Charleston was founded by eight friends of the "Merry Monarch", English King Charles II in 1670 and originally it was named, Charles Towne. Charleston is a charming city with pastel coloured homes, colonial mansions, horse-drawn carriages and magnolia-filled gardens and we felt like we'd stepped into a picturesque 18th-century live-setting. The main town near the port has one of the South's best-preserved cities and is known as America's "historical showcase of gracious living and southern hospitality".
The day we visited this port city, was an especially warm and beautiful summer day so we left the ship at about 8.30 am. We strolled along the shoreline and through the beautifully tree lined Waterfront Park gardens which stretch for at least 2 kilometres along the shoreline of Charleston Harbour. We stopped to admire the gardens and several large graceful water fountains which have been built throughout the gardens. At two of the fountains we saw small children gleefully running in, out and around the water spouts to keep cool even at this early time of the day. The pineapple fountain was probably our favourite one because it is a symbol for Charleston city and looked majestic in its' Harbourside garden setting.
Charleston has many double-storey colonial homes which have been well maintained and they grace most streets. We admired the pastel colours and the wide verandah ballestrades as we walked along the cobble-stone laneways and streets. We came across a solid looking two-storey stone building which were learnt was the Old Exchange building which was built as a custom house for the import and export of cotton, indigo dye and rice. Today this historic building is a museum housing memorabilia and facts which tell the colourful history of this building and its' strategic role in the history of Charlestown's contribution to the American War of Independence. Having realised the importance of this building we decided to check it out to learn a bit about the history of Charlestown.
We took a self guided tour of the Exchange building. It is a beautiful colonial building with high ceilings, large arch-windows, an impressive staircase, intricately designed plaster ceilings, cedar panelling and broad timbered floors.
History of The Old Exchange / Custom House building:
The Exchange building was built between 1768-1771, when Charleston was the cultural and commercial centre of South Carolina. The Exchange building is a substantial building today and would have been an impressive monument two centuries ago with it's solid stone construction, large, graceful windows and viewing parapet and tall tower which gives a wonderful vista of the river and the town below.
We took a photo of a painting of The Exchange building in 1820's. It depicts a wonderful view of the Exchange which is where money and goods exchange took place and where the Custom House offices were housed. The Exchange / Custom House building stood right on the Cooper River waterfront for easy loading of cotton, rice and other goods onto sailing ships in the harbour. But today the Exchange / Custom House building lies several streets away from the riverside because over the years as river silt built up, new land was formed and a new shoreline has been established. In recent years a strong river wall has been built to prevent flooding and river inundation. Later in the day we walked along this wall promenade as part of a private tour we'd booked.
We learnt so much about the role that this building had played in the establishment of the city and in American history. On the eve of the American Revolution, Charleston was the wealthiest colony and the fourth largest city in North America. In this building, sea captains, merchants and other citizens talked, bartered and negotiated over the various goods which were shipped into and out of the thriving seaport. From the Exchanges' east windows hundreds of ships could be seen tied to wharves, at anchor in the harbour or under sail and it was said that the Exchange was the place to learn of political news from distant shores. However we also read about how this building was used to promote and assist in winning America's independence from British rule during the War of Independence.
Upstairs we were stunned by the beauty and size of the Great Hall with its' Corinthian collums, high ceilings, marble fire places and massive arched windows. The Great Hall was used for chamber music concerts, meetings and the occasional theatrical play but it was also a place where those seeking independence for America rallied and recruited troops. Here is a summary of some of the history of those turbulent time.
On December 3, 1773 a group of concerned citizens met upstairs in the Great Hall of the Exchange to protect a shipment of tea that was being extracted from the people as a tax for the British. On December 6, 1773 three shiploads of taxed tea were thrown into Boston Harbour by patriotic Americans. Later referred to as the Boston Tea Party which initiated the movement for people to seek independence from British rule. In July 1774 South Carolina delegates were elected in the Great Hall of the Exchange and sent to The First Continental Congress in Philadelphia.In the following January discussions were held at the first Congress gathering in the Grand Hall in Charleston. The first military engagements between the royalists and loyalist occurred in April 1775.
By August 1776 the Declaration of Independence of 13 states of America had been signed and was presented in Charleston from the steps of the Exchange and by February 1777 the South Carolina government required all people to denounce the British King and pledges their alegence to the state. In response the British captured Charlestown in May 1780, after a 6 week siege where 6000 surrendered to the British who occupied Charlestown for over 2 years. Persecution of the locals increased and many were placed in prison in the cellars under the Exchange building. To gain release prisoners had to sign an Oath of Loyalty to the Crown. The war raged on across America until the British were defeated. In December, 1782 the army evacuated Charleston and on 3rd September, 1783 the signing of in Treaty of Paris, ended the American Revolution and gave the America it's independence. The document of independence was signed in the Great Hall that we'd spent so much time learning about.
We also took a guided tour of the cellars deep down below the Exchange building. Originally these series of brick-lined cellars were a hive of activity as busy workmen and slaves moved goods for temporary storage of cotton, indigo dye, rice and other goods, before being shipped overseas or out across the country. The men worked 6 days a week with Sunday being the only quiet day when they rested from their very heavy labour. However, the cellar's use changed abruptly in 1780 when the Charleston was captured by th British and the cellars and the uppermost floor of the Exchange were used as a prison or provost to detain dissents, deserters and drunkards.
Conditions in the cellar dungeons were appalling. They were over-crowded with prisoners of both sexes being held in the same dark, dank cellar rooms which had hay on the floor for beds and one bucket for excremental. Many prisoners were forced to wear shackles and upstanding citizens were housed with hardened prisoners. Disease was rife and malnutrition and death were constant companions.
In the winter of 1792 when the British abandoned Charleston, the prison was closed and those who survived were set free, unless they had a criminal record. In 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris once more the underground cellars were used to store merchandise.
The Exchange Museum also holds information and exhibits of the history of slavery in South Carolina. In Charlestown hundreds of negro slaves were employed as workers in homes, rice paddies, cotton fields and in making indigo dye for export. You can read about this in Charlestown - South Carolina 2 of 2 blog. The process of detracting dye was arduous, hot and heavy work.
South Carolina is best known for its high quality, long grain, bright white rice. The process of detracting dye was arduous, hot and heavy work.
South Carolina is best known for its high quality, long grain, bright white rice. The process of detracting dye was arduous, hot and heavy work.
