Farmers' & Exchange Building

141 East Bay St., Charleston, SC   

The beautiful Farmers' & Exchange Bank building at 141 East Bay St. was almost torn down (my heart be still) around 1970 to make space for a parking lot. It had been Senator Fritz Hollings office for a while and then reincarnated as Saracen restaurant with Charlie's Little Bar upstairs in the back. Sadly it has been empty for years. The last mention I could find of any hope of it reopening was in 2014 in the Charleston City paper. It would be lovely to see it in use again. 

The inside was painted like an ornate jewel-box. This image isn't mine but found on pinterest. More info here. 

Happy Independence Day!

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, East Bay St., Charleston, SC   

It is tradition to read the Declaration of Independence from the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon on July 4th and a good crowd was gathered in the heat this morning. A wreath was then carried to St. Philip's churchyard and placed on the tomb of Governor John Rutledge who first read the document to the citizens of South Carolina many years ago. The annual tradition of publicly reading the Declaration of Independence began in 2013 through the organizing efforts and planning from the Washington Light Infantry.

As I walked down I met an elderly British gentleman who was taking a break in the shade. He was on his own on his first trip to the states. I told him if he could make it as far as East Bay St. he would get to see the event. He said that was exactly where he was heading.  

Reaching to the sun

East Bay St., Charleston, SC 

The design in the wall framed the ivy nicely.

I stand firmly opposed to all the fun things that go on while I am at work. Hmmmph. I am speaking of this event from which I have no pictures because I was locked up in a building working all day:

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – About 15 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from Joint Base Charleston will fly in formation over the Ravenel Bridge on Thursday, May 25.

And tomorrow, of course are the opening ceremonies for the Spoleto festival that I have never seen because they are always midday on a Friday. Boo. I need to retire.

Through the window

East West on East Bay, Charleston, SC   

The model of a development project looked like it was floating in air when viewed through the window of East West Partners on East Bay St. From what I can tell they are the developers working on projects at Ansonborough Fields.

Confederate Jasmination!

Confederate Jasmine, East Bay St., Charleston, SC   

I had to do an errand in town this morning that led me to do my walk on the East Bay, Wentworth, Society St. route and the beautiful gardens made me want to come home and shape up my own little yard. The confederate jasmine is in full bloom.

I have nothing to compare to this glory but I did plant my caladiums this afternoon. I'll check to see if they have bloomed first thing in the morning. I am an impatient gardener.

East Bay beauty

635 East Bay St., Charleston, SC    

Walking a different route gives a fresh look at buildings frequently passed in a car but which I've never had a chance to look at. This impressive home - now office space on East Bay was a tricky one to get a shot of because of the high fence and rushing traffic. I survived. What a beauty! Googling the address brought up an older photo of the Faber-Ward mansion on Pinterest. 

And more information on this site: Palmetto & Cannon

This stately house and compound was built ca. 1832 by one Henry F. Faber. 
Joshua Ward, a wealthy and famous rice planter and SC's Lieutenant Governor, purchased the house from Faber. 
The Faber-Ward house was converted into a hotel for emancipated slaves when the Union troops occupied Charleston during the War of Southern Secession. The hotel failed and the house again became a private residence.  Today the house has been converted to professional office use.

Cane - Charleston's Rhum Bar

Cane Rhum Bar, 251 East Bay St., Charleston, SC  

Long time Charleston residents will hardly recognize the former infamous Big John's Tavern on East Bay Street in it's new reincarnation as CANE Charleston's Rhum Bar. It is full of color, tasty rum drinks and food. I felt very lucky to be invited to a sneak preview party this evening. I tried the Black & Stormy and the Cane Daiquiri and samples of spicy beef pastries, salted codfish fritters and jerk chicken skewers. It will be a happy addition to East Bay area offerings. 

Charleston Eater has some great photos and menu links. Chef/owner Paul Yellin welcomes guests to try Cabe on August 2. Let me know what you think!

Mercantile & Mash

Mercantile & Mash, Charleston, SC  

I love it when crumbling old buildings are suddenly vibrant and bustling with activity. Mercantile & Mash is open on the property of the old Cigar Factory on East Bay St. and has baked goods, restaurant menu, butcher shop and meals to go.

