Summerville in Dorchester County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Jewish Life
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2023
1. Jewish Life Marker (side 1)
Summerville became a renowned health resort in the late 1800s. Many Jewish merchants, drawn to the bustling settlement, set up shop in Hutchinson Square. Among the first were Philip Wineman, a pharmacist from England, and Saul Alexander, a tailor from Ukraine. On Short Central Samuel Lynch and his son, Seymour, became major property and business owners. Twentieth-century stores included Kramer's Pharmacy, Barshay's, Seymour's, and Wolper's Dorchester Jewelers.
Among other Jewish family names in Summerville were Lazarus, Bernstein, Meyers, Epstein, Bornstein, Mirmow, and Friedberg. Seymour's, one of the last remaining Jewish-owned stores in town, closed in 1997. In the second half of the 20th century descendants of Jewish merchants moved to larger cities, but their legacy endures. The Saul Alexander Foundation has funded parks in the town as well as cultural and educational organizations in the Lowcountry.
Erected 2017 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. (Marker Number 18-25.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic
this page online
Location. 33° 1.139′ N, 80° 10.666′ W. Marker is in Summerville, South Carolina, in Dorchester County. It is on Central Avenue just east of West 2nd South Street, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located between storefronts in a small pocket park on the north side of the street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 124 Central Avenue, Summerville SC 29483, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2023
2. Jewish Life Marker (side 2)
Also see . . .
1. From Pineland to Flowertown: Jewish Merchants of Summerville.
The first settlement of Summerville, known as Pineland Village, began after the American Revolution, its development fueled by Lowcountry planters eager to escape the heat, biting insects, and disease environment of the coast. Officially, Summerville became a town in 1847. By 1899 it was considered one of the worlds two best places for the treatment of lung and throat disorders because of its dry, sandy soil and the prevalence of pine trees. Even today, the towns official seal reads Sacra Pinus Esto(Submitted on May 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)(The Pine is Sacred).Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 20233. Jewish Life Marker (side 1)(looking southwest • Central Avenue is on the left)
2. Early Jewish Influence In Summerville. (Submitted on May 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 13, 2023
4. Jewish Life Marker (side 2)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 29, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
