Charleston: Architectural Heritage
A walking tour of classic revival and vernacular architecture
Charleston South Carolina is a must-see for any fan of American architecture -- a living museum of 18th and 19th-century life, southern style with a low-country accent.
Charleston’s impressive Market Building seems to be the city’s milestone, where everything begins. It’s the first place visitors go, and locals meet for morning coffee in its cozy bakery.
It’s an architectural, as well as a social landmark, an outstanding example of Greek Revival style with an elevated colonnaded portico reached by an elegant double staircase enclosed with green iron rails. And it’s a good place to begin a tour of the city’s other outstanding architecture, after some time spent among the market stalls inside and behind its famous façade.
Head south one block, and turn east on Cumberland Street to find the Powder Magazine, all that remains of the fort that stood here in 1748, when it was built. A small, yellow, double-bay building, it stored powder through the Revolution and now houses an exhibit on early Charleston.
Turn right onto Church Street, named for the imposing St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in front of you. In the classic revival style, its unusual tower, which was once a lighthouse beacon, has a base of stunning porticos supported by Doric columns. Designed by architect E.B. White, it was built in the mid 1830s. Note the striking wrought iron gate at its cemetery across the street, where John Calhoun, Edward Rutledge and Charles Pinckney, among other notables, are buried.
Just beyond the church look for a group of small houses from the 18th century, typical of rental property used by merchants and craftsmen. Further on, at 136 Church stands the French Huguenot Church of the French immigrants who added so much character to the city. In a Gothic Revival style, it was built in 1845, another design by E.B. White. Don’t miss the interior.
Almost directly across the street is the Dock Street Theater, behind wrought iron balconies on the restored façade of the former Planter’s Hotel (1809). If you can’t make a performance, be sure to tour this stunning Georgian-style theater to see its carved cypress interior. It hosts many of the city’s theatrical and musical events.
Further down Church Street look for a colorful row of small homes known as Cabbage Row, the setting for Porgy and Bess. Just beyond, the classic Georgian Heyward-Washington House, dating from 1772, stands in a moody, romantic garden behind its iron fence. Unlike most Charleston mansions, it’s formal federal façade faces the street.
At Tradd Street go east toward the Cooper River. This street looks almost as it did during the antebellum period and is a perfect place to savor small details and soak in atmosphere. A long row of small attached houses exude permanence and comfort. At East Bay Street cross the road to look at Rainbow Row, a brightly painted set of early-19th-century commercial buildings and tenements, now upscale homes.
South on East Bay takes you along the shore to Battery Park, a chance to see the lovingly maintained antebellum mansions that overlook the harbor. Their facades are carefully turned to preserve privacy and upper porches are positioned to catch cooling summer breezes and views of the harbor.
Take at rest at White Palm Gardens at Battery Point and enjoy its views of the harbor and Fort Sumter. Return back to your beginning point by taking Meeting Street on the opposite side of the park or wander in the neighborhood streets. Either way, don’t miss seeing the beautiful Classic Revival St Michael’s Episcopal church at the corner of Meeting and Broad. Before leaving, be sure to explore the treasures of Broad Street.
To find out more about Charleston’s colorful past, click here. Walking tours with a trained art historian are available from Architectural Walking Tours (Ms Fern Tuten) (800) 931-7761.
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