Chimney Sweep Near Me Charleston, SC

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND — A stone castle isn’t what you typically imagine for a beach home, but this whimsical church-turned-medieval structure nonetheless sits in plain sight just a block from the ocean and is a go-to rental for those from off.

Mugdock Castle, as its owner Vince Graham named it 20 years ago, was originally a church when it was built in the 19th century. Graham decided to purchase the building in 2002 with the intention of moving it to Mount Pleasant. But when plans fell through he rolled with the punches. Instead, he renovated the neglected stone building into a livable home, cleaned out mold, added a turret and now rents it out almost year-round.

Celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and his wife, Jessica Biel, have vacationed there. Actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively stayed there with family ahead of their 2012 wedding at Boone Hall Plantation.

The historic part of the building was the original Church of the Holy Cross, Graham, president at I’On Group, told The Post and Courier. Its cornerstone was laid by the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina in 1891. The intent was to replace the Grace Church on Sullivan’s Island, which was destroyed by Union forces during the bombardment of Charleston.

The government took over the property in August 1905, paying the diocese $6,000 or roughly $220,000 in today’s dollars through eminent domain. The diocese then took the money to build a new church a few miles east at 2520 Middle St.

The Sullivan’s Island building then was repurposed as the Army Post Chapel until 1947 when Fort Moultrie was deactivated. St. Mark’s Lutheran acquired the building next, using it until it outgrew the space and relocated to Isle of Palms.

Around 1972, the chapel was deconsecrated and turned into a private home, Graham noted.

He contracted the property in 2002 when he and Rev. John Burnwell, the then-rector of Holy Cross, planned to move the entire building to I’On and restore it as an Episcopal Church.

When Sullivan’s Island Town Council blocked the move, Graham decided to purchase it himself. He paid $640,000 for the property on Nov. 20, 2002, according to county deeds.

“I bought it because I had non-refundable earnest money I was going to lose,” he admitted. “I closed and immediately put it on the market because what the heck do I need a church at the beach for?”

Graham began looking into the property and studying its history, and it changed his tune.

“It had this old world charm to it so I took it off the market,” he said.

The structure had not been occupied for two years when Graham purchased it, and he said it suffered neglect and heavy mold damage from water intrusion.

With the help of a number of artisans, including local master carpenter Dennis DeVore, master mason Alex Skellon, artist Sean Ahern, designer George Holt, and cathedral-trained mason and stone carver Simeon Warren, Graham began restoring the building a year later.

His team removed the 1970s-era A-frame addition, added a turret to the former belfry to get a higher view of the water, and peeled off all the sheetrock to reveal the old stone walls.

“I named it Mugdock — after an ancestral family castle built in the 14th century north of Glasgow, Scotland,” he said.

Charles Drayton, director of planning and zoning for Sullivan’s Island, said the building’s history as both a Gothic Revival church and later part of Fort Moultrie, which still stands and is a major tourist attraction on the island, is what makes it so important to preserve.

“It was the church for the fort before it was deactivated, and that’s in essence why the town finds it to be so important,” he said. “It’s a unique architectural style on the island. It doesn’t fit any of the other architecture… so it’s eye-catching in that way.”

That the castle doesn’t have a setback, sitting right up on the street, Drayton said is also a very “unique characteristic” for a Sullivan’s Island property.

Renovations wrapped in 2004 and Graham said he and his family moved into Mugdock, where they made it their primary home for the next six years.

Upon moving out in 2010, Graham decided to add onto the castle with a six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath addition in the form of a Romanesque keep. Andrew Gould designed the addition, with construction by Madigan Projects.

Mugdock ever since has been a rental property where people stay anywhere between a month or even years, Graham said.

“Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively lived there for a while,” he said. “They got married in Charleston and stayed there with their family.”

Graham still uses it from time to time between long-term renters and continues to make enhancements to the property.

“With an old building, there’s always something that needs fixing,” he said.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Local elected leaders cut the ribbon on a new downtown Charleston location for Simmons Pinckney Middle School, a move school officials say is part of a broader effort to keep peninsula students in neighborhood schools.

