The small town of Bishopville, population around 3500, just like every small town we’ve visited, has some places that they are so proud about. We’ve already visited the Cotton Museum that also houses the county’s Veterans Museum. For lunch, we were sent to “Harry & Harry Too”; I was one of the few females enjoying a meal inside.
I had to look up what the Lizard Man was all about for this town. Here’s what I found on the Cotton Museum’s website:
“Bishopville,SC. — An orange moon rises over Scape Ore Swamp, frogs sing a deep- throated mournful tune, mosquitoes dance across a bayou fed by artesian springs, and the curious gather, waiting and watching. It is a creature bigger then life: say the few who claim to have seen it. Looming 7 feet tall and covered with tough, scaly green skin, muscular ape like arms ending with three fingers tipped with 4 inch long black nails and long claws on three toes. The slanted eyes emanate a piercing red glow. It walks somewhat like a human. Lizard Man. Is it a mutant from the swamp? A rare Bigfoot? A bear or other animal distorted by the moonlight? A product of an overactive imagination? A zany – and, so far, successful hoax ? People here wish they knew. The Lizard Man first made an appearance in June 1988. Eye-witness accounts and new circumstantial evidence suggests that he has again come out of Scape Ore Swamp in Lee County. Have you seen the Lizard Man ?”
No, we didn’t see the Lizard Man while we were in town.
Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden
Eddie at the Cotton Museum suggested that we stop by the town’s topiary garden, and we were so glad we did. Here’s the history.
“Pearl Fryar just wanted to win Yard of the Month, an honor given by the local garden clubs. With a yard outside the city limits, he had to create a remarkable garden to get noticed. After he took a three-minute topiary lesson at a local nursery, Pearl was off to do the unimaginable–transform his property into a magical living sculpture garden and tourist destination.”
His property has over 300 individual plants that are highlighted by his “junk art” sculptures placed in the gardens.
While self-taught, Pearl gained popularity with Martha Stewart and HGTV. With this recognition, Pearl was invited to exhibit at the SC State Museum and has given presentations throughout the U.S.
Pearl was given the Winthrop University (Rock Hill, SC) Medal of Honor for his significant contribution to the arts.
A documentary film “A Man Named Pearl” was released in 2006 and became an award winner. I bet the local garden clubs wished they had let him enter his gardens in their competition!
Our next post is all about a part of our WWI and WWII history that you probably don’t know about–we didn’t.
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