I was in the neighborhood to see photographer Jack Alterman's show, walked in to snoop around, called my friend Jo and we met for a spontaneous brunch meet up. The room upstairs looks perfect for events.

MERCANTILE AND MASH IS A GOURMET FOOD EMPORIUM, LOCATED IN THE RECENTLY RENOVATED CIGAR FACTOR ON EAST BAY STREET.OFFERING A UNIQUE SELECTION OF HOMEMADE ITEMS AND LOCAL PRODUCTS, MERCANTILE AND MASH FEATURES CHARCUTERIE, CHEESE, WINE, BAKED GOODS, LOCALLY ROASTED COFFEE, GRAB-AND-GO ITEMS, GIFTS AND COOKWARE, AND OTHER GOURMET FOOD ESSENTIALS. PRIDING THEMSELVES ON HOSPITALITY AND SERVICE, MERCANTILE AND MASH OFFERS THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS AND PRODUCTS AVAILABLE ON THE PENINSULA.

East Bay Murals - David Boatwright

East Bay St., Charleston, SC   

Muralist David Boatwright has left a splash of color on 341 East Bay St. on the Blue Key building. Check their web site to get a closer view of the art work. The panel on the left is the past and the right is the future. What a great gift David Boatwright has been to Charleston.

I had a tasty bite to eat this evening at Spero at 616 Meeting St. I tried the pulled lamb sandwich and may not need to eat for the rest of the week. It was very good.

Carmella's Cafe & Dessert Bar

Carmella's Cafe & Dessert Bar, East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

Next time you are in wandering around town and feel like a little sumthin' sumthin', don't have dinner reservations and don't need a full meal, pop into Carmella's Cafe & Dessert Bar for ice cream, petite sweets, meat and cheese plates and/or a glass of wine. I didn't get a picture of the ice cream because I was invited to the soft opening event and it was packed with happy people eating everything in sight. Thanks Brian!

Dot, dot, dot...

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

Quaintest little liquor store in Charleston. I can never post a picture of a S.C. liquor store without getting questions about the red dots so here is one explanation:

Red Dot Stores AKA Liquor Stores: Ever wonder why in South Carolina liquor stores have red dots as their sign? It started with Jesse Fabian a liquor store owner from Charleston and his sign man Alford "Doc" Wamsley. In 1945 the legislature enacted the requirement that sign lettering for a liquor store sign could not be any large than six inches high and four inched wide. After painting the correct size lettering on Jesse's store, they thought the letters were too small to be seen. Inspired by a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes, Doc painted a red dot around the lettering. It spread all across the state. The reason you see a lot of stores using three dots with the letter A, B and C (one letter on each dot) is it stands for Alcohol Bureau of Control, the agency that oversee liquor stores. If you ask a local for a red dot store or a ABC store, chances are they will know what you need.

Charleston Club

53 East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

I spotted this sign on East Bay St. and did some googling around.

The Charleston Club was founded as a social organization in 1852 by a number of prominent Charleston gentlemen. Its clubhouse, then on Meeting Street, provided an exclusive atmosphere for the convivial recreation of its members. After dissolving in 1866, the club was reorganized in 1881 and over the next seventy-seven years was housed in a succession of buildings in downtown Charleston.Since 1958 it has occupied the same address on East Bay Street.

Amazing what you can find online now. Here is a write up about the Charleston Club, this link includes the ingredients in the Charleston Club Punch and this article talks about the first time women were invited in in 1938.

Yeah, it's Friday!

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

This is a frequently photographed section of East Bay St. and it's easy to understand why. It is such a delight to everyone going by that the owners should leave a coin jar out for us all to chip in on maintenance.

I stayed up until midnight last night finishing a work project so I felt justified slipping out to catch my Friday matinee at the Terrace Theater. I saw Moonrise Kingdom and sat in the dark theater grinning to myself. I loved it. Go see it! Thank you, thank you Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis and gang.

Now, someone left a bottle of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur in my frig and I am going to have to deal with it. In other news, I ordered chest #5 this morning. Woohoo! Can't wait.

Say "Amen"

Amen Street, Charleston, S.C.

Uhoh. I should be in bed, shouldn't I? I get a second wind around 11 p.m. and want to keep going.

