Residences in The Groves have distinct architecture, spanning from the 1950s to present day.
Country living, 1950s Charleston-style, meant places such as The Groves. A full-page newspaper article in fall 1957 captured the rural experience.
The feature quoted two homeowners who built a house in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood "because they wanted the cool and quiet of the country, a garden and a dog." Nearby, a couple lived in a home that fronted a small lake "enjoyed by the entire community — as are the ducks."
For the uninitiated, don't jump in the car and race halfway to McClellanville frantically hunting for The Groves. Out in the sticks 45 years ago, the subdivision today would be considered deep in the heart of Mount Pleasant. It is a four-block community bordered by the town Municipal Center, Coleman Boulevard, East Cooper Plaza and the U.S. Highway 17 frontage road. The neighborhood is far closer to downtown Charleston than to Park West and other fast-growing communities on East Cooper's northern extremities.
Yet for all the surrounding suburban sprawl, The Groves has managed, remarkably, to keep its natural atmosphere intact. Dozens of age-old oaks, crooked branches extending like octopus tentacles, rise in back yards and open spaces throughout the neighborhood. Half-acre lots, extinct in many newer subdivisions, are the norm in The Groves. One-story, ranch-style brick homes predominate. Sizes range from 1,290 to 3,000 square feet. Residents hear birds chirp and trees rustle, with just the occasional faint noise of nightclub revelers across Shem Creek, said Realtor and resident Steve Peck.
Health concerns led Mary Armstrong, 79, to put her 2,050 square foot home on the market a few years after her husband died.
"I've lived here 35 years. (At that time), Mount Pleasant was mostly farmland that had not been occupied. We have seen Mount Pleasant explode," Armstrong said.
She likes the quiet and convenience. "We don't get a lot of traffic. I can walk to the bank, restaurants, dry cleaners," she said. "My neighbors are my friends. There's a warm feeling of community camaraderie."
Her husband, Henry, who ran a heating and air conditioning business, built much of the home himself, following, with some liberties, a design the couple discovered in Better Homes and Gardens. The property has space for additions the Armstrongs contemplated but didn't pursue. There's an unfinished room over the garage, and all that was constructed in the back yard was a cement patio. "We wished we could put a room back there, even a Jacuzzi," she said.
Peck, similarly, has warm feelings for The Groves. His family moved to the subdivision in the early 1960s. "It was kind of the 'move up' neighborhood in Mount Pleasant," he said. They relocated after three years to Charlotte. When he moved back to the Lowcountry as an adult, he bought a home in The Groves.
Dave and Beth Thompson moved to the neighborhood seven years ago. They have two children, Davis, 5, and Natalie, 3. "I like the older homes. It's quiet in here," he said, while watching the kids play on a small park in The Groves. "We love it," he said.
To reach The Groves from downtown Charleston, take U.S. Highway 17 North across the Cooper River bridges.
Turn right at the second traffic light (Houston Northcutt Boulevard). Turn left on the frontage road between Hardee's and Melvin's.
Travel less than a mile and turn right on any of the entry drives: Lansing, Tall Pine, Cliffwood or Lakeview. An alternative route would be to take U.S. Highway 17 Business (Coleman Boulevard) into Mount Pleasant and turn left on Lansing or Cliffwood.
Jim Parker covers real estate and automotive news. Contact him at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier .com.
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