| Beauty, friendliness, and historical significance make this | | | | help keep the homes intact. |
| city a great place to tour. | | | | The old cobblestone streets are so bumpy that when |
| Fort Sumter is situated three and a half miles from | | | | a woman was overdo to give birth, she was given a |
| Charleston in the harbor. The fort was erected as one | | | | dose of whiskey and a carriage ride up and down the |
| of the coastal defenses after the War of 1812. A | | | | streets, until contractions occurred. Lucky lady? |
| history of the Civil War's beginnings can be found in | | | | Charleston is such a fascinating city. There are so |
| any book. So we will bypass that information, although | | | | many historical buildings. Here are some tidbits which |
| very interesting. | | | | are not on the grand tours: |
| After the Union surrendered the fort to the | | | | 1. Catfish Row from "Porgy and Bess" is really |
| Confederacy, the Union proceeded to make plans to | | | | Cabbage Row. It is unlike the movie or opera. It is just |
| retake the fort. When the fort was finally evacuated in | | | | two buildings separated by a narrow gangway. More |
| 1865, it was virtually annihilated by the constant shelling. | | | | than one family lived in the buildings, which displayed |
| No one lost their life through all of the shelling. The only | | | | vegetables in the windows (ergo, Cabbage Row). The |
| life lost was of Private Daniel Hough, while loading a | | | | spacious courtyard visualized in the opera is nearby. |
| cannon to give a hundred gun salute after the retaking | | | | Dubose Hayward, the author, lived just down the |
| of the fort. He lost his arm from a premature explosion | | | | street. He wrote the novel Porgy. |
| and died from exsanguination. He was buried on the | | | | 2. Hibernian Hall is one of the oldest Irish buildings in |
| parade grounds, but his body was never found. On | | | | American. The centerpiece is a large dome, which |
| display is the American flag, which flew over the fort | | | | was the model for the dome at the Capital Building in |
| during the original bombardment. The fading of the flag | | | | Washington DC both had the same architect). I can |
| reveal the features of a Union soldier and the initials | | | | envision my great grandfather's jaw dropping when he |
| DH. The story told is that it is the figure of Private | | | | saw this Irish Building after he disembarked from the |
| Daniel Hough. | | | | boat in Charleston from Ireland during the great famine. |
| Another interesting fact is that Abner Doubleday was | | | | For many years the election ballots for the city of |
| stationed at Fort Sumter for a time. The parade | | | | Charleston were counted in one of the rooms at the |
| grounds are shaped like a baseball field. | | | | Hall. In the floor of the room, by the fireplace is a hiding |
| Fort Wagner, of the movie "Glory" fame is | | | | place, which contained additional ballots for the proper |
| approximately one mile from Fort Sumter. After the | | | | candidate and where unsatisfactory ballots were |
| Union finally captured Fort Wagner, their artillery joined | | | | stuffed. Nothing has changed throughout the years |
| Forts Moutrie and Johnson in the constant | | | | (think Chicago, Florida, etc) |
| bombardment of Fort Sumter. The city of Charleston | | | | 3. Waterfront Park, on the shore of Cooper River, |
| was not adversely affected, except from a few Union | | | | was the home of the docks and wharves. Looking |
| shells as a form of target practice. | | | | across the river you see the USS Yorktown. At the |
| The trip to and from Fort Sumter takes about two and | | | | entrance of the park is an unique sign, which tells the |
| a quarter hours via boat. Along the way the porpoises | | | | visitor what is not allowed. The first restriction is No |
| put on a show for the tourists. I think that the porpoises | | | | Solo Bathing. Does this mean that you can bathe in the |
| get a kick out it as much as the people shipboard do. | | | | fountains in groups, with or with out clothes? Many |
| You can board the boat either from Charleston proper | | | | young people do frolic in the fountains. About one |
| or from across the River at Mt Pleasant. We chose | | | | hundred feet from the primary fountain is a rock. If you |
| Mt Pleasant with its free parking. | | | | stand on it, directly in the center, and speak towards |
| At Patriots Point tours are available for visiting the | | | | the water, your voice will come back to you, similar to |
| Yorktown Aircraft Carrier, the Laffey Destroyer, the | | | | an echo. Few people are aware of this phenomenon. I |
| Ingham Coast Guard Cutter and the Clamagore | | | | tried it, but wasn't quite too sure if it worked. Some |
| Submarine. Starting with the claustrophobic submarine, | | | | day I will have to try it again. |
| we proceeded to visit the other ships. When we | | | | 4. The Dock Street Theatre, founded in 1736, has been |
| reached the Yorktown, we were amazed by her size. | | | | rebuilt frequently, due to fires. At one time, c. 1860, it |
| It is almost three football fields in length. It is truly a | | | | was the Planters Hotel, the home of the drink Planters' |
| floating city. We spent more than three hours visiting | | | | Punch. Today the Theater is once again a legitimate |
| the ships. We did not see everything. | | | | theater. The "welcoming arms" staircase of the |
| Other exhibits include a Vietnam Naval Support Base, | | | | Planters Hotel still dominates the lobby. Men, donning |
| complete with a 31-foot river patrol boat, ammunition | | | | their dress swords went up one side, while the women |
| bunker, choppers, weaponry and an observation | | | | in their hoop skirts ascended the other stairwell. |
| tower. Patriots Point, where these exhibits are is a | | | | The only way to visit Charleston is by walking. Looking |
| step back in time. | | | | through and over the fences gives a wonderful |
| Sunday is a great day to visit downtown Charleston. | | | | glimpse at the beautiful gardens and courtyards. Most |
| Very few parking spaces are available, because of | | | | of the house is off of the main street. By taking your |
| the narrow streets and the residential only parking | | | | time, you can see more of the city. |
| restrictions. We did find a space at Battery Park, at | | | | Took a side trip to The Citadel. The original buildings |
| the bottom of Meeting Street, one of the primary | | | | were at Marion Square at Calhoun, between King and |
| streets in Charleston. This was something of a | | | | Meeting. The Citadel is one of the few State operated |
| surprise, since "Boss" is not noted for her diminutive | | | | Military academies, the other one being VMI (Virginia |
| size. | | | | Military Institute). The present day campus is about one |
| The layout of the city is based on a V, due to the | | | | mile from the old one. It consists of a large parade |
| confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Meeting | | | | grounds surrounded by quadrangle dorms, classrooms, |
| Street is the dividing street from which all other streets | | | | and other administrative buildings. The Citadel has a |
| radiate. The unique taxation laws of early Colonial | | | | distinguished history of military service from the Civil |
| Days dictate the way houses are constructed. A | | | | War to the present day. During Shermann's March to |
| single house, a single family dwelling is narrow facing | | | | the Sea, the faculty was afraid that he would torch |
| the street with most of the residence looking out on a | | | | Charleston. So they moved all of the school's records |
| formal garden. Many houses have metal rods | | | | to Columbia, SC. Shermann torched that city instead. |
| between the floors, due to an 1886 earthquake, which | | | | |