Broad Street
BROAD STREET
Broad Street in downtown Charleston, South Carolina is a must-see for travelers and locals alike. The rich history of Broad Street would surprise most when realizing how important it was to the formation of the Holy City and the nation. Broad Street, gaining its name from the measurement of the street itself. Once known as “Cooper Street” this historical road was named after locals due to its 72-foot wide “broad” street. Broad Street stretches twelve blocks from Lockwood Boulevard to East Bay Street. This street is also home to what has become a landmark, “The Four Corners of Law” which consists of, The Federal Courthouse and Post Office, The County Courthouse, St. Michaels Episcopal Church, and City Hall. With the creation of these 4 buildings, Broad Street changed from a merchant’s street into the financial and legal capital of the time.
One fact about Broad Street that fascinates me as a Charlestonian is that the John Rutledge Inn at 116 Broad Street houses several drafts of the U.S. Constitution; Rutledge was not only a signer of the Constitution but also the first and only President of South Carolina. Another Revolutionary War fact was that the Sons of Liberty met at (what is now) South State Bank at 46 Broad Street which was originally the Shepherds Tavern back in 1720. The Sons of Liberty were a grassroots group of instigators and provocateurs who used various forms of civil disobedience; anything from threats to physical violence. A fact about the St. Michaels Episcopal Church is that the bells have been back and forth over the Atlantic several times. In the 1780’s the bells were confiscated as spoils of war from the British, only to return after a Londoner won them at auction, later sending them back to Charleston. Another time the bells were taken down was during the Civil War as they were being taken to Columbia for safe keeping, a fire cracked the bells and later had to be fixed and recast. To have them recast they were sent back to the original foundry in England, the next time they were taken down was after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 where they had to be sent back to the original foundry to be recast and repaired once more.
BROAD STREET MORNING
Much of the colonial style buildings on Broad Street are not converted into museums like most other colonial style cities across the United States. Rather these buildings have been kept the same, business wise since they were first founded. This is due in part to the preservation society and to Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. (1975). The maintaining of these buildings gives Charleston an irresistible charm. The careful planning from the City of Charleston and the Preservation Society is to thank for their efforts in keeping Charleston as authentic as possible. The maintenance of St. Michaels church over the years has proven not to be easy and is rich of historical information.
Standing at 186 ft., St. Michaels church has been through a lot over the years since its creation in the 1680’s. For example, the earthquake of 1886 caused the steeple to sink by eight inches. Also, during the Civil War the panel with “IH∑” was taken as a spoil of war, however, was later returned some time later. One of my favorite fun historical facts is that during the Federal bombardment of the city in 1865, a shell burst near the chancel and left a gash in the base of the pulpit; the scar that the shell burst made can still be seen to this day. Another fact is that the clock face which can be seen at the very top of the steeple did not originally have a minute hand, it wasn’t until 1849 when the city council asked permission to add a minute hand to each face of the clock, which as can be seen today was granted. The Ainsworth-Thwaites clock was restored by Smith of Derby, London, England, and is believed to be the oldest functioning colonial clock tower in the United States.
Photographing this piece of history was an absolute joy to me and resulted in one of my most breathtaking photos. Going inside of the beautiful steeple and seeing the old architecture and realizing just how deeply rooted this one church is in the Holy City makes me realize how important it was and is to the people of Charleston. The artwork is breathtaking, for example the window, which was installed in 1893, that depicts St. Michael casting out the dragon, after Raphael’s painting is truly one of the most gorgeous pieces of art I have seen around town. I would highly suggest walking through this steeple whenever you get a chance when visiting the Downtown area, so you can also appreciate the timeless beauty this building has to offer.
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These photos are:
- Justin
Check out Bulldog tours for their series of walking tours so you can learn more about St. Michaels Church