This house at the corner of Legare and Gibbes Streets was built c. 1817-25. During the Civil War it was home to Charles Macbeth, Charleston’s mayor. That must have been a tough job!

While this house has not worn its Santa hat for a few years (it now has a new owner and is being renovated, nothing says Christmas in Charleston better than a 250 year old house dressed for the holidays in the snow! Built in 1771 as the west side of a simple double tenement building, facing Meeting Street, in 1893 it was remodeled to reflect the Victorian tastes of its owner. It’s former twin on Tradd Street still is in its original form.

… a Christmas tree in the cupola of the Col. John Ashe House. This beautiful house on South Battery has twice claimed the highest price ever paid for a house on the Charleston peninsula.

The house of this door was built in 1774 by a Tory who had it confiscated during the American Revolution. It was then given to his son who had joined the American cause. Located on Orange Street (named after the orange groves there), it’s in an interesting area, as earlier in the century it had been the site of a free love colony founded by two Moravian prophets. How’s that for some history?

The arrow gate of the Bowles-Legare-Parker house  is  very distinctive sight on Tradd Street. The house, built in the late 1700’s, used to have a view all the way to the Ashley River — which was pretty far away! As the peninsula was developed, its property now ends at Greenhill Street and the view does not stretch quite so far.

This beautiful door leads on to the piazza of the second house the owner built on Limehouse Street. The first was built in 1857 and was sold after his wife died. In 1859 he built this one directly across the street from the first, after marrying his first wife’s sister!

The beautiful Sword Gate on Legare Street was originally commissioned by the City of Charleston for a new police station.

Even Santa wants to get a peek into this c. 1880 house on Tradd Street.