A photo taken on Taylors Island in approximately 1908, very near to James Island, give a sense of the lifestyle of the era, showing the Keene family and their home.

According to Pat Neild, this home was located at the north end of Taylors Island, farther north of where Mulberry Grove is located. The house and property washed into the bay years ago. At the time of the pictures, there were several families living on James Island, and James Island was only a stone’s throw from Taylors Island. There was previously a road connecting the two islands.

Pat’s grandfather, T. T. Spicer, Jr., moved to the property in approximately 1930. Around 1933-4, when he was 3 or 4 years old, Pat visited there with his parents and recalled his very first oystering experience:

“I was watching them tong oysters through a hole in the ice when I fell in the hole. My father pulled me out of the hole and said, ‘Go to the house, boy, and see your mother!’”

If you are interested in the history of Taylors Island and James Island visit the website of the Grace Foundation of Taylors Island:
http://www.gracefound.net/