Experience Charleston’s Rich History: French Quarter Walking Tour

Experience Charleston’s Rich History: French Quarter Walking Tour

[Music] Welcome to our latest wondering walks of Wonder historic walking tour today we’re headed to Charleston South Carolina one of the most historic cities in the United States this is the first of two parts of a walking tour that we’re doing in Charleston so make sure to look in the playlist for the second part the history of Charleston dates back to 1663 when King Charles granted the province of Carolina to eight loyal friends in 1670 Governor William S brought settlers from Bermuda and Barbados to establish Charles Town at alur Point designed according to the Grand model by John Lock Charles Town became the first planned town in the 13 colonies upon colonization conflicts with the indigen indigenous Native Americans LED settl to initially Ally with the West code tribe before switching allegiances to the C cusabo in 1679 in 1704 Charleston fortified its defenses under Governor Nathan Johnson and ongoing challenges from Spain France and piracy the town was repeatedly attacked and besieged notably by Blackbeard in 1718 the city’s diverse early immigrant groups included hugenot Scots Irish Germans and shephered Jews from London and the Dutch Republic by 1708 the majority of Carolina’s population were black Americans primarily brought through the Atlantic slave tave establishing Charleston as a pivotal port for the trade and enslaved Africans Charleston his economy initially revolved around Deer skin trade and tobac tobacco but later pivoted to rice and indigo as profitable cash crops the city’s economy and status is a major slave market made it the wealthiest and largest city in the southern colonies by 1770 with a population of 11,000 half of whom were Enslaved the first building that we see here on our tour is the historic United States Post Office and Courthouse which was built in 1896 and designed by local architect John Henry Deo an Irish immigrant Deo became a noted architect in Charleston by the late 1860s his renant Renaissance Revival style building with lavish interior is indicative of many of the elaborate public buildings of the late 19th century here in Charleston the post office once occupied the first floor and is decorated with a beautiful card mahogany woodwork a marble staircase brass and iron work and stone columns Charleston played a significant role in the American Revolution declaring independence from Britain in 1776 the city’s strategic importance led to multiple British attacks culminating in a major Siege in 1780 and subsequent occupation until occupation until 1782 despite British defeats elsewhere following the revolution Charleston experienced economic growth fueled by cotton as a cash crop the city was officially Incorporated in 1783 and became a major hub for cotton production after Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton Jin in 1793 revolutionized Pro uh processing unfortunately Charles economy continued to depend heavily on enslaved labor maintaining its status as the largest American city with the majority and slave population throughout the antibellum period period ahead of us is the historic Cathedral of St John the Baptist the original gothic church that stood on this site burned in 1861 and this slightly larger Cathedral of St John the Baptist replaced that in 1890 and took about 17 years to complete the city’s Embrace of classical and Gothic Revival architecture as we see in the church here St John the Baptist Cathedral all suffered a devastating fire or all suffered during the devastating fire in 1838 despite economic Prosperity tensions over slavery continued to escalate between the 1780s and the early 1860s then in 1861 the Civil War began Charleston was a focal point for the Civil War because it witnessed the conflict’s beginning with the bombard bombardment of Fort SU right outside the waters here just a few miles away in 1861 the city endured significant damage and multiple seizures seizes throughout the war culminating in its occupation by Union forces in 1865 following the war Charleston faced reconstruction challenges but continued to grow and became a major cultural City with very with several colleges as well as many other industry that began to thrive here in Charleston the beautiful home that we see in front of us was once the home of John rutage who was the colonial governor of South Carolina during the American Revolution he built this house for his wife around 1763 its appearance was dramatically altered in 1853 when terracotta window lentils and intricate cast iron work was added to the balcony in the front of the building next door to the rutage house was once the winter residence of Colonel Thomas Pinkney who otherwise was engaged in Ricefield on his Fairfield Plantation along the Santi River he used this house when he came to town in the winter time when there were many more happenings happening in town during the Christmas season completed in 1829 the two this 2 and a half story brick building is one of the finest classical Revival homes in the city sold by the py family to the Roman Catholic bishop of Charleston in 1866 it has remained a residence for the city’s Bishops ever [Music] since for e time we get for St Michael’s Episcopal Church a National Historic Landmark is one of the finest Colonial American churches in the country and the oldest church here in Charleston although the architect is unknown the church was built between 1752 and 1761 and resembles 18th century English pattern book examples used widely throughout the colonies during the Revolutionary period the church Tower