Longtime local Lawton Jackson talks life on Folly
I first met Lawton Jackson when I was driving my golf cart down East Erie one evening and a few other neighbors were outside of his house just chatting. I stopped and was introduced by those I knew there. Then I saw him at a few parties here and there and soon began to see him at the Folly Association of Business (FAB) meetings. Just like other people on Folly, it takes about 3-5 connected times to really feel like you know someone, and that would be the case with Lawton. Each time I connected with him I learned increasingly more about my genuine and approachable neighbor.
FOLLY CURRENT: Where were you born and how long have you been tied to Folly Beach?
LAWTON JACKSON: I was born and raised in Atlanta with a summer home on the May River in Bluffton SC. My twin brother Marion and I came to the College of Charleston back in 1986 sight unseen, and it was the only college we applied to. Then in 1989 after Hurricane Hugo destroyed our downtown apartment on Logan St, thanks to a friend named Doty, we moved into the Totem Pole house on 5th block E side, and I’ve been on Folly ever since.
FC: What’s your favorite thing about Folly Beach?
LJ: I’d have to say it is the FB vibe that is my favorite. As I used to put it, everyone on Folly is having a good time, and no one is getting in the way of anyone having a good time. That motto is not quite as true as it used to be, but I think that if you have respect for others, and keep it on the down low, it is still pretty accurate and of that, I am truly thankful. Where else in Charleston can you feel comfortable doing what you do in a wet bathing suit? No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem …
FC: Share a story you are fond of about Folly Beach.
LJ: In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, FB was a rowdy hangout mainly for bikers, surfers, and locals from James Island and North Charleston. The Sand Dollar Social Club used to be the ONLY place you could buy beer on Sundays (after church), and that was IF you were a member. They sold a 6-pack of Budweiser in a brown paper bag for $6. From our porch on 5th block, you could hear the Harleys rolling on to the island around 1 p.m. on sunny Sundays, and they would start to leave around 4:00 or 5:00 with a little more noise, and more than once you’d hear the ambulance soon after that. We used to take our beat up street bikes out on the beach at a low tide down at the lighthouse end and go about as fast as they would go, then hit the back brake for longest power slides ever —always fun. And I’ll never forget the morning that Hurricane Hugo arrived, I woke up in the dark on a cold porch to the sound of heavy rain and blaring hurricane sirens that used to be in use out here. We heard they were going to close the beach for the storm, so we rode out the night before and slept on a friend’s porch so as not to be denied the hurricane surfing opportunity. But after our rude awaking, once the light came up at the washout, the whole ocean was nothing but whitewash all the way to the horizon, breaking waves everywhere and nothing even close to rideable.
FC: In your opinion, what’s the most important issue facing our community today?
LJ: The economics of population growth and its negative effect on a culture. It’s a numbers game, the more time passes, the more the number of residents and visitors grow, and we end up with too many people trying to use a limited resource. Basically, we are getting a bit too crowded.
FC: If you were in charge, how would you fix it?
LJ: I don’t think there is any way to keep the number of people from flocking to the beach on a sunny Saturday, and I don’t blame them. That being said, let’s spend some money to accommodate them, and keep us and our families safe as a result. How about building more sidewalks, especially down West Ashley Avenue. Perhaps sidewalks are all around the commercial district for all the bride and groom parties that parade down the middle of the streets? It is widely recognized that there have been incidents involving pedestrians, some of which have resulted in fatalities. I’m all about more power to the walkers and as an insurance broker for the last 17 years, I’ve unfortunately heard a lot of accident stories. If I can advocate for a safer environment here in my own hometown, I’d like to do that now.
Pat “Wiggy” Hiban interviews a different “Face of Folly” for this column each month. If you have an idea of someone you think Pat should chat with, please send suggestions to editor@follycurrent.com.
