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The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

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Pitt Street Bridge

SC PICTURE PROJECT 5 Comments

SC Picture Project / Charleston County / Pitt Street Bridge

This wooden pier in Mount Pleasant, which extends towards Cove Inlet, was built in 1898 as a trolley bridge allowing passage to and from Sullivan’s Island. During the Revolutionary War, another bridge existed here, made of wooden planks on floating barrels. It was over that same primitive bridge that the crew of the H.L. Hunley passed on its way to Breach Inlet to test the storied submarine during the Civil War.

Pitt Street Bridge at Sunset
Jim Miller of Mount Pleasant, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

In 1923 the wooden trolley bridge was widened to allow vehicular traffic alongside the trolley. A steel drawbridge was also added in the 1920s, which in turn became part of the nearby Ben Sawyer Bridge when it was constructed in 1945. Cars quickly rendered the trolley obsolete, and it ceased operating in 1927.

Pit Street Bridge Overlooking Ravenel Bridge
Jim Epper of Charleston, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The Pitt Street Bridge – also known as the Cove Inlet Bridge and the Cove Inlet Causeway – was once the only means of crossing the water from Mount Pleasant to the beaches. Now the Isle of Palms connector bridge, completed in 1993, and the Ben Sawyer Bridge allow motorists access to the beaches from Mount Pleasant.

Pitt Street Bridge

Connie Fowler of Mount Pleasant, 2017 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The Pitt Street Bridge closed when the Ben Sawyer Bridge opened in 1945. In 1950 Charleston County, which owned the bridge, deeded it to Mount Pleasant. After being converted into a fishing pier, most of the old bridge burned, though a section is still extant. Now a modern greenway called Pickett Park takes pedestrians and bicyclists across the former bridge site and actually leads to the remaining part of the old bridge, offering a view of the pilings that allowed people to cross the inlet more than a century ago.

< Mt. Plesant, SC - Pitt Street Bridge

Curtis Camp of Pauline, 2015 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

More Pictures of the Pitt Street Bridge


img src=”https://scpictureproject.org/wp-content/uploads/pitt-street-bridge-mt-pleasant-rainbow.jpg” alt=”Pitt Street Bridge” width=”650″ height=”371″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-84810″ />

Lauren Smith of Mount Pleasant, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pitt St. Bridge

Dennis Church of Charleston, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Pitt Street Bridge

Debbie Mills of Pomona, NY, 2017 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Plan Your Trip: Pitt Street Bridge

Where is Pitt Street Bridge located?
Address: Pitt Street, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
GPS Coordinates: 32.769864,-79.862064
What else should I see?
Stella Maris Catholic Church 1.1 miles
Post Chapel of Fort Moultrie 1.3 miles
Fort Moultrie 1.3 miles
Ben Sawyer Bridge 1.9 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Bridges
  • Mount Pleasant Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina Parks
    Pitt Street Bridge Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lori Jo Harvey says

      August 10, 2018 at 2:34 PM

      Ms Fowler,

      Your photographs are beautiful. My father went to the Pitt Street bridge to propose to my Mom 50 years ago this August & he forgot the ring on the first attempt, so he brought her back to the same place the very next night & proposed.

      Yes, she was wondering why he brought he to the same spot the very next night. I am looking for a print to give them as a gift, can you recommend a store that may have them?

      Reply
      • SCIWAY says

        August 10, 2018 at 9:00 PM

        Hello Lori! Would you be interested in the photo that Ms. Fowler took? If so, we can reach out to her on your behalf!

        Reply
    2. Connie Fowler says

      June 25, 2017 at 1:16 PM

      I lived in Mt. Pleasant for many years before I discovered Pitt St. Bridge and immediately fell in love with the area. The historical significance is only surpassed by the environmental significance.

      You can view the surrounding area of Sullivan’s Island, City of Charleston, Charleston Harbor, Intracoastal Waterway, and The Cove, that are full of history and beauty. The Salt Marshes provide clear air and water for marine life and thousands of birds that is constantly threatened but so critical to the area. You can watch the most amazing sun sets and the moon rising over our little patch of heaven.

      Reply
    3. Jack V Owens says

      October 13, 2014 at 12:34 PM

      I love visiting the Pitt Street bridge.

      Reply

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    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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