The park was built on the site of the former Chicora Park, designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers in 1898.  Old buildings still remain that had been used by military officers when the location had a golf course.  Visitors can walk the pathways, enjoy views of the Cooper River, and learn a little history at the same time.  




My family walked around the park, took pictures of the statues and of the river, and studied the history on the memorial.  It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed watching small children play in the water fountain.  We saw fishermen not catching fish, and couples strolling together.  Workers were setting up equipment for a concert that was to take place the following evening.  What a beautiful location, sitting on the grass by the river listening to good music.  We will be back, and I suggest the park to anyone looking for a quite place to enjoy a picnic lunch or an evening stroll.

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