The Great Cooper River Bridge

By Jason Annan and Pamela Gabriel

Book Overview

A comprehensive history of one of Charleston's most significant landmarks

On a hot summer day in 1929, the citizens of Charleston, South Carolina, participated in one of the largest celebrations in the city's history--the opening of the Cooper River Bridge. After years of quarrels, financial obstructions, and political dogfights, the great bridge was completed, and for the first time, Charleston had a direct link to the north. From the doldrums of the Depression to the growth of the 1990s, the Cooper River Bridge played a vital role in Charleston's transformation from an impoverished, isolated city to a vibrant and prosperous metropolis.

Now obsolete and no longer adequately serving the needs of the Charleston area, the "old" Cooper River Bridge, and the "new" Silas N. Pearman Bridge--the Cooper River Bridge's larger sister structure, erected in 1966--will be replaced. Funding, design, and construction are presently underway to replace the old structure with a single, modern bridge. The two original bridges have become true emblems of Charleston, much like the Eiffel Tower of Paris or the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco. With their removal, Charleston will lose two of its most significant landmarks.

This vast change in the city's skyline is sure to evoke memories from Charlestonians and visitors who have developed a special relationship with the old bridge. In addition to these reminiscences, the Cooper River Bridge has its own story--one of ambitious men and their dreams of profit, and of a city's dreams of prosperity. Upon its completion, the Cooper River Bridge was a grand symbol of Charleston's vision for the future, and the bridge recalls many significant themes in the modern history of the city.

The Great Cooper River Bridge provides the complete history of this architectural icon, exploring how early twentieth-century Charleston helped shape the bridge, and how the bridge subsequently shaped the city. With more than eighty photographs, this illustrated volume documents a remarkable engineering feat and a distinctive structure before it becomes a memory.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570034702
• ISBN13: 9781570034701
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: University of South Carolina Press
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 7.2" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

A great combination of scholarship and entertainment!

An erudite yet entertaining account of early 20th Century Charleston and the construction of its bridge to the North. An unusual mix of engineering, history, and social commentary. Great old photos and drawings of old Charleston. Written with the charm and grace befitting one of America's greatest historic Old South towns.

Reads like a novel--terrific!!

This book is a must for anyone who loves Charleston, SC, and wants to know how this Holy City grew into the gem she is today. The story centers around the city's ancient bridge but really tells the history of Charleston in the early twentieth century. The authors have done an excellent job spinning history with personal vignettes and memories from older Charlestonians. The quirkiness of old Charleston shines through. I read the entire work in one afternoon and at times forgot that I was reading a history--it felt more like a novel.