James Island County Park, Charleston, South Carolina – Part 2
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Therese (pronounced Teresa) is 7th generation Charlestonian (arriving in the Charleston area in 1793). Her husband is 14th.
This is why we chose the Two Sisters Walking Tour. That, and the additional fact that she’s a retired attorney gave us good reason to believe they would know what they were talking about.
You had to listen fast on this 2 ¼ hour tour. Therese did not speak with a slow Southern drawl as one might expect from a 7th generationer. She walked fast too. And she knew practically everyone along the way, interrupting her spiel to smile, wave, or engage in short conversations. She even spoke with people she didn’t know a couple of times. 😊
But she knew her stuff. And it was all interesting. And a few times she’d tell us something along the lines of, “Other guides may tell you something different, but it’s not correct.” Referring to many of the carriage drivers and some other tour guides. According to her, the city no longer requires someone to take a test to become a licensed tour guide. They just pay for a license via the internet. Only those who have actual certification have passed a comprehensive test. According to Therese, one day someone (who didn’t pass the test) sued the city claiming it was a violation of their freedom of speech to not be able make money leading a group of people around town and spouting made-up stories. And thus, the license was given. So let that be a lesson for you – if you come to Charleston and want a guided tour, look for someone with actual certification and not just a license.
We arrived at our meeting spot in Washington Park a little early, we we walked around and checked things out.
This seems to be the resting place of an important Civil War general, Pierre-Gustave Toutant de Beauregard.
Most have shortened it to P.G.T. Beauregard. Wonder how he feels about that?
P.G.T. Beauregard 1818-1893
Following is a very brief history:
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard—more commonly known as P.G.T or G.T. Beauregard—was born on May 28, 1818, into a prominent Creole family in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. He was raised on a sugarcane plantation outside of New Orleans and in his youth attended school in New York City. In 1834 Beauregard was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
He was instrumental in creating the battle flag that has come to be synonymous with the Confederacy. Following the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861, he approved a new flag design for the Army of Northern Virginia after recognizing that the original Confederate flag—known as the “Stars and Bars”—looked too similar to the U.S. flag when seen in the confusion of battle.
Beauregard entered the Civil War as the Confederacy’s first brigadier general and was placed in command of the defenses of Charleston, South Carolina. In this role he ordered the first shots of the Civil War during the bombardment of Fort Sumter (April 12-14, 1861). After his success in taking Fort Sumter, Beauregard served as second-in-command to General Joseph E. Johnston during the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861. He was then promoted to full general—a rank achieved by only seven other Confederate officers during the Civil War. During this time Beauregard began the first of many quarrels with the Confederate administration over field tactics, particularly over what he saw as Confederate President Jefferson Davis’ failure to adequately pursue the routed Union Army after the First Battle of Bull Run. ~ History.com
That is some entrance door!
Huge by our standards!
This is the entrance to St. Michaels Church, the white one that stands on the corner or Broad and Meeting streets, known as the ecclesiastical part of the ‘Four Corners of the Law’.
The inside of St. Michael’s Evangelical Anglican Church.
As the article states, this is the original chandelier, just converted from candles to gas to electric.
Original organ
Tiffany windows
Original pulpit
Pew where George Washington sat for worship, and later Robert E. Lee.
St. Michael’s Church is the oldest church edifice in the City of Charleston, standing on the site of the first Anglican Church built south of Virginia. In the 1680’s a small wooden church, the first in the new town of Charles Town, was built on this spot for the families of the Church of England, and named St. Philip’s. By 1727, the town had grown too large for the small church and a more spacious one was built of brick on Church Street, later destroyed by fire in 1835.
By 1751, St. Philip’s had again proved too small for the increasing population, and another church was authorized by the General Assembly of the Province, to be built on the old site and to be known as St. Michael’s. The cornerstone was laid in 1752 and in 1761 the church was opened for services. Except for the addition of the sacristy in 1883 on the southeast corner, the structure of the building has been little changed.
In the main vestibule, a table on the west wall gives an historical outline of the church. To this may be added the tornado of 1938, which struck the building with such severity that services had to be held in the parish house for many months while repairs were being made.
