Charleston's Famous 'Pineapple Fountain'
The Pineapple Fountain at Waterfront Park is a popular attraction among visitors to Charleston.I wondered why, after years of visiting Charleston, I had never been to the Pineapple Fountain. I took a Sunday afternoon and played tourist in my new hometown. I discovered that it was built in 1990, right after Hurricane Hugo, so it wasn’t there on my first visit to Charleston.
Waterfront Park was developed in the mid-1980s, put on hold after Hurricane Hugo, but the community project was then pushed forward following the hurricane’s devastation. The park and the pineapple fountain was developed as part of a revitalization effort and is free to the public.
The park was renamed The Joe Riley Waterfront Park after Charleston’s longest-serving mayor. In addition to the pineapple fountain, the eight-acre Waterfront Park features benches, swings, ample shade, and lush green spaces. The Vendue Wharf Pier is nearby and offers sweeping views of the Ravenel Bridge and the boats in Charleston Harbor. The Waterfront Park loop is a half-mile walking and jogging path dotted with fountains and shaded by live oaks.
The Pineapple Fountain is a bronze and stone pineapple-shaped fountain within Waterfront Park. It was designed by Stuart O. Dawson and is a tiered structure with water cascading into a basin below. The shallow pool is open for children (and adults) to splash in to cool off, which I love! So, why the pineapple?
In colonial days, the pineapple was an exotic fruit brought home by sailors from their travels. They would spearhead them on a stick as a sign that they had arrived safely home.It was also offered as a hostess gift, as the pineapple was rare and a symbol of wealth and status.
The pineapple began to appear in architecture and on iron gates around the city as a sign of prestige. Eventually, this became a symbol of warmth and hospitality. The pineapple fountain is beautiful on a Sunday afternoon, but the best photo opportunities are at sunrise and sunset, where the light is stunning and the park is quiet and peaceful.
