In 1856, the state of South Carolina outlawed the public auctioning of slavery. This legislation forced slave traders and slave owners to find alternative methods of dealing. Resultantly, private, enclosed facilities began to open on the streets surrounding the former public auction space.A city councilman named Thomas Ryan opened this market, known as Ryan’s mart, for private slave auctioning. Ryan’s mart was comprised of a four-story holding jail for captured slaves, called a “barracoon”, a kitchen, and a morgue, called a “dead house”, for slaves that perished during captivity. &nbsp;There was such a large need for these types of private slave locations because at this time 38% of slaves entering the United States entered through Charleston. In 1865 Union troops entered Charleston. The slaves imprisoned at Ryan’s mart were released.Currently, only one slave market&nbsp;building still remains. Several businesses operated in this space until 1938, when it was purchased by&nbsp;Miriam B. Wilson, who turned the location into a museum&nbsp;of African American history. In 1973 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Old Slave Mart Museum was the first African American museum and is often staffed by individuals who can trace their ancestry to Charleston slaves.&nbsp;Today the museum features artifacts and exhibits outlining South Carolina’s role in the slave trade&nbsp;and Charleston’s involvement.

Website

Short video on South Carolina slavery featuring the Old Slave Mart.

Video

The Old Slave Mart Museum is housed in what was once the Old Slave Mart. Between the years of 1856 and 1863, slaves were held and sold in this building. It is the last standing slave market in South Carolina. The building is now home to the Old Slave Mart Museum, which preserves the building, tells the story of the individuals who suffered within its walls, and displays relevant artifacts and exhibits on South Carolina’s history of slavery.

Old Slave Mart Museum

This walking tour includes over two dozen historic homes, churches, markers, monuments, and other landmarks. The tour also incorporates a few museums along the way that incorporate topics from slavery to the work of local artists. The South Carolina Historical Society is located at the halfway point of the tour and the tour concludes at the site of a civil right sit-in. 

Charles Henry Drayton was born September 22, 1847 and died at the age of 68 on December 23, 1915. Charles married Eliza Meritt Gantt in 1847. The couple had three children.  Eliza was born in 1882, Charlotta was born in 1884 and Charles in 1887. Born into a wealthy family, Charles inherited the family plantation home, Drayton Hall Plantation at the age of five years old.  His uncle, John Drayton took care of the plantation due to Charles’ young age. The home was spared during the war, even though this home sits along the Ashley River. Drayton started his own mining company in 1881. He named it the Charles H. Drayton and Company. Operations for the business were located at Drayton Hall. Operating until the early 20th century, it contained a narrow-gauge railroad, employee housing and offices. During the mid 1880’s, the creation and building of the Charles Drayton Home began. This home was built using the profits of the business.  Built on the grounds of Daniel Heyward’s Greek- Revival mansion that was demolished during the Civil War. This opening created the perfect area for this home to be built. W.B.W Howe Jr. designed this iconic home in 1886 in Charleston, SC with a view of the bay. The home was completed in the Queen Anne style with both Eastlake and Chinese features. It is said that the home still has the finest Eastlake detailing inside.  The original outside had a facade of white brick and Black grout. W.B.W Howe Jr. was born on May 12, 1803 in Spencer, Massachusetts to a mother and father who owned a sawmill. Growing up, he learned many skills including carpentry and construction. After finishing an apprenticeship in carpentry, he enrolled and graduated from the Leicester Academy in Massachusetts. Coming from an inventive family, he established a career in construction contracting, focusing on homes and churches but bridges were a favorite of his. He founded the Howe Bridge Works in 1840. While the outside façade of the home is different than in 1886 when it was built, much of the building’s integrity is still visible both inside and outside the home.  Charles and Eliza’s daughter Charlotta lived in this home until her death in 1969. This home is now privately owned.

The Charles Drayton home was built between 1885 and 1886 by W.B.W Howe JR as a townhome for Charles Henry Drayton. The home possesses both Medieval European and Chinese architecture. What was once a white brick and Black grout façade, is now an iconic pink stucco exterior. This house is a landmark. It was built alongside the beautiful well-known Battery Park in Charleston, SC.

The Charles Drayton House

In 1817&nbsp;Charles Edmonston, a Scottish immigrant, purchased the property with the wealth he acquired as a shipping merchant. Before he could build a home, the city of Charleston was required to build a retaining wall on the sandy lot, blocking the impending ocean and providing the foundation with needed stability.&nbsp;When he built he the mansion in 1820&nbsp;it was one of the first homes along the coast. The mansion was&nbsp;set away from the noise of the wharves and warehouses of downtown Charleston of that day, but it's three stories&nbsp;looked over the harbor and High Battery. A decade later an economic threat, called the Panic of 1837, instigated Edmonton to sell the home. Charles Alston, a member of a rice planing family dynasty, purchased the home for just over $15,000. Alston renovated the home to add additional grandeur, including the Greek Revival styling on the exterior.&nbsp;
The home’s vantage point provided a unique advantage to the Confederate army in the Civil War. General&nbsp;&nbsp;P.T. Beauregard,&nbsp;Confederate commander who gave the order to fire cannons on&nbsp;Fort Sumter&nbsp;that started the American Civil War, watched the bombardment from the house porch on April 12,&nbsp;General Robert E. Lee&nbsp;stayed overnight at the house later in 1861 due to a city fire, that was not related to the Civil War.
The Alston family has owned the home since 1838. Today they have opened it up to the public. Guided tours demonstrate the affluence of the Alston family during the 19th century, and the style of living they would have practiced. Many personal artifacts belonging to the family members are displayed, along with some of the home’s original art, decor and furnishings.&nbsp;

The Edmonston-Alston house was built in 1825, then remodeled by its second owner in 1837. Initially, the home was one of the grandest in Charleston, and the renovation several years later added to that reputation with the external Greek Revival detailing. The home has been preserved to demonstrate its 19th century way of life. Today, guided tours are available for visitors to view the architecture style, interior decor, and original artifacts belonging to the original inhabitants of the home. 