The steeple is 186 feet in height; the weather vane is 7 ½ feet long. The entire steeple sank eight inches as a result of the earthquake in 1886. The font was imported from England in 1771.
The large, long double-pew in the center of the church, No. 43, originally known as “The Governor’s Pew,” is the one in which President George Washington worshipped on Sunday afternoon, May 8, 1791. General Robert E. Lee also worshipped in the pew some seventy years later. The pews, of native cedar, are very much the same as they have always been except for the addition of ten, filling up what was once an aisle
The chandelier, ordered from London in 1803, now electrified, was first lighted with candles and later with gas.
The pulpit is the original one, remarkable for its height and the massive sounding board supported by two Corinthian columns. Its prominence bears out the fact that at the time the Church was built, the center of interest in the service was the sermon, conflicting with the central place planned for the altar. The panel with the ΙΗΣ was taken as war booty following the War Between the States and then later voluntarily returned and replaced. Although the present reading desk was given in 1892 as a memorial, it is in the location of the original desk, and together with the pulpit above it, makes up what is called a “double decker”.
In 1865 during the Federal bombardment of the city, a shell burst near the chancel. A scar is still to be seen at the base of the pulpit.
The Altar is Victorian, having been presented in 1892 as a memorial. The chancel chairs were purchased by the Vestry in 1817. The chancel rail of wrought iron, dating from 1772, is a fine example of English hand work of the period. It was the first important piece of wrought iron to be imported to Charleston.
The present chancel decoration was executed by Tiffany in 1905. The design in the half-dome was originally blue sky with gold stars and a golden sunburst. The ten small Corinthian columns also date from 1905. The chancel window, installed as a memorial in 1893, shows St. Michael casting out the dragon, after Raphael’s painting.
The original organ was made by John Snetzler in London; it was installed in 1768. The case, which was altered several times, was refinished and restored to its original configuration in 1994 by Kenneth Jones of Bray, Ireland. Jones built a new 40-stop, 51-rank tracker organ to fit in and behind the Snetzler case. St. Michael’s had one of the first choirs of surpliced boys in this county. The Vestry records mention them as early as 1794.
The clock and ring of eight bells were imported from England in 1764. The clock originally had only an hour hand for each face. In 1849, City Council asked permission to add a minute hand, which was granted. The Ainsworth-Thwaites clock was restored by Smith of Derby, London, England, in 1993. It is thought to be the oldest functioning colonial tower clock in the country. ~ Stmichaelschurch.net
This picture of St. Michaels isn’t crooked.
We never noticed before, but the steeple actually leans.
It sank 8″ during the 1886 earthquake.
This is not only a nice picture, it also shows the home and the part closest to us is the former kitchen area.
Many homes in the area have these former ‘servant’ buildings, that were built behind the main house. This small building contained the kitchen with the servants living above, this also helped reduce the risk of fire to the main home. They are now connected to the main house via a “Hyphen” building. People use the little building for various things.
We thought this was one of those buildings, but it’s not. The man who used to live here had it built to use as a laboratory. He was a scientist.
The Christmas decor on this random door is reminiscent of the ones you see in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Another random house that Therese pointed out to us. We can’t remember why.
Flower boxes!
That’s our tour group. There were a total of 4 couples. Two Sisters website says they can take up to 20 people.
I can’t imagine! I had a hard enough time with just 8 of us!
This is the former home of Charleston celebrity (now deceased), Alicia Rhett of “Gone With the Wind” fame. She played India Wilkes.
Alicia Rhett
1915-2014
Hollywood agents were crisscrossing America in search of the perfect Scarlett O’Hara. When talent scout Kay Brown caught one of Rhett’s performances, she saw potential for the part of Melanie Wilkes and whisked her to New York for screen tests. Director George Cukor agreed that Rhett’s grace, presence, and bewitching hazel eyes and auburn hair were right for the role. “I think Alicia Rhett has charm and the ideal looks and quality for Melanie,” he wrote. “Rhett has a reality about her that is very engaging.” But Cukor worried the part would be too complicated for the novice actress, so he cast her instead as India Wilkes, sister-in-law to Melanie and Scarlett’s sworn enemy.
