Charles and Willameania Richardson built a small snack bar here on the Gilliard property in 1962. The Lonesome Pine operated from 1962-1965. The open deck was used as a dance floor, a dining area and a place for patrons to mix and mingle. The deck overlooked incredible views of the marsh and creek. According to family members, Charles Richardson wasn’t able to get electricity so he worked a deal with his closest neighbor Joe “King Pin” Chavis, who got his electricity from Andrew “Apple” Wilder. “Every time Charles and Willameania would get a crowd the lights would go out. According to King Pin, ‘the circuit got overheated.’”

After the Lonesome Pine closed down, a fire destroyed the building. The current building was constructed nearby in 1972 as a club by Hezekiah Ladson, Josiah Smalls and Thomas Greene. The H.J. and T. Club was known as a favorite spot of the older crowd and it operated until 1982. Ernie’s Cove was operated by Ernest Gilliard until 1989 when he was joined by the Gilliard family to assist with management after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Waterfront Cafe took ownership in 2001, known for its Gullah dishes, it also played host to celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

Even after the oyster factory closed down in the early 1930s, the area locally coined as “The Factory,” continued to serve as an informal gathering place for the surrounding community. Notably, Joe Chavis’s business on the Lafayette property near the northeast bend of what is today known as Mosquito Beach Road, was established by the early 1930s. It was meant to cater to the former factory workers who continued to meet there after the factory’s closure. Joe Chavis, also known as “Little Bubba” and later as“King Pin,” operated the Seaside Grill on the ground floor of his two story wood house, with living quarters above. Patrons remember a “jukebox, pool table, and menu of fresh steamed clams and crabs.” Joe Chavis’ store, which he operated until the mid 1980s was ultimately destroyed in 1984 by a fire, which also took the life of his wife Mittie, then 73-years-old and blind.

This small building once housed a picture studio where patrons of Mosquito Beach could have their polaroid picture taken as a memento of their visit. Russell Roper talks about owning and operating the studio in his oral history interview. The small studio was added onto later and used as a snack bar.

South (primary) facade of the Pine Tree Hotel, photo taken September 2018 by Historic Charleston Foundation

The Pine Tree Hotel is a two-story frame building constructed between 1962-64. It is a rare survival of an African American hotel and it reinforces the notion that visitors to Mosquito Beach were not just “locals” but travelled here from a wide area. The hotel provided needed accommodation for visitors as prior to this many people who traveled to Mosquito Beach slept in cars. The Pine Tree Hotel was constructed by owners Laura and Andrew “Apple” Wilder (1922-1984). The hotel had fourteen rooms and guests shared a common kitchen and bathroom. Laura Wilder, in addition to cooking for the Boardwalk Club, oversaw the maintenance of the hotel.

The Pine Tree Hotel closed for repairs in 1989 after damage sustained by Hurricane Hugo but has never reopened. Later alterations such as the removal of the original porch across the front of the building resulted from damages caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. For many years, owner Bill “Cubby” Wilder has sought to save this historic building built by his uncle even as the poor state of the building has several times prompted building inspectors to order its demolition. The Mosquito Beach community are joined by local preservationists who believe that the history and significance of the hotel warrant its continued preservation.

South elevation of Island Breeze, photo taken August 2018 by Historic Charleston Foundation

Significant interior features include the building’s original plywood apron interior walls, concrete floor, and the open dance floor and stage within the historic core.

Many visitors to Mosquito Beach had fond memories of the bumper car operation that was located between Island Breeze and D&F’s. Starting in 1955, the bumper cars were an attention catcher and attraction, but they only lasted for a handful of years. William “Cubby” Wilder related that during Hurricane Gracie, “the bumper cars got damaged because when we came back down here, the bumper cars were all over…. It was electrical, so it was gone. And then they just move it out, never decide to put one back.”

North elevation of D&Fs, looking northeast, photo taken March 2019 by Historic Charleston Foundation

Inside the current structure there is a full-width room that is occupied by a bar and lounge. Significant interior elements include the building’s original wooden bar, concrete floor, wood paneling, and DJ booth. A small open-air porch at the rear was added more recently.

West elevation of the Suga Shack, photo take August 2018 by Historic Charleston Foundation

Often referred to as a “piccolo joint,” this was a nightclub frequented by the older Beach patrons. It was originally owned by farmer and fisherman Jack Walker and was also called P&J’s after Jack and his son Perry.

Irvin Singleton constructed a similar, open-air pavilion with a square footprint in the early 1960s after Hurricane Gracie destroyed much of the Beach. Although not much is known about the appearance of this pavilion, it has been described as almost identical to Apple Wilder’s Harborview Pavilion and Boardwalk Club. The pavilion was also destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. All that remains are the pavilion’s foundation piers, which are present in the marshes of King Flats Creek at both low and high tide.

Boardwalk Club, 1964 Post & Courier article “Mosquito Beach is a Popular Retreat for Negro Citizens”

After the destruction of the Harborview Pavilion, “Apple” Wilder constructed a larger open-air dance pavilion west of the previous pavilion’s location on property he purchased in 1959. At the time of the pavilion’s completion in 1963, it had a capacity for 800 people.

In 1989, the pavilion was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo. All that remains are the pavilion’s foundation piers, which are present in the marshes of King Flats Creek at both low and high tide.

“Apple” Wilder designed and built the new Boardwalk Club to resemble the Harborview Pavilion, which was lost during Hurricane Gracie, but increased the scale of the structure to accommodate more people. Wilder and others participated in the moonshine business on Mosquito Beach and it was served at the Boardwalk Club along with other drink options and food.