Edmonds-Alston House

The Calhoun Mansion was built in 1876. The building&nbsp;of the house took 5 years and required the talents of hundreds of otherwise unemployable local craftsmen and artisans for the construction.&nbsp;It is known as one of the most famous homes in the country, often regarded as one of “America’s Castles”. It is the largest single family residence in Charleston, sizing in at 24,000 square feet, with&nbsp;35 grand rooms including the grand ballroom and the music room which has a 45 ft covered glass skylight. The home also holds 23-period fireplaces,&nbsp;beautiful plaster and wood molding, and numerous chandeliers. Based on the classic Italianate architecture style, the home is ornate and detailed. 	The Calhoun Mansion took five years to build, and cost $300,000. To account for&nbsp;modern inflation, that sum&nbsp;is nearly 8 million dollars by modern standards.After the original owner and builder&nbsp;of the home, George Walton Williams passed away in 1903 the house was passed on to his son in law,&nbsp;Patrick Calhoun, the second grandson of Vice President John Calhoun. This lineage is where the mansion derived its name. However, after Patrick’s death, the home went through a series of owners, gradually deteriorating and was ordered to be&nbsp;condemned in 1972. It was rescued by a Charleston native who spent 25 years and 5 million dollars to restore it. &nbsp;Today, the home is owned by a private family. Thus, it still remains the largest single family home in Charleston. However, the restoration of the property&nbsp;and the cultivation of genuine artifact collections&nbsp;have been compiled in the home. It is now&nbsp;open for tours to the public, demonstrating the architectural significance and lavish lifestyle the original occupants would have experienced.

Built in 1876, this famous property is considered one of “America’s Castles”. The 35+ room mansion is known as the largest private residence in all of Charleston. The mansion has been restored to its original condition by a Charleston resident who spent 25 years and $5,000,000 restoring it. The Calhoun mansion is now open to the public for tours and viewing. 

Calhoun Mansion

Miles Brewton was born to a prosperous family on January 29, 1731 here in Charleston. His grandfather, whose name was also Miles, moved to South Carolina from Barbados and became a goldsmith and militia officer. Brewton's father, Robert, was a goldsmith as well. The family's ties to the banking helped prepare Brewton for a career as a merchant. Information about his childhood is not readily available but as a young man he completed his education in England. In the coming years, Brewton participated in a number of business ventures that exported domestic produce and imported slaves. Then in 1759 he increased his wealth and status when he married Mary Izard, who was also from a prosperous family. In addition to his merchant activities, he also acquired a substantial amount of land.Brewton's wealth enabled him to enter the political arena. From 1765 to his death in 1775, he served in the Commons House of Assembly and represented the parishes of St. Philips, St. John's Colleton, and St. Michael. In 1774, he ran to become a delegate to the First Continental Congress but lost another candidate. However, in January 1775 he was a member of the <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/sc_revolution_provincial_government.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">First Provincial Congress</a> which was held here in Charleston. Brewton was reelected to the Second Provincial Congress that year but he and his family died at sea in August on their way to Philadelphia, where the Congress convened beginning in November.After Brewton died, his sister <a href="https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/motte-rebecca-brewton/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rebecca Brewton Motte</a> inherited the house. In 1780, during the American Revolutionary War (1776-1783), British General Sir Henry Clinton used the house as his headquarters (it appears that other British officers, Lord Rawdon and Lord Cornwallis, also occupied the house during the war). In the 1800s, the house underwent a number of changes including the construction of the brick wall in the 1820s after the failed <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/denmark-vesey.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Denmark Vesey</a> slave insurrection. In 1865 during the Civil War (1861-1865), Union officers occupied the house. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

The Miles Brewton House is considered one of the finest examples of Georgian townhouses in the country. Constructed in 1769, it is named after its builder, Milton Brewton (1731-1775), who was one of South Carolina's most prominent figures during the Colonial period. A successful merchant, Brewton amassed a large fortune that placed him among the elite in the colony. He also served in the colonial legislature. In terms of architecture, the house is described as a "Charleston double house" (meaning, a central stair hallway with two rooms on each side) and features a two-story portico with Doric on Ionic columns and a decorative pediment with an oval window. The house stands on a stone basement and one reaches the main entrance using one of the flanking staircases. Inside, the house features elaborate wood and plasterwork as well as marble fireplace mantels. It remains a private residence by family descendants and is not open to the public. 

Miles Brewton House

Nathaniel Russell (1738-1820)Nathaniel Russell was born in Bristol, Rhode Island and arrived in Charleston in 1765. He was a successful merchant, exporting a number of goods including indigo, cotton, tobacco, and rice to New England, South America, Europe, West Africa, and Asia. He imported goods as well and was a slave trader. Eighteen slaves lived and worked on the property. Russell's his wife, Sarah, married in 1788 and they had two daughters. The family owned the house until 1857 when Governor R.F.W. Allston and his wife bought it. Between 1870 and 1905 the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy operated the house as a school. It then became a private residence until the Foundation bought it in 1955.ArchitectureRussell hired an unknown architect to build the house in the then popular Federal style (an American iteration of Neoclassical architecture). Sited on a large city lot in downtown Charleston, the rectangular house has symmetrical edges, with a projecting four-sided bay that rises the full three-stories of the central block of the house. The house is 9,600 square feet with 6,000 square feet of living area. The interior was greatly influenced by popular 19th-century trends that introduced striking mixed color schemes, elaborate plasterwork decorations, and curved walls. The house features three main rooms on each floor with different geometric designs: a center oval room, a square room in the rear, and a front rectangular room. The rectangular entrance hall with a Black and white diamond patterned floorcloth edged with a leaf motif, and the adjacent office was where Russell would conduct business. The house has undergone interior and architectural restoration.

The Nathaniel Russell House is considered to be one of the country's finest Neoclassical homes. Built in 1808 by wealthy shipping merchant Nathaniel Russell (1738-1820), it is a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned and operated by the Historic Charleston Foundation, which acquired it in 1955. The house, which also serves as the Foundation’s headquarters, allows visitors learn about what daily life was like for wealthy families and their slaves in the early 19th century. The interiors are restored to their original 1808 appearance and formal gardens surround the house. The most striking feature of the house is the three-story, cantilevered, spiral staircase.


Nathaniel Russell House Museum 

Standing
three stories tall at 59 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina, Branford-Horry
House is considered one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in
the state. The house was built between 1765 and 1767 for William Branford.
Branford was a wealthy Charleston planter. He sold the house, prior to is
death, to his son-in-law, Thomas Horry. Horry's son Elias inherited the home
upon Thomas Horry's death. Branford-Horry House stayed in the Horry family
until 1853. 

The
house is a three-story Georgian townhouse, also called a "double
house." It is primarily constructed of brick with stucco covered walls. It
is five bays wide and has a two story piazza. The piazza extends over the
public sidewalk.

The
house withstood a strange incident in 1988 when a speeding car crashed into it,
collapsing two columnns and slamming one into the front door. 

It has
been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970.

Branford-Horry House, in Charleston, South Carolina, is widely held to be one of the grandest historic homes in one of the nation's oldest cities. Built for a wealth Charleston planter and later sold to the namesake of one of the state's largest counties, it has withstood nearly 250 years and a high speed car crash.  

