Demolition of historic Bluffton house's garden saddens Old Town community

Local residents may no longer recognize Old Town Bluffton's Fripp-Lowden House without its abounding blooms and teeming foliage that were barely contained by the corner lot.

With construction underway at the century-old house, many local residents say the yard and the brick wall are not the only things being bulldozed -- the area's history has been demolished along with it.

"To me, that corner was iconic and perfectly represented the Bluffton 'state of mind.' The garden was just a little overgrown, a little wild and free, and it was old, and it was Bluffton," said resident and business owner Nancy Golson. "It's like destroying a piece of Bluffton that embodied this area."

Numerous people in the community have taken to Facebook, expressing their sadness and frustration at the removal of the brick wall and many camellias that once ringed the house at 80 Calhoun St.

Despite their grievances, no violations have been committed, according to the town of Bluffton.

The house owner, whose name was not available, has a permit to remove the existing fence or wall and construct a new one, according to Kendra Lelie, the town's assistant director of growth management.

The permit is in alignment with the town's historic preservation code, she said, and the owner is in compliance with town regulations.

Bluffton does not regulate the removal of shrubs, she said Monday.

Many area residents said they understand it is up to property owners to choose what to do in their yards, but they would have hoped that historic flowers and gardens would have been preserved in the same way as the structure.

"There were plants at least 100 years old," longtime resident Babbie Guscio said. "When we saw the bulldozer, we all knew it was curtains for the garden."

Some of the camellias -- a few of a type even named "Miss Fripp" after the house's former owner -- have been relocated to other residents' gardens in the area.

Golson, who did not take any of the flowers, said she hopes they survive, but such transplants typically work better in colder temperatures. She has tried to transplant camellias during the summer and has been unsuccessful, she said.

The owner has told some of those who have expressed concern that he plans to make the yard beautiful again, according to Golson.

"I am going to wait and give him a chance," she said, "but nothing will ever replace the garden that was lost, and nothing will ever be as good or as beautiful as what it was."

Follow reporter Sarah Bowman on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBG_Sarah and on Facebook at facebook.com/IPBGSarah.

Related content:

• Ollie's truck tree and a walk down memory lane , January 16, 2013

This story was originally published June 1, 2015 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Demolition of historic Bluffton house's garden saddens Old Town community."