FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – It’s the start of a new era at the Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier.

The Folly Beach Fishing Pier closed in 2020 to be reconstructed and reopened in late 2022. On Wednesday, Charleston County Parks officials came together for a dedication ceremony.

Staying true to what the pier is known for, they cast their fishing lines instead of cutting a ribbon.

“Many of us don’t own boats, we don’t own piers. But what we want to do is have access to our environment, access to the area that allows us to swim, to fish, to enjoy family outings,” said Eduardo Curry, the Chair of the Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission.

The former Folly Beach Fishing Pier opened in 1995. The deterioration of the all-wooden structure eventually became too much to maintain. Unlike its predecessor, the new pier’s pilings are made of concrete.

“The lifespan of concrete is supposed to be 65+ years. This is what we’ve been told by our design architects and engineers,” explained Bruce Wright, the Project Manager for Charleston County Parks.

The new and improved structure received a stamp of approval from its namesake himself.

“It’s amazing. They did a wonderful job on this pier. I think they spent something like 14 million dollars,” said Edwin S. Taylor.

Taylor was the former Charleston County Park & Recreation Commissioner and came up with the idea of the previous pier.

Meanwhile, the pier was busy on Wednesday with both visitors and locals. Seasonal Folly Beach Resident, Bill Hotz, said he’s been enjoying the pier for 20 years.

“I missed it very much. The alternative was fishing on the coast, and somehow, I like it better on the pier,” said Hotz, referring to the two-year closure.

Whether it’s the fishing, the food, or simply the views, the fishing pier has something for everyone.

“It’s just brand new and its perfect and its beautiful and its safe and its not rickety. It’s wide open and it just lends itself to taking a nice stroll,” Katherine Leonard said about the state of the new pier.

The Folly Beach Fishing Pier is open from 8 a.m. until sunset.