Branford-Horry House

Built in 1772, this Georgian-style double house was the town home of Thomas Heyward, Jr., one of four South Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence. A Revolutionary War&nbsp;leader and artillery officer with the South Carolina militia, Heyward was captured when the British took Charleston in 1780. He was exiled to St. Augustine, Florida, but was exchanged in 1781.
The city rented this house for George Washington's use during the President's week-long Charleston stay in May 1791. Since then&nbsp;it has traditionally been called the "Heyward-Washington House." Heyward sold the house in 1794 to John F. Grimke, also a Revolutionary War officer and father of Sarah and Angeline Grimke, the famous abolitionists and suffragists. It was acquired by the Charleston Museum in 1929 and&nbsp;opened to the public the&nbsp;following year as Charleston's first historic house museum. The property&nbsp;was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1978.
The house is known for it's historic collection of&nbsp;Charleston-made furniture including the priceless Holmes Bookcase, considered one of the finest examples of American-made colonial furniture. The property also features the only 1740s kitchen building open to the public in Charleston as well as formal gardens featuring plants commonly used in the South Carolina Lowcountry in the late 18th century.
&nbsp;Today the home is owned by the Charleston Museum. It offers a tour of the property, including the numerous out buildings, and houses the Department of Achives and History summary.&nbsp;

This Georgian-style home, built in 1772, was the town home of Thomas Heyward, Revolutionary war leader and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The home was rented for President George Washington’s weeklong visit to Charleston in 1791. Today, visitors are able to tour the home and view the historic Charleston-made furniture original to the property, an 18th-century well, a 1740s kitchen building, and a carriage house. Original features viewable in the home include the Holmes Bookcase, considered the finest example of furniture made in the U.S. 


Heyward-Washington House

The thirteen homes that comprise Rainbow Row&nbsp;were originally designed as stores. The first story contained retail space, while the upper floors were designated living spaces for the shop owners. Originally, the living quarters could not be accessed from the storefronts, and&nbsp;stairs at the&nbsp;back exterior of the houses allowed the residents to reach their second and third stories.&nbsp;Originally painted gray,&nbsp;the pastel colors&nbsp;did not arise until the 1940s. Also, like most of the pre-1900 houses in Charleston, the houses on Rainbow Row were crafted to include&nbsp;earthquake bolts. After a devastating&nbsp;earthquake in August of 1886 destroyed many of the buildings, earthquake bolts were installed to keep the buildings stable during tremors. If a passerby looks close enough they can see that the houses on Rainbow road are not exactly straight or level, they are slightly crooked as a result. &nbsp;During the Post-Civil War era to about the 1920s, this location housed primarily low-income individuals. This area&nbsp;of Charleston developed into near slum conditions. After a period of vacancy, a local named&nbsp;Susan Pringle Frost purchased a section&nbsp;of the houses to save them from destruction but did not have enough time or money to restore them right away. In 1931, another lady named&nbsp;Dorothy Porcher Legge purchased six of the homes, eventually painting them bright Caribbean coral. By the 1940s the other homeowners in the area followed suit, renovated their homes and adopted the bright Caribbean Colonial color scheme. By 1945, most of the homes on Rainbow Row had been restored.There are various myths as to why the bright&nbsp;Caribbean color scheme was chosen. According to some tales, the colors of the buildings date back to their use of being stores. The colors were used so that slave owners could explain to illiterate slaves were to go shopping.&nbsp;Since that time, the homes have come to be recognized as examples of the value of restoration and importance of&nbsp;historical preservation. The rainbow row is now a popular tourist attraction and is now one of the most popular photographed parts of Charleston.

The most nostalgic view in Charleston, South Carolina comes from the historic Rainbow Row. The thirteen 6th century brightly hued homes are located between 79 and 101 East Bay Street. Rainbow Road is recognized as one of the most well-photographed areas in Charleston. The name Rainbow Row was coined after the pastel colors they were painted as they were restored in the 1930s and 1940s. Valued at millions of dollars each, and prized by the city's historical counsel, these homes are treasures to Charleston locals and draw admirers worldwide. 

Rainbow Row Houses

The Exchange and Provost was a very pivotal building in colonial Charleston,&nbsp;many significant events of the American Revolution and early Federal period occurred at the Exchange and Provost.As Charleston became the South's largest port, the Exchange and Custom House was built from 1767 to 1771. This building became necessary due to the growing shipping industry in Charleston. The building also served as a customs house, a post office, public market, meeting place, and a bank. More interestingly it was used by the British as barracks and the basement as a prison during the Revolutionary War.&nbsp;Before the Exchange building was built the Half Moon Battery existed in its location. At one point the Half Moon Battery imprisoned pirates who were looting the incoming ships, most notably Stede Bonnet who was under the command of Blackbeard. Later on, the Exchange was used to house confiscated tea after the Tea Act protests in 1774. George Washington even held a ball in the Exchange in 1791. After the U.S. Customs House was built in 1879 shipping business was no longer conducted there.&nbsp;The Exchange house suffered heavy artillery damage at the hands of the Union Army during the Civil War and endured sizable damage during the 1886 Earthquake.&nbsp;By 1913 the building was given to the Daughters of the American Revolution to be preserved as a historical monument. Many of the rooms are now used as offices and DAR meeting rooms. The basement, however, was revamped as a dungeon for tour groups. &nbsp;The Old Exchange offers public tours of its three floors that highlight various aspects of Charleston history during the Colonial and Revolutionary eras The building is now a living museum and represents a myriad of historical periods for Charleston from the Revolutionary War to present day. Today, the Exchange house is still owned by the South Carolina Society of the Daughters of American Revolution. &nbsp;

The Old Exchange Building and Provost located at East Bay and Broad Streets was built originally as the Royal Exchange in 1771. The building completed in 1771, the Exchange and Custom House was the social, cultural center, and economic center of the colony. It is said to be the last public building commissioned by the British in the colonies. The building was made a National Historical Landmark in 1973. 

Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon

Charleston architects Edward C. Jones and Francis D. Lee designed the bank, which features many elements typically found in Moorish architecture in Spain. These include a facade featuring various shades of Connecticut and Jersey brownstone that create stripes, a cornice comprised of honeycomb vaulting, and rounded horseshoe arches on both floors. The arches on the first floor contain circular windows and are located above carved doors. The arches on the second floor feature a scalloped edge. Inside, the banking room is equally elaborate, featuring arcaded walls, decorative plasterwork, and a coffered ceiling. Interestingly, it is believed that the illustrations in Washington Irving's book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/403733.Tales_of_the_Alhambra" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tales of the Alhambra</a> inspired Jones and Lee to design the bank in the Moorish Revival style. There were plans to tear down the building to make way for a parking lot but in 1970 the bank was bought and restored. It was converted into a restaurant in the 1990s. Its status as of 2021 is unclear.

