Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and members of City Council dedicated Higgins Pier in West Ashley on Wednesday and unveiled a new plaque honoring Leonard A. Higgins, Sr. The pier is located at the end of the West Ashley Bikeway on the Ashley River.
The plaque bears the following inscription:
“Higgins graduated from Burke High School and Allen University. He later went to Atlanta University where he received his master’s degree in biology. Higgins served in the Army and earned another degree from The Citadel and certification from the College of Charleston. He spent the majority of his adult life as a community leader and an educator. Among his many accomplishments, Higgins was a high school biology teacher, football coach and principal of St. John’s High School as well as president of the Maryville/Ashleyville Neighborhood Association. Known for his extensive community involvement, Higgins was instrumental in helping bring this pier to fruition.”
Project construction started in May 2014 and the pier was completed and opened in 2015. The project consisted of the construction of a timber fishing pier with a covered pier head, a 20 feet by 20 feet floating dock and gangway. The pier walkway is approximately 425 feet long. BluTide Marine Construction was the contractor for the project. Tidewater Environmental Services, Collins Engineering and Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) consulted on the project.
Mayor Tecklenburg said, “This part of West Ashley is rich in history, and Leonard Higgins is deeply engrained in the fabric of that history. Today, we commemorate him by dedicating this pier in his honor. Now, the people who live in the neighborhood that he loved so much have a peaceful and beautiful place to come for reflection and recreation.”
Higgins Pier is now the southernmost point at the end of the Ashley River Blue Trail. Blue Trails are a way to explore waterways, much like hiking trails are a way to explore the land.