Glimpses of Charleston

A local's eye view

Houses/Buildings/Gates

The morning sun hitting the tops of some of the beautiful houses on South Battery. The Col. John Ashe House on the right was built around 1782, and is a monument to the shipping trade (which is how the owner became wealthy). In addition to the cupola on the top, which is thought to have been used as a lighthouse to help guide ships in to Charleston harbor, the pegs used in the construction are the same that were found on the sailing ships.
This little path leads from Queen Street to the front door of the house on the right, which was constructed in 1796. The original land grant for the property dates back to 1694 and it is believed that the original house burned down in the fire of 1796.
This cool door is on a house on St. Michael's Alley that was designed by the famed architect EB White in 1848. Not only is he a great architect, he shares his name with the creator of Charlotte's Web and other wonderful books  :)
A sun dappled late afternoon view of the street side of the famous Pineapple Gates House, aka the Simmons-Edwards House, on Legare Street.
This beautiful house at the corner of Tradd and Meeting Streets, originally completed c. 1772, has been modified a number of times over the years. After the Civil War, it was purchased in 1872 by John Doscher -- who used the whole first floor to create Doscher's Grocery, complete with storefront. While the building was later fully restored to house form, you can still find Doscher's Grocery stores in the Charleston area (although they  seem to originate from a different branch of the family). 
This handsome 1872 house is on Broad Street. Originally known as "Cooper Street," Broad Street was renamed because of the pride the citizens had in its 72' wide dimension.
This handsome house on Lamboll Street may look like it should be historic, but it is relatively new for Charleston having been built in 1908.
After a meeting citizens of Charleston during the 2008 presidential election campaign at 21 King Street, the Patrick O'Donnell House, Barack Obama was so impressed that he directly referred to the house's amazing piazzas in his election night acceptance speech: Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and on the front porches of Charleston. Pretty cool
This beautiful scene is one of the houses William Johnson Sr. and Jr. developed on Queen Street in 1802. William Jr. wasn't around too long to enjoy it, as in 1804 President Thomas Jefferson appointed him to the United States Supreme Court, where he served until 1834.
This beautiful gate, walk and door can be found in an impressive house on Broad Street. The house, built c. 1870, replaced an earlier one owned by the same man which burned down in the Great Fire of 1861 (which claimed over 575 other houses and more).
During the Civil War, the bells in the towers of First Scots Presbyterian Church were donated to the military effort. It was not until 1999 that a new bell was installed in the north tower, seen here. (It's actually a bell made in 1814, but new to First Scots.) The south tower still does not have bells, as it is not structurally sound enough (no pun intended) to bear their weight.
The Parker-Drayton House on Gibbes Street was built in about 1806 and had a water view for about 100 years. In the early 1900's land was reclaimed from the Ashley River and its marshes to form the current Charleston peninsula -- placing two blocks of land and houses between Gibbes Street and the Low Battery. While the house has beautiful gardens and Gibbes is a great street, the water view is no more.
This pretty house on Tradd Street was built in 1740... pre-revolutionary beauty. 
The toothy trim on this Queen Street house is called quoins.  Quoins are found on many Charleston masonry and stucco buildings. The quoins usually serve two purposes — to strengthen the construction and for decoration. Here they are complemented by some very well trained ivy.
This pretty 1870 house is looking ready for Halloween. Located on Limehouse Street, it is just up from the remains of the old seawall. On the other side of the wall  the houses were built on reclaimed land in the early 1900's.
The blue color on the ceiling of this Charleston porch is intended to ward off evil spirits known as "haints."  It apparently is ineffective against sparkly skeletons or skulls.
This beautiful door, accessorized for the season, belongs to the Col. John Stuart House on Tradd Street -- a wonderful Colonial era house (c. 1767). Col. Stuart, a native born Scotsman, had been appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the southern British colonies in 1762, but in 1775 had to flee Charleston for stirring up the Native Americans against the colonists in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. 
While normally found haunting the Old City Jail, Lavinia Fisher -- believed to be America's first female serial killer, has been spotted around Charleston during the Halloween season. In this rare photo of her, you can see her taking in the view from a piazza on Legare Street.
This beautiful gate and wall serve the Parker-Drayton House on Gibbes Street. The owners used to have roosters loose on the property, which accounts for the mesh covering the gate.
It takes a big effort to care for some of Charleston's amazing houses. This one was built in 1857 on Legare Street from land subdivided from the Miles Brewton House -- which is located on King Street. 
This angular antebellum Charleston house, built in 1860, is located at the corner of Meeting and Water Streets. 
This beautiful house on Hassell Street, with its gorgeous gate/fence and piazza, was built in 1846. Since 1920, it has served as the rectory of St. Johannes St. Lutheran Church -- which is directly next door.
This attractive and welcoming door can be found on Rutledge Avenue, just down from Cannon Park -- where you can find the four remaining front columns of the old Charleston Museum.
A beautiful door on a significant circa 1853 house on Rutledge Avenue, located directly across the street from the Issac Jenkins Mikell House (which is currently often seen on TV on Southern Charm).
This beautiful house (now being used as an office) on Broad Street holds the distinction of being the oldest frame structure in Charleston. It was built before 1715!
The John Rutledge House, now an inn, was completed in 1763. Rutledge, among his many roles in South Carolina and the US, was one of the signers of the United States Constitution.
A beautiful afternoon scene along Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston.
The setting sun reflecting on the historic Rice Mill, located off Lockwood Boulevard along the Ashley River.
With separate offices created over the retail space in the older buildings on King Street, interesting separate entrances have been created.
The cornerstone for the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist  on Broad Street was laid in 1890, but the construction of the church was not completed until 2010 — when the steeple was finally added.
A beautifully restored single house on Limehouse Street. They did a spectacular job.
One of the lingering effects of Hurricane Dorian is that not all the houses and buildings have reopened. But, in many ways, that creates a different beauty -- like this house at the corner of Chalmers and Church Streets.
This gate on South Battery is rarely left open, leaving what's behind it as a mystery. Mystery solved.
Prepared for Hurricane Dorian along East Battery.
Just another beautiful Charleston house, which can be found on Bee Street. While built for a single family, it has not been divided into apartments.
A gorgeous entrance to an antebellum (1840) house on Bull Street.
Charleston is full of wonderful doors. This one is on Bull Street.
This beautiful building (c.1800) is one of a number of connected structures in the old wharf area on Cordes Street.
Built in 1825, the Edmonston-Alston House was one of the first major houses to be built behind the Charleston seawall. Now owned by Middleton Place, it open to the public as an amazing house museum. Have you been?
This very cool looking building on East Bay Street was built as a bank in 1854, but later became the home for a restaurant. The Moorish Revival style of architecture is very eye-catching.