None were in working order, but considering the age of them it’s no surprise.
Old Carriage House
Category Archives: Shooting A Grand Old House
Walked Into A Treasure (1)
The first of a series, a surprise treasure. I walked through the door and into a time machine, an elegant one at that.
This is the Charleston Town Hall, Council Chambers. A meeting room / art gallery.
I had no idea there were this many portraits here. Even an incredibly rare John Trumbull (Revolutionary War) of George Washington.
Charleston has been the a city of wealth and history since the 1600’s. This chamber is a ‘who’s who’ of the towns historical figures.
I have additional images to continue this article, this being the first.
I suggest you view the photograph full screen, the chambers were overwhelming.
Across The Courtyard, Old Charleston
Behind an old manor house, hidden from sight, are the stables, carriage house, and servant living quarters.
Taken from inside the living quarters of the enslaved people.
Piano, Black And White
A piano silhouette in the lounge of the Planter Hotel / Dock Street Theater.
Looking through the window is a view of the French Huguenot Church, maybe one of the most beautiful churches in Charleston.
Upstairs In A Grand Old House, Aiken-Rhett
This is a case of working the angles as best you can. Much of that time period had massive furniture. The rooms inside the homes, not really very big.
These photographs were taken in the master bedroom.
Keeping this home as a ‘snap shot in time’ gives us a way to look at the details and design that certainly would be stripped away during any restoration.
Servants Quarters, Main Kitchen
This particular old Charleston house had land and large slave/servant quarters in a back court yard.
Cooking here is hot work and if possible not done in the main house.
One of the buildings held a large cooking area, a laundry room, and storage spaces.
This area has remained the same since the late 1800’s.
I would have to eat out every night.
Grand House, Black And White
I often call the old homes in Charleston a ‘Grand House’, because they were just that. These houses were from a time when there were a few wealthy people, all the rest not even close. Quite a few even slaves.
The homes woodwork and other treatments point to how much a house like this cost to build, and maintain. Especially in that time period.
A building like this is a treasure since it is preserved as a snap shot in time.
When photographing these homes every corner (and ceiling) has something begging to be documented.
Belly Up To The Bar Boys
The building, which was built as a hotel in 1809 and converted to a theater in 1935, occupies the site of the first building in the Thirteen Colonies designed for use as a theater. The first opera performed in the new country was at the first Dock Street theater.
It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.
And yes, some nights you can even get a drink. I believe they still serve Planters Punch here in the Planters Hotel bar (now the Dock Street Theater).
During the Civil War the hotel was one of many buildings severely damaged and was almost torn down. The town of Charleston finally repaired it.
If there are no activities or shows the doors are opened and you can walk in and visit around the old rooms upstairs as well as the theater itself.