Charleston County School District Superintendent Anita Huggins said the opening is another step in the Peninsula Promise initiative, which in part aims to send students to schools in their neighborhoods.

The school is located off Sheppard and Perry streets in downtown Charleston and is expected to welcome students from surrounding neighborhoods. The new middle school is moving into the old Julian Mitchell School building and is described as an extension of Burke High School.

Huggins highlighted growth elsewhere on the peninsula, saying, “It’s an exciting time to be in Charleston. We welcome 285 new kids to the campus at Charleston Progressive.”

READ MORE | Peninsula Promise plan would move Simmons-Pinckney Middle to Mitchell the next school year

Charleston City Council District 4 member Aaron Polkey said the city and school district must work together to support families on the peninsula. “The city has to be in partnership with the school district to make sure that all the families on the peninsula have access to a high quality education,” Polkey said.

For decades, Burke High School has been a pillar for African American students living on the peninsula, but officials noted that as prices rise and downtown Charleston changes, the student body has also shifted.

Simmons Pinckney Middle Interim and Founding Principal Nathan Nelson said the peninsula’s changes are affecting where students attend school. “There’s no secret that our peninsula is changing,” Nelson said. “A lot of them are in private schools and so we want to attract those students back to our school and really let some of us paint need be the middle school that reflects its community and what it could be it should look like as a community.”

Asked whether the district has seen a decline in African American students in classrooms, Huggins said the change has not been substantial. “We’re not really seeing those numbers decrease significantly but we’re keeping an eye on the numbers here and the numbers everywhere so that we make sure that we’re appropriately engaging with our communities,” she said.

Polkey said the city plans to support families whose children attend the school. “The city’s gonna step up and make sure that the families that send their kids here have what they need, both inside and outside this building to thrive,” he said.

Nelson said registration is open year-round and encouraged parents to apply. The school is expected to serve roughly 200 students.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston International Airport leaders say they have no plans to privatize security screening after union members representing Transportation Security Administration employees rallied outside the airport this week.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA workers, attended the airport board meeting Thursday seeking answers. Union members had rallied outside the airport a day earlier over concerns that screening operations could potentially be turned over to a private contractor.

Those concerns followed the airport’s announcement in July that it wanted to transition to TSA Gold Plus. TSA ended the program in August.

Airport CEO Elliott Summey said airport officials have not discussed pursuing a private security contractor through another option, such as the Screening Partnership Program, which allows participating airports to use private companies to conduct security screening under TSA oversight.

“We have not had any discussions once they ended the Gold Plus,” Summey told News 4. “I know that there’s a privatized program that some other airports have done, but we haven’t talked to them about that. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

READ MORE | Union warns previously announced TSA Gold Plus plan could threaten jobs

Summey said airport leadership has no intention of privatizing TSA screening operations and encouraged employees to bring any concerns directly to airport leaders.

AFGE Local 555 Vice President Devin Rayford said the union organized the rally to support TSA employees who feared they could be affected by a change in screening operations. He described the airport’s clarification as a win for workers.

“I feel very grateful,” Rayford said. “We came to do a job and we stood up as a team. So I’m grateful for all the employees that came out and showed support. We’re here for them.”

Summey said he was surprised by the rally and had not heard directly from union representatives about their concerns.

AFGE leaders, however, said they had attempted to contact Summey and other local officials before the rally. The union said Charleston Mayor William Cogswell was the only official who responded.

Airport officials also discussed ongoing projects and the airport’s financial position during Thursday’s board meeting.

Thompson Thrift is entering the South Carolina market with the development of The Whitmore at Ingleside, a 327-unit, Class A multifamily community being built within the Ingleside master-planned community in North Charleston, S.C. Construction is slated to begin this month, with move-ins expected by November 2027.

The development expands Thompson Thrift’s national footprint to 25 states. The company is capitalizing The Whitmore at Ingleside with equity from the Thompson Thrift 2026 Multifamily Development LP.

