Mount Pleasant, SC – A life-size bronze statue of the late Captain Wayne Magwood now stands on the Shem Creek pedestrian bridge, honoring the legendary shrimper and his contributions to the local fishing industry. The unveiling ceremony, held on April 17, brought together Magwood’s family, friends, and community members to celebrate his legacy. Magwood’s four daughters – Jennifer Magwood, Tressy Magwood-Mellichamp, Melissa Magwood, and Tara Magwood – collaborated with the town of Mount Pleasant to create the memorial.
The statue depicts Magwood holding a basket full of shrimp and wearing his signature Greek fisherman’s hat. The ceremony was attended by local shrimpers, family, friends, and community members, all wearing shirts in honor of Captain Wayne Magwood. John Panagiotou, a chaplain for the Charleston Port and Seafarers Society, blessed the statue with holy water and a prayer.
Magwood, who served as the president of South Carolina’s Shrimpers Association, was a fierce advocate for the shrimping industry.
Captain Magwood honored with statue
He helped launch Mount Pleasant’s annual Blessing of the Fleet, an event that celebrates the town’s shrimping and fishing industry.
State Sen. Chip Campsen spoke at the unveiling, saying, “Wayne was a great leader, a great fisherman, a great man who cared about the industry, and cared about other shrimpers.”
The Magwood family brought the shrimping trade to Mount Pleasant in the early 20th century, and Magwood’s nephew, Rocky, still operates out of Shem Creek on “Magwood’s Pride.”
Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie shared his thoughts on Magwood’s character, saying, “Wayne had a tender spirit. Wayne was a hard worker.
You can’t be in shrimping and not be a hard worker, but one thing came through about Wayne and it didn’t take you long to know that he loved this fleet and he loved this creek and everything that it stood for.”
Savannah-based artist Susie Chisholm spent months sculpting the hyper-realistic statue in her studio. Tressy Magwood-Mellichamp, who traveled to Savannah to see the sculpture, said, “It’s just like seeing my daddy. It is just like looking right at his face and seeing him again for the first time in a long time.”
The bronze statue serves as a lasting tribute to Captain Wayne Magwood, ensuring that his legacy and contributions to the shrimping industry in Mount Pleasant will be remembered for generations to come.
