BY IVY SIMMONS



As you stroll past cobblestone streets, alleyways and grand homes, pay close attention to the wrought iron gates around the city. Not only do they add to charm, but they’re pieces of history in their own right.
     At 13 years old, Philip Simmons was intrigued by the ironwork throughout the city. He visited blacksmith shops and was trained by ex-slave and local blacksmith Peter Simmons (no relation to Philip or the writer of this article). Before his death in 2009, Philip Simmons made more than 500 pieces of decorative ornamental work, including gates, window grills, fences and balconies in Charleston and other parts of the Lowcountry. From now until his centennial birthday on June 9, the city is celebrating Simmon’s life, art and legacy.
     In 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded him the National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor in the United States for artists. He was also inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in Myrtle Beach in 1994 and received several other distinctions throughout the state and the nation.
     “My first experience with collaboration began in a one-on-one relationship with master craftsman Philip Simmons,” says Mary Edna Fraser, author and publisher of the article, "Philip Simmons Remembered by Mary Edna." In her article, she reminisces of mornings spent in his office sharing her ideas of artwork for the Charleston International Airport: “Listening to his then-89 year old wisdom brought so many gifts as to how to live life as an artist and human being in a constantly changing world.”
     To preserve his legacy, the Philip Simmons Foundation, Inc., has purchased his home and workshop, now a museum on 30 ½ Blake St. His workshop, operated by his nephew, Carlton Simmons, continues in his tradition—forged by hand.