Charleston, SC - Part One

Monday morning we ventured into Charleston, SC.  We had prebooked a carriage tour, harbour tour and all day parking.  Made life very simple as we were not wandering around aimlessly.  Traffic was good and Lulabelle (our gps) took us directly to our parking spot.  Yeah!

It was a long wonderful day.  We saw so many beautiful sights that I need to break this into two separate blogs.

Part 1 will be our carriage ride.

It was extremely cold by SC standards in the morning.  My hands and feet were frozen when we finished our tour, despite complimentary blankets.  I soon warmed up as we had lunch and then walking to part 2 of our tale.

So we begin:

One of the first churches built.  The spire has a 3 degree lean due to an earthquake.

This is an ammunition bank.  There is an old law limiting the amount of gunpowder kept in your home. The rest was deposited here.  Walls are 30 inches thick and roof filled with sand.  If it exploded the walls and sand were intended to limit damage.

One of only two remaining cobblestone streets.  Stones were ballast in the ships coming from England.

The old buildings require almost constant maintenance.  Price per square foot is over $1,000.  Homes are priced in the millions.

This home was a wedding gift to a daughter of one of the richest families.  It has a replica of the Arc d'Triumphe  mounted on the roof.  The daughter spent time in Paris on her honeymoon.

There is a law stating that no structure of 75 years can be destroyed by man.  The grey stone is a part of the original seawall.  Construction  crews had to work around it when making this street corner.  You really have to watch where you are walking.

This is a Sears Craftsmen house.  You ordered it from the catalogue and built it yourself.  There are about 20 left with 2 in Charleston.

These side patios, I believe they are called piazzas, were designed to catch the breeze.  The families would spend a lot of time here during the hot season.  If the door was open, the family was welcoming visitors.  If closed, they wanted privacy.

Side view of the market.  Built over 200 years ago and open every day except Christmas.  It has sunk over time, is below sea level and floods regularly.

Front of market.  A museum operated by the Daughters of the Confederation.  The civil war started in South Carolina.

I will continue our day in part 2 later.  Now I need to get dressed and hit the beach. ttfn