Sarah Miller
semiller@mailbox.sc.edu
A Waffle House, the Millennium Falcon, a pirate island, downtown Walterboro, a canal scene, trains, World War II ships and more were all displayed in LEGO bricks at the 1st Annual Palmetto Bricks Expo on Saturday, June 19 in the Colleton Museum and Farmers Market’s Market Hall. Over 250 people stopped by to see the creations of some of the best professional and hobbyist LEGO builders in the southeast. This was the first time a LEGO fan expo has happened in the Lowcountry and it thrilled and inspired kids and adults alike.
Andrew Heape, a local Colletonian and builder behind Palmetto Bricks, was the organizer of the Expo. Heape is the creator of the LEGO downtown Walterboro that was displayed during the WHAM! Festival. One of his most talked about builds is LEGO Waffle House complete with customers inside.
The Palmetto Bricks Expo hosted 12 builders from Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Summerville, Walterboro, Greenville, Spring Hill, Florida, Boone, NC and Augusta, Georgia. Heape reported that even more builders were interested but space was limited. Already 15 builders have requested space for the next Palmetto Bricks Expo. The event was supported by Colleton Museum and Farmers Market, PRTC, Palmetto Foot Clinic, Coastal Graphix, East Main Boutique, Sweet Dreams and Jelly Beans, Wonderworks, and Sparkles Events Décor and Design.
Donations of LEGO kits, a Lava Lamp, and gift certificates were raffled to benefit the preservation of Pon Pon Chapel of Ease. The raffle and donations raised over $700 for the Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society’s work to stabilize and preserve the chapel ruin located in Jacksonboro, SC. On July 4, 2020, the top of the front façade of Pon Pon Chapel fell. Heape, a history enthusiast, explained, “I wanted to do a LEGO event for several years now, but I felt the best way to do it was to turn it into a fundraising event for a local charity. For a while I was not sure what that charity would be, but after the tragedy last year where part of the façade of Pon Pon chapel collapsed I knew what I wanted to do; help save the historic site.”
The Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society (CCHAPS) is working with Bennett Preservation Engineers, PC to create plans for the stabilization of Pon Pon Chapel of Ease and to rebuild the front façade. Recently, Ben Cox, an Eagle Scout from James Island build and installed 3 picnic tables at the site. Katie Hyman, a student at the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie has researched the people buried at Pon Pon and investigated security at the site. CCHAPS is preparing for some work days at the site this summer.
If you are interested in supporting the preservation of Pon Pon Chapel of Ease, be sure to follow Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society on Facebook. If you would like to be on the Pon Pon email list, please send a note to info@cchaps.com. For more information about the Palmetto Bricks Expo, like them on Facebook and Instagram.