Between takes, Rhett sketched everything and everyone, later giving thumbnail portraits to the News & Courier: “Clark Gable was great, always on time, always knew his lines. Leslie Howard had charm to burn. Vivien Leigh was delightful, an indefatigable worker, and just as pretty off stage as on. So was Olivia de Havilland.” But a sketch of Rhett would have shown her to be an artist more than an actress. Though she acted beautifully, Gone With the Wind would be her only movie role. After filming, she returned to Charleston to become a WTMA radio personality and began drawing portraits of World War II servicemen stationed in and passing through the city.
She ultimately shunned fame entirely and is even rumored to have burned her letters from fans. She chose instead a private life on Tradd Street, taking solace in her art and walks along the Battery before her declining health forced her into a retirement facility. ~ charlestonmag.com
A Charleston native nationally renowned for her role in Gone With The Wind, Alicia Rhett was also a celebrated local painter particularly well-known for her portraits. She wanted her estate to continue to support Charleston arts after she passed, so she worked with her lawyer to set up the Alicia Rhett Art Fund through her will.
Following her wishes, the Fund will give grants “for the encouragement and preservation of the arts in the greater Charleston community.” Each year half of the grantable amount will go to the Gibbes Museum, and other half will go to a local visual arts organization selected by a volunteer committee. ~ coastalcommunityfoundation
I forget where these were, but they graced either side of an entrance gate.
Beautiful!
This is the Russell House
It’s also Therese’s #1 pick for a home to tour.
We’ll catch it on a future trip , and the Aiken-Rhett house. (I was unable to discover where the ‘Rhett’ part o that house comes from. ??)
Flowers in the Russell House garden. They also had a joggling board, but you can’t try it out anymore, because someone stood on it and jumped and broke it.
Sometimes people are so . . . . .
Early American barbed wire fencing.
It’s one of the few examples remaining in the city.
Most of the rest was taken and melted down to use for weapons during the Civil War.
Someone’s porch
Therese knows the people who live here. : )
Get rid of the rug, and it looks like a Southern Charm-type magazine picture!
This home was once used as Confederate Headquarters.
Although we didn’t go near it, Therese pointed out that this house is actually wood that was scored to resemble stone construction.
I just liked this . . . .
Oftentimes, the homes that have this look, is done intentionally so as to show the underlying brick.
Therese pointed this home out as being for sale.
It can be yours for a mere $6.2 million. But best take a close look at it before you buy – – there’s a crack on the right side . . .
This home also belongs to one of Therese’s friends. : )
When the city was investigating where the former/original sea wall was, they placed this patio here. The diagonal stone shows where the wall was.
This is Therese.
She was constantly moving and talking and smiling. : )
This is made of evergreens and magnolia leaves.
Pretty!
She took us down a narrow alley you would never go down if you were walking on your own.
I couldn’t get a good picture of this, but this house is an example of ‘freedman’ homes. Homes the freed slaves were able to purchase and live in. They were all single story.
The new owners bought it, but didn’t research first.
They wanted to put a second story on.
Nixed by the (architecture board), becasue it would change the historical value.
Nothing. And I mean NOthing gets done without their permission. You can’t even paint without their approval first.
Here, she was showing off the ironwork.
She knows the dog too.
Another person’s porch area. She didn’t mention knowing these people. : )
This is a picture she showed us (the only picture she showed). It’s this street we were on in the 1920’s when Charleston was in dire straits.
The same street today.
Although the picture isn’t exact because she didn’t take us far enough down.
The brick building you see way down there on the right is the same one in the foreground right of the photograph.
This is a portion of Charleston called Rainbow Row – a series of row houses.
Rainbow Row is a series of 13 brightly-colored houses along the waterfront. You might be surprised to learn that the houses that make up Rainbow Row were not always brightly colored. These historic homes were first constructed around 1740 and were used by merchants who would run their business on the ground floor and live on the top floor.