Amen Street is a seafood restaurant on East Bay St. I had to keep clicking until the sign spun so you could read it. I was trying to remember why it was called "Amen St." and came across this bit of history from their website: 

Amen Street and 205 East Bay Street:Amen Street began as Wragg’s Alley, a small passage through Samuel Wragg’s property, running from East Bay to Motte Street (now part of State Street). By 1788, Wragg’s Alley had been extended westward to Church Street and renamed Amen Street. According to tradition this name was given because “amens” could often be heard from two nearby churches – St. Philip’s and the Methodist Meeting House. In 1839, Amen Street was absorbed into the widened and extended throughway, Cumberland Street. Unfortunately from that time until now the colorful name had disappeared.

Go get some oysters, kids! 

Saturday Chores

Carolina Yacht Club, Charleston, S.C.

This is part of the Carolina Yacht Club on East Bay St. If I recall correctly this building used to be owned by the Shriners. I remember being at events there before it was absorbed by the Yacht Club.

Is everyone having a nice relaxing Saturday? I'm not. I roped my son into coming over to help me clean out the attic. Aaaaack. Why do people ever put things in the attic? We had boxes of books from twenty five years ago. I asked him if he wanted the dusty copy of Modern Electronics. Heheh.

I found the dolls I mailed home to my daughter from Hong Kong before the British turned it over to China. They were copied from the Cabbage Patch dolls and called Rice Paddy dolls and instead of birth certificates they came with British passports to get them out of Hong Kong before the change. Cute.

I think I need a long soak, a cuppa tea and a Klondike bar as a reward.

Rainbow on a gloomy day

Rainbow Row, Charleston, S.C.

There are so many trees on this stretch of East Bay St. that it is hard to get a good picture of the row of houses that make up Rainbow Row. It is a little easier during the winter with some of the trees bare. Check out all these google images: Rainbow Row.

Rainbow Row: After the Civil War, this area of Charleston devolved into near slum conditions. In the early 1900s, Dorothy Porcher Legge purchased a section of these houses numbering 99 through 101 East Bay and began to renovate them. She chose to paint these houses pink based on a colonial Caribbean color scheme. Other owners and future owners followed suit, creating the "rainbow" of pastel colors present today. The coloring of the houses helped keep the houses cool inside as well as give the area its name.

Common myths concerning Charleston include variants on the reasons for the paint colors. According to some tales, the houses were painted in the various colors such that the intoxicated sailors coming in from port could remember which houses they were to bunk in.

 This vintage car happened to come by at just the right time!

The Grande Dames of East Bay St.

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

The sky was so brilliantly blue yesterday it made me look at everything with a fresh eye. I never think of East Bay as a beautiful street but look at these grand houses. They are incredible. Cars move quickly along here so we aren't as likely to appreciate how glorious these buildings are.

I've mentioned that my own house (not one of these) is for sale. I have a big old wooden historic house built in 1840 and share it with two tenants who are kind enough to contribute monthly to my tax and insurance bills. My hope is to downsize to something small and low maintenance.  I don't expect it to sell anytime soon in the current market and remind myself that downtown Charleston isn't the worst place to be stuck. True. Two blocks from the Farmer's Market, King St., restaurants etc. Life could be worse, eh?!

Meanwhile, someone looked at the house yesterday and wants to come back today so I am cleaning up and getting ready to go out for my walk. If I'd won the $325,000 lottery last night none of this would matter.

Stay warm kids!

Friday afternoon

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

I took this a few weeks ago when I was climbing the stairs in all the parking garages in town to see what views I could find. I had to wait until another rainy day to post it. Cool, eh? We don't have too many tall buildings to get scenes like this.

Thanks to Linda Benedict from Island Life newspaper for inviting me to the "Night for the Children" gala at McCrady's last night. It was a delicious treat as always and lucky for me I didn't win anything I bid on in the silent auction. My plan of attack is to look like a participant by bidding early when everything is affordable and assume that I will be outbid.

I am home early after a workshop at James Island County Park, my evening plans have been unexpectedly cancelled and the rain is making my couch look awfully attractive. Later kids! 

Before & After - East Bay St.

Before & After - East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

I found the original on Civil War Photos: Charleston, SC Siege of Charleston 1865.

I am always impressed by how many more trees we have in the city streets than there used to be. It can make it hard to compare the buildings because they are so hidden by foliage.