![]() Three years after the pier was built, in the summer of 1934, a 35-year-old George Gershwin arrived in Charleston from New York City by train, on the recommendation of Charleston-based author DuBose Heyward. As sweet melodies filled the pavilion, dancers twirled past, showcasing their skills of the jitterbug, the fox trot and the shag (now the official dance of South Carolina) on one of the largest dance floors in the state. Legendary names such as Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw performed at Folly. The neighboring Ocean Front Hotel and a boardwalk were also constructed during this time.įrequent concerts were held at the pavilion, and music filled the air as revelers danced the starry nights away to a treasure trove of visiting musicians and big bands. Located at the intersection of Center Street and East Arctic Avenue, the original wooden pier was 97 feet long and 120 feet wide, built of palmetto logs painted white and green. The country was still in the throes of the Great Depression and yet that did not stop a crowd of 800 spectators from gathering at Folly Beach, the site of what was the first pier of its kind. As we await the Spring 2023 reopening of the pier, let’s pay homage to its storied, and musical, past. A typical day at Charleston’s beloved Folly Beach.Įndearingly referred to by locals as “The Edge of America,” this 18-square-mile barrier island is a community in transition as the Folly Beach Fishing Pier is being demolished to make way for the next and fourth iteration of the famed island landmark. Sunbathers lounge in ultimate sunbaked bliss as the faint smell of sunscreen tickles the air. Families with little children scurry toward the water. ![]() Photo courtesy of the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission A musical history of the Folly Beach pier ![]()
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