Murrells Inlet
Last rites for Oliver’s Lodge
The building can’t be saved, but the memories sure can.
A crowd of about 100 members of the congregation and community gathered in front of Oliver’s Lodge on Sunday afternoon. They were sniffling and wiping away tears by the time the Rev. Will Malambri, the senior pastor at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church, closed out the farewell ceremony with a prayer.
“We thank you for the warmth, rest, good food and good fellowship that have been enjoyed at Oliver’s Lodge. Countless people sat on the joggling board, enjoyed corn fritters and fried flounder, had their first dates, anniversaries and birthdays, made this place central to their annual family gatherings,” he said.
Kin McKinzie spent his summers in Murrells Inlet as a child in the late 1960s. He became a busboy at Oliver’s Lodge during his summer breaks from high school in Florence.
McKinzie recalled the thousands of hungry diners who lined up around the building to grab a seat.
“We’d sit there like hawks and watch those tables come open. We’d have our tray ready to take off, and boom. Boom, boom, boom. Clear and set a table in 30 seconds,” he said. “People would laugh and photograph us and time us.”
It was simple back then, McKinzie added. Each dish washed and every dollar was counted by hand.
He said he did it alongside Roosevelt “Rooster” Pickett, a longtime resident and employee at Oliver’s Lodge.
“It’s just incredible to me how one man with so little material possessions, you know, nothing to his name, impacted so many lives,” McKinzie said. “He certainly had a tremendous impact on my life that will stay with me.”
Inlet Affairs provided a taste of the food Oliver’s Lodge once served including popcorn shrimp, hush puppies and chicken tenders.
The building, which Belin purchased for $2 million in February, will be disassembled rather than demolished or renovated.
Belin contracted with Conway Architectural Salvage and Heritage Project, a nonprofit created in 2023 by Alan Todd, a professor at Coastal Carolina University.
“They will take great care to make sure it is honored well. It’s reassuring and encouraging to us,” Malambri said.
“Just know that we’re going to do it with the love and care Oliver’s deserves,” Todd said.
Paul Gardner, the church’s administrator, gathered input from the church trustees and local experts to guide the decision. The .6 acre property was the last contiguous piece of land available to the church campus. Belin owns the adjacent lot stretching from the creek to Business 17.
Oliver’s Lodge is not listed on the National Register nor is it a contributing property in the Murrells Inlet Historic District. It was surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in 1982.
Sandra Bundy of Murrells Inlet, a former employee at the restaurant, came to the farewell ceremony to be a part of the end of the 165-year history of the property.
“We are fast removing all our remnants of history around Murrells Inlet, for such a historical place,” she said. “There’s a lot of memories in that old building for a lot of people.”
Bill and Carol McEllen of Murrells Inlet came out Sunday afternoon to learn more about the historic building. They moved to the area six years ago and had always driven by the iconic Oliver’s Lodge sign with a finger pointing toward the creek.
“I think what they’re doing is great. Knocking it down would be terrible,” Carol said.
“So you have something to reminisce about,” Bill added. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
