MYSTERY: We know where it is, but what is it?

This week, we offer a different kind of mystery.  Reader Katharine Beard of Camden knows where the above photo is.  She just doesn’t know what it is.  

“My husband and I have been passing this on our way from Camden to Edisto and have wondered about itm,” she wrote.  “It is on Tee Vee Road near Elloree, S.C. We are hoping someone will enlighten us.”  

Let us know at: editor@charlestoncurrents.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.

Our previous Mystery Photo

Our Sept. 2 mystery, “Kicking back to watch a grand sunset,” was a place near and dear to the hearts of many in the Lowcountry: the iconic Bowen’s Island Restaurant along the Folly River near Folly Beach.

We had lots of winning photo detectives last week, many of whom have likely enjoyed an adult beverage while eating tasty Bowen’s Island shrimp or oysters: Chris Brooks and Jeannie Hill, both of Mount Pleasant; Bud Ferillo and Jay Altman, both of Columbia; Jim McMahan, Stephen Yetman, Catherine LaFond, Legare Clement and Kristina Wheeler, all of Charleston; George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas; Chuck Boyd of Hanahan; and Marnie Huger of Richmond, Va.  Thanks all!

Graf added this information for context, according to evepostbooks.com:  “Steeped in unusual tradition, Bowen’s Island Restaurant is the quintessential seafood staple of the Lowcountry.  Located 12 miles outside of Charleston, Bowen’s Island was established in 1946 by husband and wife Jimmy and Sarah May Bowen.  Coming a long way since the restaurant’s formative years–when the eatery was only accessible by boat and had no signage to speak of–Bowen’s Island has transformed from hidden treasure to one of the most sought-out fish camps in the South.  Following the death of Sarah May Bowen in 1990 and a massive fire that obliterated the building nearly a decade ago, Sarah May Bowen’s grandson and current owner Robert Barber refused to let its legacy fade; the iconic restaurant was rebuilt shortly after the blaze in 2006 and remains an optimum spot to enjoy one-of-a-kind “Lowcountry Boil,” housemade hush puppies and fresh-catch oysters.”

Peel added, “The restaurant is known for its no-frills service, creekside sunset views, graffiti-covered walls (where customers signed their names) and the oyster room (where steaming mollusks are shoveled directly from the fire pit onto rough wooden tables). The restaurant won a prestigious James Beard Foundation Award in 2006 when it was named one of eight “American Classic Restaurants” that “boasts timeless appeal and quality food that reflects the history and character of its community.” Owner Robert Barber accepted the award in New York City, wearing a tuxedo and white shrimping boots. Barber’s grandparents opened the restaurant in 1946 on the site of their original fish camp.

“Barber has certainly had his share of misfortunes. In October 2006, just 5-months after receiving the James Beard award, a fire gutted the original restaurant. It was rebuilt in 2007 and then in 2011, Barber had his family home burned to the ground from a fire that started with the clothes dryer. Then again in August 2012, a fire destroyed the catering kitchen, a building next to, but separate from, the main kitchen and restaurant. Thankfully the restaurant and kitchen were not damaged in the 2012 fire, and so the award-winning Bowens Island Restaurant remains a top spot for those seeking tasty oysters and gorgeous sunsets in the Charleston area.”

• Send us a mystery:  If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!)   Send it along to editor@charlestoncurrents.com.