The Farmers' and Exchange Bank is considered one of the country's finest examples of Moorish Revival architecture and the only building the Charleston designed in this style. The bank's directors chose this style to distinguish it from other bank buildings in the city that were traditional and conservative in appearance. Given its striking appearance, the bank, which was erected in 1854, was both designated a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Farmers' and Exchange Bank

Clark Mills was born on September 1, 1815 in Onondaga County, New York. When he was young his father died and he went to live with his uncle, who, apparently was abusive. Clark ran way when he was thirteen and in the coming years traveled from town to town where he found work doing a variety of general labor jobs. When he was older, he was working as lumberman and one day got frostbite while cutting trees in a swamp. This incident compelled him to move on from general labor work and he moved to Charleston where he trained as a cabinetmaker, millwright, ornamental plasterer, and sculptor. During this time, he created a faster and cheaper way of making plaster life masks. His reputation grew and he earned more work as result. He moved to Washington D.C. in 1847 where Congress commissioned him to create the equestrian statue of <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/andrew-jackson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Andrew Jackson</a>, who had died in 1845. To create it, Mills built a temporary foundry on the Ellipse in Washington D.C. The statue depicts Jackson riding a horse standing on its hind legs. To visualize this, Mills trained his horse, Olympus, to do this pose. It took mills until 1852 to complete the statue, as he needed time to develop the techniques to make it, including digging a pit where he melted the metal. It was the first sculpture in the U.S. cast in bronze and the first equestrian statue depicting a horse balanced on its rear legs. The statue was dedicated in Lafayette Square in 1853 and was immediately regarded as a great achievement. There are copies of the statue in New Orleans, Louisiana; Nashville, Tennessee; and Jacksonville, Florida. Soon after completing the Jackson statue, Mills was commissioned by Congress to create the statue of George Washington that is located in Washington Circle in Washington, D.C. Washington is also portrayed riding a horse but it is standing on three legs. Mills completed the statue in 1860. During the next two years, he cast the colossal <a href="https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/statue-freedom" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Statue of Freedom</a>, which is nearly 20 feet high and weighs around 7.5 tons. Those who worked for Mills included slaves. One of them, <a href="https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/statue-freedom/philip-reid" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Philip Reid</a>, was an apprentice and proved essential in casting Statue of Freedom (he was the only known slave to work on it; he was granted freedom in April 1862). He designed a pulley and tackle system that enabled the five sections of the statue to be taken apart and transported to the foundry.Mills created numerous other works including a cast statue of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and numerous portrait busts depicting Native Americans, politicians, inventors, philanthropists, and even criminals. He had no formal training but became successful through talent and determination. He died on January 12, 1883. He married twice and had three sons and a stepdaughter.

This historic building once housed the studio of artist Clark Mills (1810-1883), who is known for creating equestrian sculptures of President Andrew Jackson, including the one located in Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. He is also known for casting the bronze "Statue of Freedom" statue designed by artist Thomas Crawford that stands atop the U.S. Capitol dome. Mills became so successful primarily because he pioneered techniques in casting bronze. He rented space in the building from 1837 to 1848 before relocating to Washington D.C. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1960 and is also a National Historic Landmark. 

Clark Mills Studio

South Carolina Historical Society is a private foundation, started in 1855 by a group "distinguished" South Carolina citizens, with intentions of preserving the local history. &nbsp;Since that time, the collection has continued to amass an array of historical artifacts for display, public usage, and preservation.&nbsp; Today the museum and adjoined archives serves as the oldest private collection of "books, letters, journals, maps, drawings and photographs" in the state.&nbsp;These collections contain records from the pre-colonial period to the present, including both personal and public documents. &nbsp;Additionally, the historical society&nbsp;also owns one of the nation's largest collections of Confederate imprints. The building that houses the society is the Robert Mills Fireproof Building. Built in in 1872, the building itself is a historical artifact. Robert Mills was the first professional architect born and trained in the United States. Robert Mills worked with President Andrew Jackson and was responsible for designing many important buildings in Washington D.C. One of the most well-known Mills designed buildings is the Washington Monument. Mills designed the Fireproof building to live up to its name. It was specifically created to protect sensitive and valuable state documents.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the time of its completion, the Fireproof Building was the only one of it's kind in the entire country. It was added to the National Historic Landmark registry in 1973.&nbsp;

Established in 1855, the South Carolina Historical Society museum and archives houses the largest collection of private historical documents in the state. Additionally, the collection and administration is housed in the historic Robert Mills Fireproof Building. Built in 1872, the building itself is historically significant. At the time of its completion, the Fireproof Building was the only one of it's kind in the entire country. 

South Carolina Historical Society

The Pink House Gallery is one of the oldest remaining buildings in Charleston and the state of South Carolina. The building’s first purpose was a tavern. In its earliest years, the surrounding area served as a red light district for merchants, shipmen, and sailors. It is proposed that the top floor of this building served as a brothel during the tavern years, something not uncommon during that time. While the area is now a quaint and charming neighborhood comprised primarily of families, it was very different then.Over the remaining centuries, the building would serve many different roles. After the 1800’s it hosted a publishing company, law offices, and art galleries. Famous Charleston painter Alice Ravenel Huger Smith even considered the building her personal workshop in the late 1900’s. Since then it has been sold to another local artist, who on occasion allows visitors into the home to view the area and visit the charming courtyard. The Pink House Gallery currently features the artwork of Nacy Wycoff Rushing, Detta Cutting Zimmerman, and Alice Stewart Grimsley. The date of original construction is said to have taken place between 1690's. The home was built by John Breton, who used coral Bermuda stone to construct the building. The tiled roof is original terra cotta tile of an ancient vintage.&nbsp;The stone is soft enough to be cut into blocks and then when exposed to weather, it gradually hardens and becomes stronger. Its elasticity was proved in the great earthquake on 1886 when nearby brick structures suffered damage. While coral Bermuda stone is naturally pink tinted, the home has since been painted over, however, the hue reflects its original appearance. The Pink House also was one of the few buildings in Charleston to survive 1989's Hurricane Hugo virtually unscathed.The building construction is unique compared to others of similar age and history. The building consists of just three large rooms per floor, sized at 13x13 each. Each room is adorned with a large fireplace, and an open staircase leading to the next floor. The home also possesses a gambrel roof, which is a unique feature at this time.

The Pink House Gallery is one of the oldest buildings remaining in South Carolina, being built in 1690's. The gallery itself closed in 2013, thus it is currently closed to the public. However, the exterior is still accessible via the street, and the courtyard may be accessible at certain times for a fee by the new owner. The Pink House Gallery is a unique piece of historical architecture. With a sultry and diverse past, the building stands as one of the few remaining structures of its kind. With a unique history ranging from brothel housing to art gallery, the Pink House Gallery is a significant Charleston artifact.

