Learning the iron trade as a teenaged apprentice in a blacksmith’s shop around the turn of the century, the acclaimed Charleston ironsmith Philip Simmons became a household name in #Charleston during a career that spanned nearly a century. Mr. Simmons started out hammering wagon wheels and other working iron parts as an apprentice iron worker at only 13 years old, but quickly fell in love with the historic wrought iron craftsmanship he saw in the streets of Charleston. Fashioning his first decorative gate in the 1930’s, a gate that we pass by daily on my walking tours. Mr. Simmons showed a keen understanding of the possibilities of shaping iron, and became one of the most sought-after artisans in Charleston history. This gate pictured is the essence of Philip Simmons – a delicate beauty that incorporated both the nature scenes he liked to depict with the image of the heron, as well as personalizing it by adding a crucifix for the owner of the house, an ordained minister. We sometimes wander St. Michael’s alley on the tour, going past the Simmons gate. <img.src=”Charleston Ironwork” alt=”Philip Simmons Gate”