Situated on nearly 19 acres, The Whitmore at Ingleside will have a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in three- and four-story buildings. Units will feature quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood-style flooring, smart-home technology, full-size washers and dryers, walk-in closets, detached garages and private patios, balconies or yards.

Community amenities will include a swimming pool, a fitness center, a pickleball court, a pocket park, an electric firepit, gathering areas, grilling stations, a pet spa and two dog parks. The community will also have a resident social hub with billiards, a coffee bar, focus suites, a conference room and other spaces for work and leisure activities.

A connected location

The Whitmore at Ingleside is located near the recently completed Weber Boulevard interchange and Interstate 26. It’s situated within the 1,500-acre Ingleside master-planned development, providing residents with commercial, industrial and recreational uses as well as more than 200 acres of green space. The location provides regional connectivity and access to downtown Charleston, Charleston International Airport, Palmetto Commerce Park, Joint Base Charleston, Mercedes Benz Vans and numerous other major employers.

READ ALSO: What Multifamily Supply Data Misses: Q&A With Hines’ Lawler

Considered one of the Southeast’s fastest-growing markets, Charleston is seeing major employers across aerospace, health care, advanced manufacturing, logistics and life sciences industries investing billions in the area. Companies include Boeing, which is investing more than $1 billion to grow its 787 Dreamliner manufacturing campus in North Charleston. Volvo Cars is expanding its plant outside Charleston, a decisionc expected to add approximately 1,600 jobs.

Keel, a defense manufacturer, has an ongoing $70 million expansion that will create 170 new jobs. In the health care sector, Roper St. Francis Health is building a $1.2 billion, 328-bed hospital campus in North Charleston.

Construction projects across the U.S.

Thompson Thrift has been busy in recent months as it continues to grow and expand its national reach. Last month, the company began development of Rivet, a 300-unit luxury community in Chelsea, Ala., in the Birmingham, Ala., metro. First move-ins are scheduled for late 2027.

Also last month, Thompson Thrift announced it would develop The Statesman, a 340-unit luxury property in Gallatin, Tenn., in the Nashville, Tenn., metro. The company’s Thompson Thrift 2026 Multifamily Development LP provided equity for the project. First move-ins are slated for November 2027.

In July, Thompson Thrift began construction on The Foundry at Mosaic, its second multifamily in the Savannah Quarters neighborhood in Pooler, Ga., near Savannah, Ga. Move-ins are also expected in November 2027. The company recently completed The Liliana, a 360-unit luxury apartment community, also in Pooler.

Thompson Thrift recently entered Nevada with the development of Argent Flats, a 273-unit community in Reno. The property is slated to begin move-ins in September 2027.

CHARLESTON — Little Jack’s Tavern will be closed for the next couple weeks to concentrate on sudden building repairs.

The Upper King Street restaurant posted on Instagram they encountered a serious electrical issue that requires immediate repairs and a temporary closure.

Business owner Brooks Reitz told The Post and Courier the structural issues start at the top with the building’s low-slope roof. After all the rain Charleston has received in the past few weeks, the restaurant experienced a “major water intrusion event,” which led to bigger problems, he said.

It wasn’t until the evening of Sept. 14 that staff realized something was wrong. Reitz said a light “went haywire” and water was dripping out of it.

After closing the restaurant that night, he called an electrician the next day who said the issue would require removing the ceiling to make sure the wiring is OK, Reitz said.

Little Jack’s Tavern has been closed since. Reitz estimated repairs will take a couple weeks before everything is fixed and the restaurant reopens.

Remediation specialists and roofers have been to the property this week, and the contractor arrived Sept. 18 to remove the ceiling.

“We’re just trying to get it turned around as quickly as we can,” Reitz said.

Little Jack’s marked its 10-year anniversary in April. In 2017, its tavern burger earned Bon Appétit’s honors.

As the famed food magazine noted at that time:

“Ignore the alluring steaks section of the menu in favor of the thin four-ounce patty—griddled and served with American cheese and sunchoke relish on an airy sesame bun—which evokes a drive-through burger in the best possible way. (Big eater? They’re small enough that you might want two.)”