Pink House Gallery

The original Dock Street Theatre was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1740 which also destroyed most of the French Quarter in Charleston. It was then rebuilt in 1809, along with the Planters Hotel. The Planter's Hotel was constructed on the site of the original Dock Street Theatre in 1809 by Alexander Calder and his wife. The Planter's Hotel became a popular destination for planters of the midlands of South Carolina during the horse racing season.&nbsp;This hotel is believed to be the place where the famous Southern drink, Planter's Punch, originated. During this buildings run as a hotel it housed several prominent acting troupes who were housed there while they performed at the nearby theatre. One actor from these troupes was Junius Brutus Booth father of John Wilkes Booth. Allegedly, Junius Booth attempted to kill his manager at one of his stays at the hotel. It is a commonly held belief that Booth's ghost haunts the balcony of the theatre along with the ghost of a young woman named Netty.During the 1930s the hotel was renovated as part of the City of Charleston's Works Progress Administration Project. A&nbsp;stage and seating area was created in the building and it was renamed for the original theatre, the&nbsp;Dock Street Theatre. The building underwent a significant&nbsp;renovation. However, much of the original structure&nbsp;was maintained,&nbsp;including the foyer and lobby. In 1973 the theatre was named to the National Register of Historic Places, and&nbsp;in the early&nbsp;2000s, an additional 19 million dollar renovation was applied to the project. The building reopened in 2010 and now functions as a state of the art theatre.&nbsp;Currently, the Dock Street Theatre is a prominent hub culture hub in Charleston. It is host to frequent art and teature festivals, as well as the Charleston Stage Company.

The Dock Street Theatre is located in the French Quarter of Charleston. The theatre opened on February 12, 1736 and was the first building in America to be erected for the sole purpose of being a theatre. The original Dock Street Theatre was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1740, and was then rebuilt in 1809 as the Planters Hotel, then rebuilt again in 2010 as the Dock Street Theater. Currently, the Dock Street Theatre is home to cultural and theatrical performances. 

Dock Street Theatre

Huguenots were followers of theologian and pastor John Calvin (1509-1564), who was born in France (his name in French is Jehan Cauvin). Calvin was one of the major thinkers during the Protestant Reformation, which was a movement that challenged the religious and political authority of the Catholic Church in the 16th and 17th centuries. French followers of Calvinism believed that salvation could be achieved through one's own faith and that individuals could interpret the scriptures. These beliefs contradicted the authority of the Catholic Church and the French King, who was Catholic. As a result of this threat, Protestants in France and around Europe were persecuted and forced to flee. While many relocated to Germany, the Netherlands, and England, a large number immigrated to British territories in the Americas, including the Carolinas (some even went to South Africa). They also arrived in Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania. Huguenots were often skilled craftsmen, merchants, and artisans. Given these skills and talents, Huguenots were usually welcomed wherever they settled and quickly assimilated into existing communities. Forty five Huguenots arrived in Charleston in 1680 and hundreds more would make the journey by 1700. It is unclear when the first church was built, but it was destroyed in 1796 by a fire. The next church was built in 1800 and later dismantled in 1844 to make way for the current church, which was completed in 1845. For many years, church services were held in French but today this only occurs once a year. The congregation is independent and not affiliated with a governing body.

Erected in 1845, Huguenot Church is historically significant as the first building in Charleston designed in the Gothic Revival style. The word "huguenot" refers to French Protestants, who first arrived in the area in 1680. Designed by architect Edward Brickell White, the church features Gothic windows, a battlemented parapet, and buttresses topped by ornate pinnacles. The church's walls are made of brick and covered with stucco, and the roof is supported by a vaulted ceiling. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark.

Huguenot Church

The Pirate House is a well known building in the central French Quarter of downtown Charleston. Built in 1700, and restored to its existing condition, the only remaining sign that pirates may have once been associated with this residence is the large anchor, planted across the building’s face. While the handsome three story brick home looks commonplace today, the home carries a legendary reputation for having been an epicenter for pirate activity throughout the 18th century.During the 1700s the home is said to have been used as a boarding house, gambling center, and a trading post for smuggled goods, snuck in and out of the city by local pirates. Around this time, a statewide raise in tariffs were placed on imported goods, causing a challenge for potential purchasers. The result was Black market style trading posts, designed to circumvent the imposed taxes. &nbsp;Run by underground chains of merchants, pirates, and illegal traders, the pirate market existed in Charleston for many decades. The home is situated directly next to the &nbsp;St. Philip's Episcopal Church and cemetery. A small alley connects the house and cemetery, leading to the Pirate House courtyard. It is assumed that at one time, tunnels ran under the Pirate House, linking the building to the Dock Street Theatre and adjacent harbor. While any tunnels that existed were &nbsp;destroyed during the creation of the sewer system in Charleston, there are still remnants of the tunnel entrances. Located both near the theatre and under the archways in the basement of Pirate House, large empty arches signify the presence of ancient passageways.Legendary individuals were said to have occupied this home, including the infamous Blackbeard. Known as the pirate who imparted a blockade on the Charleston Harbor in demand for medication, Blackbear is one of the most well known pirates in U.S. history. While there is no tangible proof Blackbear would have spent time in Charleston or the Pirate House, it is a commonly exchanged tale. While there is no documentable proof that this home at one time sheltered and entertained pirates, the legend is widespread throughout the city of Charleston, and the home is revered for it’s contribution to the city’s celebrated eclectic history. &nbsp;

The Pirate House is a private residence within the French Quarter of downtown Charleston. Built in the 1700’s, this house is the source of a legendary history. Thought to be a building that once housed Pirate traders, the only existing documentation is large anchor that hangs outside, and now closed off passageways in the home’s basement. The home is celebrated as a tangible piece of Charleston's eclectic history. The home exterior, courtyard, and neighboring cemetery can be viewed from the street. 

Pirate House

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, a National Historic Landmark, is the first Anglican Church to be constructed south of Virginia in 1680. It also houses the oldest congregation in the South however this claim is debated among several scholars. It is the third building that the church and congregation called home. The first two burned down. The most recent site was constructed from 1835-1838. The steeple would be completely finished by 1850. The designer of the church Joseph Hyde implemented Tuscan, Roman, and Corinthian elements to the building. He also situated into the center of Church Street&nbsp; dividing the street in two. The bells that toll everyday were not the original bells. The original bells were donated to the Confederacy during the Civil War. They were melted down and re-casted as weapons and ammunition. A women's group raised funds to have bells placed back in the steeple in 1976.&nbsp;The church has two graveyards. There is an East graveyard and the West graveyard. The East graveyard was set aside for native people and the West was called the &amp;ldquo;strangers graveyard&amp;rdquo; for strangers and transient white persons. However the latter is no longer in effect. There are several prominent people buried in the Church's graveyard. Charles Pinckney a signer and co-author if the Constitution, Edward Rutledge signer of the Declaration of Independence, and John C. Calhoun former Vice President and Secretary of State are all buried there. Calhoun was actually buried three different times. He was moved to an unmarked grave out of fear that the Union would desecrate him.&nbsp;The church would suffer a lot of damage from natural disasters throughout its past. The current St. Philip's remained intact through fires, a hurricane in 1710, a record setting Earthquake in 1886, a Tornado in 1939, and another hurricane, Hurricane Hugo in 1989. St Philip's has also endured through non-natural forces. Its steeple was a victim of Union Army shelling during the Civil War. That same steeple helped guide ships into the Harbor from 1893-1915.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St. Philip's church remains a central focal point of Charleston, SC. It stands high above many of the other buildings on the aptly named Church Street. Aside from the historic Rainbow Row it is one of most photographed place in Charleston.

