Philip Simmons, a Charleston native, has made a big impact on the city of Charleston. Not only did he go to Buist Academy, a school that many Magnet students have attended, but he also hand crafted the iron arch that is displayed outside of Buist Academy for every student to walk under as they enter the school.

Simmons, who was born in 1912 and died in 2009, became interested in iron work at a young age and was later trained as a blacksmith. Simmons created more than 500 pieces of decorative wrought iron, from gates and fences to balconies and window grills. Many of these pieces can be found around Charleston.

In 1982, Simmons was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the highest honor that the United States can bestow upon a traditional artist. He also received an award for “lifetime achievement” from the South Carolina state legislature and the “Order of the Palmetto,” which is South Carolina’s highest honor for an artist, which was presented to him by the governor at the time, Governor David Beasley. Simmons was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame and received countless other awards.

Pieces of his work can be found in the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as many other smaller museums around the country. Notable places throughout the state where Simmons’ work is displayed are the Charleston Visitor Center, the Charleston International Airport, the Governor’s Mansion and the Federal Courthouse in Columbia, and St. John’s Reformed Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston. Our city would not be the same without the contributions that Simmons has made, and our city and state are more beautiful because of his work.