Nature and Tranquility at Compass Rose Park, Hilton Head Island

Nice walk with a little history and the dial was an unique attraction.

Cute

Beautiful park to relax and enjoy nature! The statue is a fun rendition of a vintage photo but it’s cool to see it in “real life”. I love the pavilion and the water features and if you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of the baby gator just sunny amongst the water lilies.

Lots and lots of trash.

Unveiled in 2011, sculpted by two artists (one for the man, the other for the alligator) a life-size bronze statue depicts a man in a hat and business suit, using an umbrella as a walking stick, cheerfully striding next to a big alligator. The guy looks like he's in his fifties, and his outfit seems to be from the 1920s. In fact, it's a reproduction of a photograph from 1962, and the man, Charles Fraser, was only 32. Fraser was the fortunate son of a retired, well-to-do Army general and landowner. Sent to Hilton Head Island to cut down its trees, Fraser instead saw its potential as a resort destination. He convinced his dad to send him to Harvard Law School and then sell him the island. He built golf courses and gated subdivisions, transforming Hilton Head from a rural backwater of formerly enslaved African-Americans (and alligators) into a fashionable enclave for rich white people. He died in 2002, scouting new islands for new golf courses and subdivisions, when the engine on his yacht exploded. People like to pose with the statue, imitating Fraser's saucy walk or straddling the alligator. In real life, the gator, nicknamed "Albert," disappeared not long after the photo was taken, removed by investors who didn't want him on their golf course. The rumor, never confirmed, was that Albert had eaten a dachshund.