This chuch stands right in the middle of historic Charleston, SC. It is steeped in rich colonial history as well as beautiful architectural history. It is home to the oldest church congregation in the South. It is also Narional Historic Landmark as of 1973.

St. Philip's Episcopal Church

Built in 1713, the Powder Magazine is the oldest public building in South Carolina. During South Carolina’s early phase as an independent colony, the Powder Magazine was created in conjunction with a large wall that was built around the city’s exterior edge. Without the presence of a military force to protect the city, Charleston was vulnerable to attacks from outside. The wall’s purpose was to promote protection within the city. Canons were placed intermittently along the wall, and the Powder Magazine housed the gunpowder used to fuel these canons.	After the use of the Powder Magazine declined in the 1800s, it was converted to a&nbsp;stable, printing press, a storage building, Blacksmith shop, wine cellar, and a horse carriage house.a By 1902 the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America bought the building and transformed it into a museum. Today, the museum offers a variety of exhibits and artifacts from Charleston's military history, spanning both the Revolutionary and Civil War era.	The Powder Magazine building is a unique structure that was built with high arching ceilings and a lean roof. The tile roof and the 32-inch thick brick walls of&nbsp;the Powder Magazine are very typical for early buildings. The building shares a distinct &nbsp;The interior roof structure was strategically designed in case&nbsp;the building would experience an explosion, the building’s shape would cause it to blow upwards, instead of outwards. &nbsp;At the time of use, the building’s attic was filled with sand to soften the blow of an explosion. It remains filled to this day. Since 1902 the Powder Magazine has been owned by the South Carolina Society of Colonial Dames (SCSCD), which uses the property as a museum of early Charleston history. The Historic Charleston Foundation has led many projects to have the building undergo extensive archaeological and architectural conservation.&nbsp;

The Powder Magazine is a military based museum housed in the oldest public building in South Carolina. Originally designed to hold the gunpowder which fueled the cannons protecting 1700’s era Charleston, this important piece of South Carolina history has been preserved to nearly its original condition. Since the early 1900’s it has served as a museum, showcasing important military and wartime artifacts and exhibits from throughout South Carolina. Today the building is just as significant as the content it contains.  A revolutionary development for its era, the building was purposefully designed to explode up through the roof, instead of out through the walls. 


Powder Magazine

The church and the city of Charleston (originally called Charles Towne) were both established in 1861 by the settlement's first residents whos English Congregationalists, Scots Presbyterians, and French Huguenots. The church was founded at this location. The first sanctuary did not have an official name but was sometimes referred to as Presbyterian, Congregational, or Independent. Nothing remains of the original church but an arched tomb dating to the early 1690s does still exist. It is unclear when the second church was built but it occurred some time before 1732 when it was expanded. This was a year after some members left to start their own, more conservative congregation nearby. Those who remained continued to espouse a philosophy independent thought. Given this environment, the church became a hotbed for revolutionary dissent against the British. In the years leading to the American Revolutionary War (1776-1783), its minister, William Tennent, preached about political and religious freedom in his sermons. The British captured Charleston in 1780 and during the attack a cannonball landed in the graveyard during church services. The British forced many families of the church into exile in Philadelphia used the church as a hospital. After the British evacuated the city, the congregation returned and rebuilt the church (they also built another church in 1787 on Archdale Street to accommodate the growing size of the congregation). By the early 1800s, the church had become too small. As a result, the congregation built the third church at this location, the famed Circular Church designed by Robert Mills. It was 88 feet wide and could, apparently, fit 2,000 worshippers. When completed, it was the first major domed structure in North America. A steeple was added in 1838 after years of the church being the made fun of for not having one. The church was also notable for having a Black and white congregation from 1820 to 1860. Many members were prominent individuals including governors and state senators. As mentioned above, the church was destroyed by a fire in 1861, which laid waste to much of the city. The Civil War prevented the congregation from rebuilding and the Black members formed their own church in 1867. It wasn't until 1890 that the congregation began the effort to build the present church. Lance Hall, which is also known the Parish House, was built around 1806. The graveyard contains hundreds of burials, 450 or which date before 1800. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic places.

Founded in 1681, Circular Congregational Church is home to one of the oldest congregations in the the South. The building itself was erected in 1892 using bricks of the previous church that had been destroyed by fire in 1861. Despite its name, the church resembles a clover leaf attached to a rectangular structure (the earlier church was circular in shape). It is also an excellent example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, featuring a large central tower on the roof, arched windows, a rose window, an octagonal tower housing a winding staircase, and decorative brickwork. Behind the church is what is believed to be the oldest cemetery in the city. Also on the church grounds is the historic Lance Hall, which was designated a National Historic Landmark for its outstanding Greek Revival architecture and association with its architect, Robert Mills, who designed the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. The congregation is progressive and inclusive.

Circular Congregational Church

In the 18th century, Charleston was home to some of the country's first art collectors and was the fourth largest city in the nation. The museum's origins date to 1858 when the Carolina Art Association was established to promote fine arts in the state. It held exhibitions and was chartered in December of that year. After Gibbes died in 1888, he left a bequest of $100,000 for the creation of a "building suitable for the exhibition of paintings..." Its construction didn't begin for many years but it was completed in 1905 and named the Gibbes Memorial Art Gallery. Architect Frank P. Milburn designed it in the Beaux-Arts style. The building also housed the Carolina Art Association.Over the following decades, the museum developed its educational programs and expanded its collection. A studio art school was established in 1920, and the museum's first director, Robert Whiteclaw, was hired in 1932. Whiteclaw was responsible for determining the scope of the policy to focus on collecting art from the South. In 1936, the museum hosted the first public exhibition of Solomon R. Guggenheim's collection of modern art, which included works by Chagall, Picasso, and Kandinsky. In 1969, the Gibbes School of Art was established and three years later, the Gibbes became one of the first museums in the southeast to receive accreditation from what is now called the American Alliance of Museums. The museum was enlarged and renovated in 1978 and again in 2011. The museum's permanent exhibits examine 18th and 19th century American paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts; 20th century American regionalism and the Charleston renaissance; the collection of the miniature portraits; and contemporary art. There is also a large installation called Betwixt and Between by artist Patrick Dougherty.

