It’s a landmark situated on the very edge of civilization. And that’s the point. After all, the folks who spend their leisure time there deserve a much-needed break from the structure of their daily lives. What better place to unwind than in a tropical paradise that they can call their own? The Citadel Beach Club is such a haven.
Back in 1958, the school purchased 5 acres of beachfront property on the Isle of Palms using a donation from retired Col. Robert R. McCormick. The colonel didn’t endow money directly for that purpose, however. McCormick had been a friend of Gen. Charles Summerall, president of The Citadel from 1931-1953, and deeded his estate in Aiken to The Citadel in 1941 for Summerall to spend his retirement years. Following Summerall’s death in 1955, the school sold the Aiken property and used the proceeds to purchase land in what was then a very secluded section of the Isle of Palms. The funds also helped finance the construction of a two-story beach house in 1958, and the property became the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Beach Club.
Thirty-one years later, Hurricane Hugo destroyed the house. When a new building was completed in 1995, The Citadel family again had their “second home.”
Over the years, The Citadel has allowed the property to be rented by non-Citadel guests for weddings and other private gatherings. An early morning fire in 2016 rendered the venue unusable for nearly a year, forcing 35 scheduled events to be cancelled.
Today, the island’s population growth has, in a sense, made The Citadel Beach Club even more of a sanctuary now than it was decades ago. Rather than being nestled among the woodlands and dunes that were there in 1958, it is now an escape from the expansion of civilization—and one that The Citadel invites others to enjoy.
By Mary Coy
Leave a Reply