was a target for British ship Gunners and the hopes decreasing its visibility the White Tower was painted black which made it even more visible against the Blue Sky contributing to the war effort the lead roof was melted down for bullets St Michaels has amazingly survived several hurricanes Wars fires earthquakes and a cyclone with little alteration to its architecture ahead of us is the historic Charleston City Hall this site was originally set aside as a public market within the Civic square of following a 17th century plan a beef Market stood here from 1739 until it was destroyed by fire in 1796 this intersection is now called the four corners of the law as the four buildings surrounding it reflect four arms of law the church that we saw earlier state federal and City Halls Municipal law Charleston City Hall was constructed between 1800 and 1804 in the adamist Style by Charles Stony and Charles manold the white Marvel trim is believed to have been originated in Italy before it was cut in Philadelphia Pennsylvania we’re now entering a beautiful Urban Park known as Washington Square although this park was officially named Washington Square in 1881 in commemoration of the C of the surrender of the British at Yorktown in 1781 it still goes by the name City Hall Park the site of the park was originally covered with houses but in 1818 the bank of the United States bought the adjacent land and tore down those houses to form this park the fence and gate that we see were constructed in 1894 on site that you’ll see inside the park are various statues including the beautiful work and beautiful statue of our first president president of the United States George Washington to our right is the South Carolina historical society are also known as the fireproof building this building originally was called the Charleston District record building which was at the time hailed as the safest building in America when it was constructed in 1827 it is now believed to be the oldest building of fireproof Construction in the United States the design is by Robert Mills the first Native born American to be trained as an architect and he also was a Charleston uh Native no flam materials were used in its construction only solid masonry with window sashes and shutters of iron today the building is the headquarters for the South Carolina historical society a private nonprofit organization founded in 1856 at one time most of the streets in Downtown Charleston were made of cobblestone and as we take this short lock walk along Cher Street we’re seeing one of the longest Cobblestone ways left in the city for all right the white building we see in front of us is Hibernian Hall which is also a National Historic Landmark it was built in 1840 to provide a meeting place for the hyperian society which is an Irish benevolent organization founded in 1801 the hall is the only existing building associated with the national Democratic Convention of 1860 one of the most critical political assemblies in the nation’s history it served as the convention headquarters for the faction supporting Stephen A Douglas it was hoped that Douglas would bridge the gap between the northern and southern delegates on the issue of extending slavery to the territories but that didn’t happen and the divisiveness resulted in a split of the democratic party and led to the election of Abraham Lincoln as the Republican candidate the tall building that we see here here in front of us is a reconstruction of the original Mills House hotel where Otis Mills a grain Merchant and real estate developer built this hotel in 1853 designed by architect Johnny Earl the building had running water and Steam Heat the first such installations on a large scale in the City of Charleston the five-story 125 room hotel cost $200,000 to build at the time the cast iron balcony on the facade came from Philadelphia and terracotta window cornices were shipped from rooster Massachusetts the Mills house with this was the type of hotel where the Rich and Famous signed the guest book Robert E Lee was a guest at the hotel in 1861 and watched The Great Fire of that year from the balcony until the proximity of the fire forced him to leave the hotel the hotel staff saved the hotel by hanging wet blankets out the windows leaving the building blackened but standing the Roosevelt also checked in here as well and for many years the hotel was named the St John’s in 18 in 1968 the old hotel was torn down the old Iron Work saved and a building with identical structure was constructed several years later the Gibbs and Memorial art gallery right here is the best example of Bose art style architecture in the city it was built in 1904 as the headquarters of the Carolina Art Association that was founded in 1857 the James S Gibbs Memorial art Memorial Art Gallery is name for James skbr Gibbs a wealthy Merchant who Beque the city in state of nearly $120,000 to be used for the erection and purchase of a building for an art gallery and school architect Edward White designed this palladian style building that was constructed in 1878 it was built for the Charleston gas company a forerunner of the South Carolina Electric and Gas Company who offices it now houses the Charleston gas light company was incorporated in 1846 two ye uh in 1846 2 years for two years the city lights were or street lights were lighted by gas the iron gates came from the company’s earlier building that stood on the west side of Church Street one of the more unique and beautiful churches here in Downtown Charleston is the circular Congregational Church the independent or Congregational Church was established here about 1681 its members were