Founded in 1905, the Gibbes Museum of Art is a fine art museum featuring works from Charleston, the South, and around the country. The collection contains more than 10,000 works of art that span four centuries of American history. These include paintings, sculptures, works on paper, decorative art objects, multi-media installations, and a well-known collection of 600 miniature portraits. The museum is named after benefactor James Gibbes, whose will included funds to help built an art an exhibition hall. The Gibbes is a contributing property of the Charleston Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark District.  


Gibbes Museum of Art

The Unitarian Church is the oldest Unitarian church in the South, and the second oldest church overall in Charleston. Founded by a group called the Society of Dissenters, the Church was built after the group’s size grew too large for their former meeting space.Construction began on the building in 1772, but was halted in 1776 at the outbreak of Revolutionary War. Between 1776-1787 the British invaded Charleston and assumed occupation of much of the city, including the unfinished church. During their occupation, it is believed the British housed their militia and their horses in the church interior. &nbsp;&nbsp;In 1787 the British had been defeated, and the Society of Dissenters was able to finish their construction. The first name of the building was The Archdale Street Meeting House. In 1829 the group assumed the name Unitarians, and The Second Independent Church of Charleston was founded in the same building. A local architect named Francis D. Lee was hired to redesign the building. Drawing on famous British churches such as the Chapel of Henry VII at Westminster Abbey and St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, the building was constructed to include the significant grandeur it has today. It is estimated the church may have been the first Gothic style building in the United States.In 1886 the building endured the great Charleston earthquake, causing significant damage to the church’s roof, tower, and detailing. Unitarians around the country donated funds towards the church’s repairs. Again in 1989 the church experienced damage during hurricane Hugo. Once again it was repaired to it’s original condition.The church is also home to a small cemetery, which is open to the public. The cemetery is regarded as one of the more well-known sites in Charleston. It is also one of the alleged sources of inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem "Annabel Lee." In the poem a young Charleston lady meets a soldier, and the two of them fall in love. After her father bans Annabel from seeing the soldier, they continue to meet in a nearby cemetery. However, the father catches his daughter with her lover, and locks her away. The soldier is&nbsp;restationed to Virginia, and Annabel dies of yellow fever shortly thereafter. The lover returns to Charleston to grieve, but her father has buried her 6 feet below her family’s cemetery plot, and he is unable to find her grave. The ghost of Annabel Lee is said to haunt this Unitarian cemetery, looking for her lost lover.

The Unitarian Church is the oldest Unitarian church in the South, and the second oldest church in Charleston. Designed after famous British churches, this may be the first instance of Gothic architecture in the United States. Having survived the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886 and Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the church remains an important artifact in the city. The adjoined cemetery is thought to be the source of inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, based on a ghost who allegedly haunts the grounds to this day. 

Unitarian Church

&nbsp;In 1788 Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, former Revolutionary War General, donated a strip of land to establish a public market that connected the Charleston Harbor all the way to Meeting Street. The market would expand further after receiving this land into the large space it is in today.&nbsp;Originally the City Market vendors rented their stalls for $1.00 or $2.00 a day, if the stall had a marble slab to keep the meat or fish cold. These first vendors mainly sold beef, fish, or vegetables. The meat vendors were notorious for throwing beef scrap out onto the city street. Buzzards were attracted to the scraps of meat and were useful in keeping the streets clean. The buzzards were protected by law and actually nicknamed the Charleston Eagles. The market also acted a social hub for lower and middle class city residents to gather, socialize, and even play games. &nbsp;The main building which is now the focal point of the market was designed by Edwards Bicknell White in 1841 and it is modeled after the Temple of the Wingless Victory in Athens, Greece. This building is at the head of a string of several open-air brick buildings that stretch for 4 city blocks. The main part of the head building was used during the Civil War for military recruitment and since then has been used for meetings and social functions. &nbsp;Since the 1970s the main occupants of the City Market consist of unique shops that sell clothing, perfumes, candy, Charleston souvenirs, and hand crafted sea grass baskets. In all areas of the market men and women from Gullah descent can be found hand-weaving sweet-grass baskets using the traditional West-African method making this a very unique place to visit. The market has withstood tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, and hurricanes. It has since been added to the National Register of Historic places. This market is very symbolic of the history of commerce in Charleston and a great representation of its culture.

The City Market in Charleston, SC is still a vibrant hub of commerce today as it was in the past. Located between Meeting Street and Broad Street the current City Market stands in almost the exact same location as the original public market that was established in 1692. By 1739 the first official brick building of the market would be erected.

The Charleston City Market

It is believed that the first Catholic mass in Charleston was held in 1786 by an Italian priest who had been a ship bound for South America. The ship stopped in Charleston to avoid bad weather. At the time, there were few Catholics in the city; the vast majority of the residents were Protestant. The mass took place in the house of an Irish Catholic and only around 12 people attended. Two years later, an Irish priest from the Diocese of Dublin, Ireland arrived and rented a small wood-frame building. After he departed Charleston due to health issues, another priest, Rev. Thomas Keating, arrived in 1789. Keating bought the church property and named the parish St. Mary of the Annunciation. He, too, became ill and left within three years (he died in Philadelphia).By 1790, the congregation had grown to almost 200 members. Many were refugees fleeing from a slave uprising (what is now known as the Haitian Revolution) in the French colony of Santo Domingo. These include the children of French naval officer Admiral de Grasse, who blockaded British General Lord Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown in the fall of 1781.Construction of the second church building, a brick structure, was completed in December 1806. It was lost in the April 1838 fire that destroyed two-thirds of Charleston (the Jewish temple across the street was also destroyed). However, the present church was built and opened in June 1839. During the Civil War, a number of shells hit the church and gravestones in the adjacent graveyard. St. Mary later survived an earthquake in 1886 and hurricanes in 1893 and 1989.

St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church is home to the oldest Catholic parish in the southeastern United States. Founded in 1789, it was the mother parish to other Catholic congregations in Georgia and the Carolinas. The building itself is also significant. It was erected in 1839 in the Greek Revival style and features a portico with four large Doric columns supporting an entablature, a parapet wall with a large cross in the center, and arched and circular windows with keystones above the main entrance. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. 

