feature story "It's What I Can Do" Friday, Sept. 5, 12 08 p.m.
Two local artists give back to their community and its people by using art to fuel life. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments
feature Story The Imaginary World of Highlands Friday, Sept. 5, 12 06 p.m.
Best-selling novelist Cassandra King lets us a peek into her next book, Bridal Falls. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments delectable delights True Southern Spirit Friday, Sept. 5, 12 05 p.m.
We have enjoyed exploring, tasting, and celebrating with you and sincerely thank our loyal readers. Read More 1 comment(s) / read/add comments A Lowcountry Life A Different Kind of Animal Friday, Sept. 5, 12 02 p.m.
Local vet Dr. Michael Forcier trades records and microphones for dogs and cats to live out a dream. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments Just dogs Bonkers for Bassets Friday, Sept. 5, 12 01 p.m.
These floppy-eared hounds are stealing hearts all over the Lowcountry. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments Essay Discovering the Sounds of the Lowcountry Friday, Sept. 5, 12 00 p.m.
Musician and professor Trevor Weston searches for "exotic" sounds and gets a lesson in Gershwin and Gullah culture. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments Feature Story Sustainable Seafood: On The Bubble Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
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Poland native Maria Dobrzanska Reeves uses her dance discipline to achieve success in Charleston. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments get outta town Kendall Lukas Visits Wilmington, N.C. Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
Kendall Lukas has stars in her eyes and history under her feet as she explores the neighboring port city of Wilmington, N.C. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments essay Splashing Through Childhood Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
Author Ron Daise looks for joy and finds it in remembering his children in their youth. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments homestyle Cooking in the Great Outdoors Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
More on Megan Westmeyer and Jennifer Smith’s visit to Swimming Rock Fish Farm Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments from the editor Water World Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
I love being in water. I love that clear, cool swishing feeling around my ears. In fact, on a warm, sunny day, I like to go outside and get as hot as possible and then dive into a cool pool. For me, it’s refreshment at its finest. Read More 1 comment(s) / read/add comments distinctively charleston Beach Music Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
You can see the shrimp boats from your restaurant table, so that shrimp pasta on the menu has to be fresh and local. Right? Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments just dogs Water Babies Tuesday, July 1, 12 00 a.m.
We celebrate what we treasure in the Lowcountry and beyond that gives us an interior smile. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments from the editor Maxximum Style Thursday, May 1, 03 49 p.m.
My 14-year-old niece visited Charleston with her parents in March. She’s from Moscow, Russia, and I had not seen her in more than 10 years. There’s a big difference between 4 and 14! Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments feature story Holy City Style Thursday, May 1, 03 49 p.m.
When Nancye Starnes decided to move out of Memphis, she drew up a list of “must haves” for her new hometown: it had to be a walkable city, located on the water, and sizeable enough to support a vibrant performing arts community. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments just dogs Citadel Charmers Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Move aside – bulldog coming through. In January, the American Kennel Club announced that the Bulldog, one of the most recognizable and iconic purebred dogs, has muscled its way into the 10th spot on the organization’s annual list of the most popular breeds in America. Read More 2 comment(s) / read/add comments delectable delights Beyond Cookie Cutter Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Prime ingredients, Nostalgic tastes and creative bakers transform Lowcountry cookies into high-style confections. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments A Lowcountry Life Working for Peanuts Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Anthony Wright, the man known throughout the Lowcountry and across the nation as Tony the Peanut Man, never intended to make his living selling boiled goobers. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments get outta town Kendall Lukas Visits Charlotte, NC Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
I had never been to Charlotte … not really. Well, I’ve gotten my kicks at Carowinds because that was part of being a kid in the Carolinas, and I’ve been to concerts at the open-air Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre because it’s a large complex for big-time acts. I’ve visited my sister at UNC Charlotte and have flown through the city’s major transit airport many times. But as for the metropolis of Charlotte, I’d only ever viewed its high-rises from afar. This time I took an up-close look at the interior and found a lot of reasons to relish in North Carolina’s top travel destination. Read More 1 comment(s) / read/add comments distinctively charleston Turning Heads Thursday, May 1, 03 48 p.m.
Bessie is almost 50 and looks as good today as she did in her youth – maybe even better. After all, back then she was hanging from a pole. Now she runs circles around the rest of us, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments homestyle Café Comfort Thursday, May 1, 03 46 p.m.
Banquettes are big. Heidi Walker, Allied ASID, of Walker Design Group, is currently working on three different kitchens that have banquettes. For this kitchen in a young couple’s home on Sullivan’s Island, Walker created a café atmosphere by building on the existing element of the laminated floor. “This promotes a casual impromptu gathering space,” she says. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments ESSAY Lowcountry Style Thursday, May 1, 12 00 a.m.
