CHARLESTON — The city’s Board of Architectural Review denied the demolition of a home once owed by legendary blacksmith Philip Simmons.

“It is more than a structure,” said Tony Coaxum, member of the Eastside Community Development Corporation, of the home at 30 Blake St.

The home sits in front of the cottage where Simmons lived and the workshop where he toiled over wrought iron. They are now part of a museum and foundation preserving Simmons’ legacy and craft.

Simmons’ iron gates and grills adorn homes across the peninsula and several history museums in Washington, D.C. He passed away in 2009.

“It's a part of the legacy and the living history of our icon on the East Side, master blacksmith Philip Simmons,” Coaxum said. “His work shaped Charleston's identity, culture and economy fo

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