St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church

Charleston was founded in 1670, and the first mention of a Jew within the English settlement is dated to 1695. The civil and religious liberty of the South provided a significant opportunity for internationally persecuted Jews, and the population of Jews in the Carolinas began to grow. &nbsp;By 1749 a congregation had formed, and the Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim group was developed. Within several decades they would expand to encompass the Coming Street Cemetery, the oldest surviving Jewish burial ground in the South.&nbsp;
The fourth oldest Jewish congregation in the US, KKBE first practiced in private quarters until they built the initial synagogue, adjacent to the present day location. In 1792 the group began construction on what would become the largest and most impressive synagogue in the country at that time. The structure was large and designed in the Georgian style. It lasted for only 40 some years before it was destroyed by the Fire of 1838. In 1840 it was replaced by the large, columnned Greek-Revival style building present today. However, original pieces of the first synagogue remain, including a large marble tablet over the entrance doors. The tablet is inscribed with the Sh’ma in Hebrew and English translation.&nbsp;
Today the synagogue is open to the public. It&nbsp;offers tours of the Sanctuary, along with education and history of the site and the Jews of Charleston. There is also an onsite museum with authentic artifacts and exhibits for visitors to view. Included are artifacts belonging to historical members, photographs, paintings, books, letters, and articles, along with early prayer books.&nbsp;

Founded in 1740, the Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim synagogue is significant for its excellently preserved Greek Revival architecture and the fact that is where Reform Judaism first appeared in America. The building itself dates back to 1840 and is the second oldest synagogue building in use in the U.S. The sanctuary and on-site museum are open to the public for scheduled tours, which can be arranged through the synagogue office. The tour provides insight into the history of Charleston's Jewish population and the KKBE congregation. The museum houses artifacts specific to the synagogue, the Jewish population, and historical Jews of Charleston. 

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue

Civil Rights sit-ins spread throughout the South following the sit-in at Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960. On that day, four African American students from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University sat down at the Woolworth lunch counter and asked to be served. They were denied, but they returned with more students, and the growth of their protest and their eventual success spurred a plethora of similarly segregated lunch counter sit-ins. The majority was staged at either Woolworth’s or Kress’ lunch counters.Because both the College of Charleston and the Citadel were segregated at the time, students from Burke High School stepped up to the challenge. After two months of planning and preparation by the local NAACP in nonviolent resistance, the students, dressed in their Sunday best, headed to Woolworth’s on April 1, 1960. The date was chosen not only to be two months after the initial Greensboro sit-in, but because there was no school that day. However, management at Woolworths had prepared in advance and made sure that the students could find no room to sit at the lunch counter. As a result, they moved on to Kress which was part of their plan should they find no open seats at Woolworth. The students were able to find seats to occupy there. The students politely asked to be served and were denied. Seats were removed to prevent more from joining in the sit-in and ammonia was poured on the counter in an attempt to get them to leave. After 5½ hours of reciting Psalms 23 and the Lord’s Prayer or humming songs, the students were arrested and charged with trespassing. Bail was set at $10 each. The charges were later dropped.This action became the catalyst for a more invigorating Civil Rights Movement in Charleston. Prior to the sit-in, the African American community was largely quiet for fear of retaliation. But once the students had stepped forward, most of the adults were spurred to support the movement.The S.H. Kress &amp; Co. built the building at 281 King Street in 1930. As with many of their buildings, it features the Art Deco style of architecture.

On April 1, 1960, a group of twenty-four Burke High School students staged a sit-in at the S.H. Kress & Co. lunch counter.  This was the first large-scale direct-action campaign against racial segregation in Charleston, and it became the catalyst that spurred the local African American community into organizing additional protests.  The Kress Co. operated in the building until 1980 and it presently houses a Williams-Sonoma store and private offices. The Charleston Preservation Society unveiled a marker commemorating this historical event on April 4, 2013.

Kress Lunch Counter Sit-In 1960

Albert Sottile founded the Pastime Amusement Company in 1908 and owned and operated three theaters on King Street in Charleston, South Carolina. Between 1911 and 1949, Pastime built nine more theaters in the Charleston area, including the Gloria. Albert Sottile's company began construction of the Gloria theater in 1922, completing the building in 1927. On opening night, the theater screened the silent film After Midnight starring Norma Shearer and Lawrence Gray. By 1930, and the onset of the Great Depression, Americans were going to the movies ninety-five million times each week. Film theaters of this time showed 16-millimeter films that required a manual change-over to subsequent reels, so Mr. Sottile would entertain the crowds by singing Italian songs to them during these breaks. A grand organ was placed in the theater for accompaniment for silent films and music for the interludes.  When Albert Sottile purchased the 1850's building in 1921 on the corner of King Street and George Street, it contained the King Street-facing, double tenement building with living space on the upper two floors and retail space on the street level. The theater was constructed on the lot behind the building that Sottile originally purchased. The architects created a King Street entrance to the theater that passed through the existing building to the theater in the rear. After the closure of the Gloria in 1975, the King Street entrance was leased out to other tenants for many years, with the ornate marquee sign remaining on King Street and utilized by the various businesses that inhabited the space. The Gloria theater was donated to the College of Charleston in 1976 by the Sottile family.  In 1986 restoration began for the space to be used as a theater for the college. The remodeling took four years, and the renamed Sottile Theatre reopened in 1990. Due to expansions in the stage area and to accommodate a new lobby and primary entrance on George Street, the theater was opened with a vastly reduced seating capacity of 785 seats. The George Street entrance was not wholly new. Since the opening of the theater in 1927, the "side entrance" was utilized during the Jim Crow era as an entrance for African Americans. The side entrance led to a set of stairs directly up to the balcony area, which was the only place Blacks were allowed to sit to view films and shows during this period. During a renovation to the seating area beginning in 2011, work crews removed drapes and soundproofing panels that covered the interior walls of the theater. Underneath all of the material, workers found two massive murals that had been painted during the theater's construction in the 1920s. The art was painted on canvas by Italian artists from New York City that had been commissioned by Albert Sottile. One of the murals is still hanging, and both are currently undergoing painstaking restoration. Today the Sottile theater is utilized for events for the Spoleto Festival, hosts the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and is being used by the College of Charleston for numerous shows and events each year.

Originally called the Gloria, when the theater opened in 1927 with more than 2,000 seats, it was the largest of its kind in the United States. Movie theaters in the 1920s and 1930s were referred to as "picture palaces" because of the incredible size and seating capacity of the spaces. The Gloria served as both a movie house and a theater space, hosting vaudeville acts that traveled the country. Many theaters like the Gloria were built with marble hallways, eccentric chandeliers, and offered many on-site conveniences. The theater is famous for hosting January 29, 1940, Charleston premiere of "Gone With The Wind," with Charlestonian cast member Alicia Rhett attending the screening. The Gloria theater operated continuously from 1927 until 1975 when it closed. 

Highlights of Charleston South Carolina Walking Tour

Old Slave Mart Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information