If you want to experience real Lowcountry style, you need to come to the Hebron Saint Francis Senior Center. Its members are long time Johns Island residents, a hardscrabble group of African-American women who meet every Wednesday for devotion and quilt making. Read More 0 comment(s) / read/add comments homestyle Jewel Box Saturday, March 1, 12 00 a.m.
Although one of the smallest rooms in a house, a powder room is nonetheless important since most of your guests will pay it a visit. Jennifer Rhodes, ASID, principal designer of J. Rhodes Design, took the popular concept of making this room a “jewel box” and ran with it, creating a luxurious surprise in this 3-foot by 7-foot Daniel Island room. Read More 1 comment(s) / read/add comments
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distinctively charleston
Turning Heads
Written by Mary Clark Coy
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Photography by Wilson Baker
The Coburg Dairy Mascot Spins in Circles to Get Attention
Bessie is almost 50 and looks as good today as she did in her youth – maybe even better. After all, back then she was hanging from a pole. Now she runs circles around the rest of us, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. She does stop temporarily in the event of a hurricane, but other than that, her life is “better than it has to be.” And she’s even been given special recognition by the city of Charleston, which means she doesn’t have to follow the same rules that her neighbors do.
In case you haven’t guessed, Bessie is the Coburg Cow.
But her name isn’t really Bessie. People make up their own names for her and “Bessie” is just one popular moniker, according to Frank Hanckel, the owner of Coburg Dairy. And there are actually two models of the cow – the traditional Holstein and the eggnog model with red and green spots. Frank’s son Johnny says the cow has a wardrobe to suit every major holiday and even one for the bridge run and the wildlife expo. “If I can think of a costume for it, we’ll do it,” Johnny says. He relies on Roberts Sign Company to maintain the cow – and to take her down in case of an emergency.
“We had a ton of phone calls after Hurricane Hugo from people wanting to know if she blew away. We had taken her down ahead of time, so she was safe,” Johnny explains. When she was put back up on her pedestal a week or so later, commuters welcomed her return with honking and yelling as they drove by. Even though the rest of the sign was mangled from the storm and there was no electricity to make her turn, the cow’s reappearance seemed to symbolize the hope for normalcy.
“If she’s gone, the phone starts ringing,” Johnny says. “The most frequent comment I hear about her is that people use her to give driving directions.”
Her neighbors on Savannah Highway can attest to that. Leah Rudloff, owner of Blanche Darby Florist, says, “We love the cow. All we have to say to people who call for directions to our shop is ‘Do you know where the cow is?’” Her husband Jack adds: “For years, our ad in the yellow pages said, ‘We are across from the Coburg Cow.’” Once a woman called and asked how she would spot the cow. When Rudloff told her it is on a platform up in the air, she wanted to know, “Well, then, how do they feed it?”
But the Coburg Cow is not only important when locating places; she is an integral part of the neighborhood. It was the community who petitioned the city to have her designated as a historic landmark. Kristen Gaylard says her 18-month-old daughter Emma loves the cow and points it out every day. “I grew up West of the Ashley, and it was nice knowing it was always there. Now Emma will grow up with Bessie, too.”
The cow has also announced important events in the Hanckel family: a pink calf or a blue calf is displayed when there is a new baby, and a “groom” was added when a family wedding took place. The bovine couple wore appropriate attire.
Some students have celebrated life’s important milestones by riding her. In the 1980s, Citadel cadets traditionally would take a spin after receiving their class rings. But she was so badly damaged after the 1991 celebration that Coburg decided to put her out to pasture. The cadets rallied and donated money to a local charity as restitution, and the cow was repaired. There was an unveiling ceremony with the Citadel bagpipes and honor guard attending, and passersby stopped for milk and ice cream.
On another occasion, a girl from Ashley Hall School wanted to have her picture for the yearbook taken riding the cow. It seemed like a good idea at the time – until the police showed up. Frank Hanckel’s wife happened by and saw the commotion. It turns out the girl was their daughter.
This cow is the third generation at this location. The first was erected in the 1930s and hung by chains from a horizontal pole – kind of like a shingle. It was flat with neon flashing lights outlining it and was a big hit with the public due to its state-of-the-art technology. The second cow went up in the early 1950s and was three-dimensional but stood motionless on an elevated platform. This cow came along in 1959. No plans are in the works to change her appearance, even with the adjacent St. Andrew’s Shopping Center’s upcoming facelift. One of the perks of Bessie’s designation as a historic landmark is not having to follow height and sign rules. She also has her own power source and receives her own utility bill.
Although the dairy has moved its headquarters to North Charleston, the family still lives at the property at the end of Coburg Road. And the creek which runs behind their property is known as Coburg Creek. But it’s really the cow that people think of when they hear the name Coburg.
Lowcountry Living is a bi-monthly magazine of The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, S.C. 29403-4800. Copyright 2007 by The Post and Courier.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without express written permission from The Post and Courier. Printed by R.L. Bryan, Columbia, S.C. Click here to email the editor
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