French hugenots Scots and Irish Presbyterian as well as congregation aist from new and old England the first building erected before 1695 was the white meeting house which gave Meeting Street its name a new meeting house was built in 1732 and did Duty during the Revolutionary War as a hospital in 184 1804 the first circular Church designed by Robert Mills was built it was a Pantheon style building which is believed to have been the first dome Church in America its Auditorium could seat 2,000 people unfortunately the structure burned in the Great Fire of 1861 and the ruins collapsed a generation later in 186 1886 during an earthquake using bricks from the original structure Architects reconstructed the current Sanctuary into this bronny Richardson’s Roman Romanesque style building that’s based on the work of Boston architect Henry Hobson as befits a congregation begun over 300 years ago the graveyard that we see as we walk around this church is one of the oldest in the city for for e sorry the Powder Magazine which was a place where gunpowder was stored was authorized by The Commons House of Assembly in 1703 and this building was completed in 1713 this 300-year-old structure a low swung slung Square edifice with steep Rosen Gables is the only surviving public building from the Lord’s proprietor period which ended in 1719 if you take a look there were very thick walls and vaulting of brick and in 1770 the building was condemned but it was called back to duty during the Revolutionary War when a shell burst at the base of the building the powdered stored here was nonetheless shipped elsewhere it is just too dangerous to have this right downtown in the City of Charleston at the time of bombardments for St Philip’s Episcopal Church is the third such building to house the oldest congregation in South Carolina the first angelican church that was established south of Virginia the first church which was built in 1681 was a small wooden Building located here at the present s of St Michael’s Episcopal Church in the early 18th century the congregation built a second Brick Church at the S of the current church building it burned in 1835 the current St Phillips dates to 1838 and is the handiwork of architect Joseph Hyde outside the church is a graveyard where some of Charleston’s most famous residents are buried the church graveyard is divided into two parts the Western yard was initially set aside for the burial of strangers and transient white persons but church members were later buried here several Colonial Governors and five Episcopal Bishops are buried here as well as John C Calhoun which who was a former vice president in the United States Rollins loundes president of South Carolina in 177 78 and do boss Hayward author and playright the buildings ahead of us are known as the Alexander perano tenement these rental properties were built in 1740 by French hugenot Alexander perano one of the Ci’s uh and these are some of the city’s first known tow houses another his historic and National Historic Landmark is the French hugenot church it’s the third Church to be constructed on this site completed in 1845 it was the first Gothic Revival building constructed in Charleston the church was constructed of brick and dressed in Stucco most of the decorative elements are unaltered and even the clear glass windows are original in the church the use of iron for the for ornamentation was unusual but reflects the difficulty of obtaining carved Stone War work during the period after the Civil War if you want to know why the church is pink it’s because when the church was originally built there was stucco and there still is stucco attached to the outside but the pink paint was created by mixing Limestone with Ox blood the hope is and it did work was that the ox blood would detract insects from entering the church and that’s why you see sometimes many pink buildings in in Downtown [Music] Charleston doc Street Theater is Charleston’s last surviving hotel from the annabellum period the silhouette of its rot iron balcony against the Spire of St Philip’s church just a few feet away may be the single most photographed spot in the city the main portion of the building was constructed by Alexander Calder and his wife around 1809 which they called the Planters Hotel the hotel was used extensively by Planters from the Midlands of South Carolina who traveled to Charleston during horse racing season it was noted for its wonderful food and drinks during this era and the South’s famous Planters punch is said to have originated here in the 1930s the building was restored by the City of Charleston as a works progress administration WPA project during the project a large section was constructed behind the hotel containing a stage in Auditorium characteristic of the 18th century Paul duain a French O uh hugenot built this house that we see here around 1726 but this one is considered to have been re built uh in the city here in the city after the city fire of 1796 in the 19th century Daniel mcau from the family of one and Charleston’s leading Scottish Merchants lived in the house for the German friendly Society founded in 1766 formerly had a hall on Archdale Street and has been located here since 1942 this building dates to 1829 and was added to the Charleston streets skate as a Bible depository one of the oldest buildings that you’ll see in Charleston is known as The Pink House this house was constructed around 1712 by John breiton and is believed to have been a Tavern in colonial days it is constructed partly of Bermuda Stone a coral Limestone imported in blocks from Bermuda as one of its building materials the building’s Gamel roof