Today we tour Charleston, originally named, Charles Towne, after Charles II. Strictly a commercial colony, Charles Towne prospered as a trading center and later changed its name to Charleston. Next, came rice and indigo plantations which increased the need for laborers so enslaved Africans were brought to town. By the time of the Civil War, Charlestown became a major transatlantic slave port. The city turned to ruins after the great fire of 1861 and the Civil War. The 1920s brought the “Charleston Renaissance” and the new dance craze - the Charlestown became world-famous. The military base and manufacturing brought a boom to Charlestown. Today, tech startups are emerging and gentrification is bringing some changes, both good and bad.
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of information but I found it too hard to twist and turn to get pictures of all she mention. We were touring the city in our travel coach not a tram or trolley so we couldn’t stop and block traffic. Consequently, I took pictures that interested me.
The Charleston Visitor Reception and Transportation Center (Welcome Center) was very bus friendly. It was a covered tunnel area where the buses pull in and let the visitors off to pick up tourist information and use the restrooms. Our local guide joined us here to ride with us and explain what we were seeing. I saw this fountain just outside the covered area. There was nothing special about this fountain but I find fountains to be very soothing.
Here is a cool lamp post. In some areas, the street signs had the neighborhood identified above the street name. I didn’t have a map that identified the neighborhoods so I really don’t know where we were.
The black “dot” on the side of the building isn’t just a decoration. You might see a lion head, star, S or X on the sides of buildings as well as the “dot”. It is to stabilize the brick building in case of earthquakes or from bulging due to the structure settling and shifting. There is a steel rod running through the brick connecting the outer wall to the floor beams. Wooden structures are more forgiving but brick doesn’t bend at all.
Cement is sometimes covered over the brick.
Here you can see the kitchen has been connected to the main house.
These Charleston houses, called Charleston singles, are rectangular, single-room width houses on small lots with the small side of the house on the street side. There isn’t a front door on the house but there is a front door on the porch and the porches are called piazzas. The porches were placed on the south or west side to provide shade on the house, thus protecting it from the sun and to hopefully catch a breeze somewhere on the long porch. These door are “hospitality doors” and if the door is open, the homeowner is ready for guests. If the door is closed, please come back another time (the homeowner is busy). The main front door is in the middle of the porch. This was designed to give the occupants more privacy. I think an intruder would have to get through the porch door before arriving at the front door of the house, giving the owners time to protect themselves if need be.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist Church opened in 1907. But it isn’t the first church on this site. The Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar stood here but burned in 1861. It is a shame we didn’t get a chance to go inside. I was unable to capture the whole facade of the church but the church existed for 103 years without its bell spire. It was added in 2010.
Check out this picture from the church website. https://charlestoncathedral.com/
You can see what the church looks like inside and use your finger to move around in the church.
The red dots on the building indicate it is the ABC store. I don’t know if signs were prohibited or because people could not read but the red dots makes for easy identification. Also, the extremely dark green paint on the shutters was created by adding a tiny bit of yellow paint to the government surplus black paint. This color is unique to Charleston and is named Charleston Green.
Rainbow Row consists of 13 houses along the waterfront. These houses were originally on the waterfront with the street level serving as storefronts on the wharfs. By bringing in land, the street was created on “made land” (landfill).
They weren’t always painted bright pastel colors. The houses were originally built around 1740 as merchant stores on the first floor and they lived above their establishments. Around 1931, Mrs. Legge purchase a home (house numbers 99-101) there and decided restore it and to paint it a Colonial Caribbean pink to cheer up the rundown area. Others followed suit and chose pastel colors. Now city ordinances prohibit them from changing the color of their house. These were the first houses to be renovated and this project inspired the creation of a preservation society - the first in the country!
The lavender painted house (103) was built in 1787 and is known as the Joseph Dulles House.
The green house (105) was built shortly after 1788 and belonged to Lewis Dutarque, then, Giovanni Gudia and is known as the Dutarque-Guide House.
Rumors are plentiful of why they were painted these colors. One rumor is the color indicated what type of product was sold there. Along with that idea, since many slaves couldn’t read, they could be sent to a specific color building to shop for their masters. Another rumor is the drunken sailors could remember which house to return too after a night of drinking. Some believe the pastel colors keep the houses cooler in the summer. All three sound reasonable to me.
We were given time to visit the City Market (stall and booths selling crafts) but I wasn’t into shopping. So we ventured on to find a place to eat as it was time for lunch. This milkshake caught my eye. I wasn’t too hungry so I got a slice of pizza and a chocolate shake. I have never had a ”drunken shake” (aka adult shake) before and it was delicious!! Death by Chocolate sounded irresistible and then you read the ingredients: chocolate vodka, crème de cacao, chocolate gelato -oh my I have to try this. What chocoholic wouldn’t want to try it. They offered five other adult shakes. The pistachio flavored one, Nutty Pistachio Shake, sounded good as well as the Frozen Lemonade with limoncello in it. Again, I would have loved a flight of shakes. Just these three - a sample of each one please.
The Citadel is the third oldest military college in the United States, established in 1842.
Thomas Dry Howie Memorial Carillon and Tower (1954) contains the largest Dutch bell installations with bells weighing 25 to 4,400 pounds. A marble and mahogany columbarium contains 403 niches to hold urns of the alumni and family members.
First year students are called knobs and have to walk in the gutter. They are not allowed on the sidewalks until their second year. They also have to walk fast. Luckily, the shaved hair style is only for the start of the school year instead of all year long.
Summerall Chapel is a cruciform (shaped in a cross) chapel that provides services for Catholics, Episcopalian, and Protestant services. Inside the chapel there are 30 stained glass windows depicting the life of Jesus.
This Last Supper model was made in Bethlehem and made of olive wood. Peter is front right lying down, John is front left and also reclining, behind him is Jesus to the far left and Judas is facing us on the left on Jesus. That’s all that were identified but the details are awesome.
John, Jesus, Judas from left to right here in this view.
Given by the class of 1910, The Annunciation, is on the right as you enter the church.
The Nativity is next up the isle.
The altar area.
The windows above the altar.
On the left side I believe and the picture below this one is the right side of the cross.
Ready to cruise the harbor area.
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the western hemisphere.
Penelope the Pelican at its daily spot.
Cars ready to be exported.
South Carolina Aquarium
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church is the oldest Anglican congregation south of Virginia. The first building was damaged by a hurricane in 1710, the second building was destroyed by fire in 1835, and this one began in 1836. The spire was added in 1850. Hurricane Hugo (1989) caused some damage but renovations allowed it to be usable.
These dogs are not real but statues to keep the seagulls off the pier.
Birds gathering for a meeting.
Fort Sumter (island) was originally a sandbar. Tons of granite was brought in to create the island. Construction began in 1829 and the fort was never completed. The outside structure was completed but the inside was never completed.
April 12,1861, the first shot was fired and this began the Civil War.
Dolphins spotted.
Fort Moultrie ?
Looks like a sailing class
