One of the most popular attractions in Edisto Memorial Gardens is gone.
The waterwheel on the Edisto River was removed from the gardens in February for general maintenance and repairs for damage stemming from the historic November flood, according to City Administrator Sidney Evering.
“There was some damage from the storm in November,” Evering said. “The repairs and maintenance are being done in-house by the city’s Service Department.”
Evering said the wood, shaft and bearings of the wheel needed to be replaced.
“The wood has been replaced but parts, which were recently received, had to be ordered for the shafts and bearings,” Evering said. “The wheel is expected to be returned to the river next week.”
“We know the water wheel is an iconic feature of the gardens and we look forward to completing the repairs and returning it to the river,” he said.
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The 4,000-pound wheel is about 12 feet wide and 24 feet long.
The idea for the waterwheel began with Andrew Dibble, the first superintendent of parks and recreation for the city.
Dibble, while recovering from a case of the flu, was reading a copy of National Geographic magazine when he came across a photo of a Chinese waterwheel.
He decided the local gardens should have one after reading about the waterwheel’s construction and its usefulness in providing irrigation for Chinese rice paddies. He wanted a constant water supply for the newly built water garden that would not depend on the river’s depth or electricity.
In September 1941, the wheel was installed as a peaceful fixture in the gardens. It also provided fresh water for the nearby water garden.
The wheel and supporting frame rest on pontoons so that the entire device rises or falls with the river.
Although the ponds in the rose garden area now receive pumped water from the river, a switching mechanism and pipes are in place to pull water from the waterwheel if necessary.
Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5551. Check out Zaleski on Twitter at @ZaleskiTD.
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