is one of the few such surviving roofs in Downtown Charleston the German Fire Company Engine House was constructed in 1851 this building was The Engine House for the duine fura uh company or better translated uh in my words to German fire company which organized after the city went up in flames in 1838 it remained an engine house until 1888 when the fire station at meeting and Wentworth streets was completed next door is the old slave Mart Museum after a century of selling slaves openly on the north side of the custom house the old Exchange building that we’ll see here in just a bit the city passed a law shutting down the market because it was blocking up East Bay Street the prohibition of public sales resulted in the opening of various rooms yards or March Marts along nearby chmer State and queen streets one was Ryan’s Mar which utilized a four-story brick double tenament fronting Queen Street and extending out to Chalmer Street the building contained the baracon from the cre from the Portuguese word for slave jail and Ryan’s offices and sales rooms auctions were held in the rear yard on Chalmer Street in 1858 59 the property was purchased by Ze Oaks an auction master who in the same year received permission from the city to insert brick trusses in the walls of the German Firehall next door about 1878 the building was converted to a two-story tenement and in 1938 the property was purchased by Miriam B Wilson who developed it as a museum of African and afroamerican arts history as well as talking about the slavery issue that occurred here in Charleston [Music] this two-story classic Revival structure was once occupied by the Union Insurance Company in 18 19 and it makes it one of the city’s earliest Office Buildings the pediment contains the company seal that dates to 1807 similar to the company’s Insurance plate in those days each insurance company had its own fire engine company and Property Owners to fix the plate designated the company which had ensured their building this was to notify the fire engine company of its duty to fight fires on the premises for for for for for the old farmers and Exchange Bank building was constructed in 1854 in The Eclectic morish Revival style it’s really the only such building of this style in the entire city this the brick wall that we see in front of us with the gate and the arch is an original wall in the city where most of the wall was torn down almost 300 years ago this one is still standing it’s a piece of History over 300 years old for on our left is one of the most historic buildings in this part of Downtown Charleston and that is the exchange and provos building as Charleston became the South’s largest port the exchanging custom House was built from 1767 to 1771 for the expanding shipping industry but also served as a public market and meeting place after a protest meeting against the Tea Act con confiscated tea was stored here in 1774 the provincial Congress of South Carolina met here the following year during the Revolutionary War the British used the building for barracks and the basement as a military prison the state legislature met here in 1789 1788 when George Washington visited Charleston on his Southern tour of 1791 a grand ball was held for him on the second floor of the building in 19133 the building was deeded to the Daughters of the American Revolution to be served as a historical monument since 1917 the second floor rooms have been used as offices for various federal agencies while there is a museum also on both floors that show exhibitions as well as documents and other historical information about the building Charleston and much more e our last stop here on this first tour of Charleston South Carolina is Rainbow row right on East Bay Street built between 1723 and 1740 by Merchants along the Waterfront these colorful stucko houses are said to be the longest cluster of Georgian houses in the United States I hope you’ve enjoyed this first part of our video of Charleston South Carolina make sure to hit that like And subscribe button so that you can see the second part and also make sure to go and take a look at some of the other videos that we have with walking tours around the United States take care now bye-bye

Join me on a captivating walking tour through the historic French Quarter in Charleston, South Carolina. Nestled in the heart of the city’s downtown, the French Quarter is renowned for its charming cobblestone streets, beautifully preserved architecture, and rich cultural history. In this video, we’ll explore iconic landmarks, hidden gems, and the unique stories that make this neighborhood a must-visit destination. Along the way, we’ll visit the Old Slave Mart Museum, the Dock Street Theatre, and St. Philip’s Church, among other significant locations. You’ll learn about the district’s colonial past, its evolution through the centuries, and the vibrant community that thrives here today.

Whether you’re planning a trip to Charleston or simply love history and architecture, this walking tour offers a delightful glimpse into one of the city’s most treasured areas. So, put on your walking shoes and join me as we uncover the beauty and history of Charleston’s French Quarter!

#Charleston #FrenchQuarter #HistoricDistrict #WalkingTour #Architecture #History #CityMarket #Waterfront #TravelSouthCarolina

👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more virtual adventures!

Purchase my latest walking guidebooks and journals: https://amzn.to/3mqDZJJ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderingwalksofwonder/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanderingwonderwalking/
Pinterest: https://pin.it/5mNUwqD