Georgetown, SC - Day 2

This clock tower is on Front Street.  The clock chimes the hour.

Front Street is the main street through town.  There are no stop lights, just paved crosswalks.

Today was chilly and windy, so we stayed another day in Georgetown.  George did lots of engineering work.  I read, knitted, played Words with Friends, went shopping, and listened to NPR.  We worked a good bit on routes through the Chesapeake Bay and around New Jersey.  It was a good

day to stay inside and work.  I did go out in the morning for a walk and shopping trip.  This afternoon we both walked and had ice cream at Sweeties.  We've had a bit of sun this afternoon followed by more rain.  Tomorrow should be a clearing day.  There are five looper boats here today.  All are on the way north as we are.

Site of downtown fire two years ago.

Two years ago there was a fire downtown.  After hearing it referred to by two shop owners, I asked for the story:  A restaurant or bar had done a renovation and placed soiled rags in plastic bags out on the back porch.  The rags were soaked with chemicals - cleaners or oils.  Around 5:00 am they burst into flames.  The mayor was walking his dog on main street, saw the flames and called the fire department.  Even though they came quickly, they couldn't get water fast enough out of the river to squelch the flames.  Flames spread from tar paper roof to roof. People were living above the stores that burned, but all got out safely.  No one died.  Five or seven businesses were lost.  The gap is still there.  Some businesses have rebuilt in different locations.  Such a scary story that could have been even worse.  

Deck prisms used to be placed upside down into ship ceilings.  They reflected the sun and gave light inside the ship in the days before electricity on boats.

George Alexander came to Georgetown, SC, 43 years ago as a fresh graduate from Georgia Tech.  He was working for a construction company, which was building a coal-fired power plant.  This, added to the pulp mill and steel factory already present, gave us a negative impression of the town.  All he remembers of his time here is working outside, laying out construction elements and watching concrete pours. Sometimes the pour lasted 20 hours.  On the weekends he drove to Atlanta to visit me.  Both George and the town have improved with age.  They are both much more charming now.  

George saw this poster downtown.  This is his favorite item from our walks.