After the Civil War, this area was rather run-down and considered a slum. However, this changed in 1931 when Dorothy Porcher Legge and her husband Judge Lionel Legge purchased the section of houses on East Bay Street.
Dorothy Porcher Legge was the one who decided to paint the homes on this row a pretty shade of pastel pink, hoping to make the area look nicer. As time went on, other residents on the street began to paint their homes various pastel colors as well.
Was this a trend based on aesthetics only? Or did the decision behind painting these homes bright colors run deeper than simply trying to improve the appearance of the neighborhood?
Many have speculated over the true reason for the color transformation of Rainbow Row. One theory is that the homes were painted various pastel colors so that drunk sailors might find their way home easier. Others believe that the various hues were the merchants’ way of indicating what types of items they sold there. One other theory is that the homes were painted lighter colors to keep them cooler during the hot Charleston summers.
No matter what the true meaning behind the pastel colors was, Rainbow Row is now an unmistakable part of Charleston history. ~charleston.com
I found information on this particular house.
American statesman Charles Cotesworth Pinckney owned the property in 1779, and the property was renovated by New York playwright John McGowan in 1938.
The four-story house is a pastel green color with a Flemish gable roofline.
It’s also for sale, and for $2.5 million, you can own an important piece of Charleston history.
This is a back section of Rainbow Row.
This building used to house a printing company.
Not only did they print newspapers, but it was used to print confederate money back in the day.
Thus completes our tour! It was much better than portrayed here. : )
It was past lunchtime once we completed our walk, and we were hungry, so we headed to our planned destination – Hyman’s. You may remember we ate there last year. They’re the ones who pass out their delicious hushpuppies to passersby to entice you to come in for more. Our mouths were watering as we walked briskly, only to discover that they were closed until 4:30pm! They were having their office party! We had to find someplace new. And walk there.
We ended up at the Brown Dog Deli. No hushpuppies, but the sandwiches and salads were very good, and service was pretty quick once we decided. We had to eat outside on their covered patio because all the inside tables were taken, but since we’d been outside all morning, it didn’t matter so much. We just ate with our jackets on.
Blaine’s short rib sandwich.
There was another half, but he’s eating it. : )
Mesquite turkey and sweet potato salad, which actually had three types of potatoes in it – red, Idaho and sweet. It was very good! As was the sandwich.
And then we were off again to visit the cemetery. The really old one at the Circular Church. Both times we’ve been to the church, it was nighttime, so we didn’t get to walk around. They say they have monuments dating to 1695, but we didn’t see any that old. Of course, you couldn’t read many of them. It’s been our experience that the markers that hold up the best are the ones from the mid to late 1700’s. We think they’re made of slate. They have funny pictures on them, but that’s how you can tell when their from. It’s called funerary art. We learned that last year. And I remembered it! 😊
We thought this little guy just might jump on Blaine as he had his fingers out like he might have food.
The squirrel thought better of the idea and scampered off. : )
Resurrecting the dead?
Well, yes. Sort of.
This was originally above ground . . .
Another very large Live Oak!
No idea on the age, but based on the trunk, we guessed maybe 200 years?
Close up of the previous picture
Close-up of the previous picture.
Next, we took in some shopping at the Market, but I was looking for something unique. There was nothing much unique here. It seemed like almost everyone was selling the same types of things. And nothing interested me. I guess it’s back to Uncommon Goods or Amazon. I really wanted to help out the locals, though. ☹
We still had to walk about a mile and a half total to and from an Arts and Crafts store Blaine found. They didn’t have what I needed either, so then we had to drive in really heavy traffic to Michael’s. Michael’s is only 4.5 miles from home, but the traffic on that road is so bad, it takes for-ev-er! And all that for just $3.92 in merchandise, including tax.
Blaine had a goal of getting through the gate by 4:30pm – before the lines start for the drive through – otherwise, we’d be stuck in traffic sitting and waiting for the gates to open at 5:30pm. We got through at 4:34!
Lots of walking today! But it was all good. Charleston’s a lovely city!