Sixteen Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Charleston

Featured Image Credit: unsplash.com

Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality in Charleston. Years ago, sea captains would announce their arrival and invite people into their homes to hear their story by sticking a pineapple prominently outside their homes.
All of American theatre history began in Charleston at the Dock Street Theatre, which is also the very first theatre built in the country.
The first flag considered to be an American flag contains no red. The Moultrie flag, flown at the battle on Sullivan’s Island, is navy blue with a white crescent emblazoned with the word “Liberty.”
The College of Charleston is the oldest city-sponsored college in the country. And is also the 13th oldest college in the country. Three of its founders helped found our country (Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward).
The show “Army Wives” had an actual fake town constructed in North Charleston for filming purposes.
Charleston likes to call itself the “Holy City” thanks to the crazy number of steeples making up most of the skyline.
Not only is it the most expensive structure in Charleston (at nearly $700,000,000), but The Arthur J. Ravenel bridge is the longest cable-sustained bridge in the country (at precisely 1,546 feet).
The first time the game of golf was played in America was played in Charleston.
Charleston has been a victim of nearly every natural disaster: Hurricane Hugo, the earthquake in 1886, the decade of fire at the turn of the century, the catastrophic flooding in 2015, and a tornado in 1938.
All of the homes in Charleston have verandahs that face either south or west because it is the direction of prevailing wind, and we all know what life would be like without AC in the summer.
The official craft of the state and one that Charleston is known for is the art of sweetgrass basket weaving.
Travel & Leisure named Charleston the Friendliest City in America in 2011 and Conde Nast Traveler has given Charleston the same honor for many years.
It wasn’t always Charles-TON. It was originally Charles Towne, named for King Charles II, but in 1783 they dropped the ‘w’ and the ‘e.’
Charleston is located exactly halfway down the South Carolina coast.
The very first museum instituted was The Charleston Museum in 1773.
When the British first saw what would now be Charleston, a mess of white oysters was seen where the Battery now is, hence the name White Point.

Eat & Drink

Boiled Peanuts: Important To Charleston’s Cultural History?

Featured Image Credit: Traveler of Charleston

We all go a little nuts for peanuts, but did you know that boiled peanuts actually play a role in South Carolina’s folk and cultural history? According to SCIWAY.net, the official state snack dates all the way back to the Civil War. The Confederate troops relied on the nuts as an important source of protein by boiling the peanuts in salted water to sanitize them.

According to food historian Becky Billingsley, peanuts can actually be dated all the way back to African slaves. They were fed raw peanuts from their homeland while on the slave ships coming to the United States. The slaves continued to grow peanuts in their gardens and eventually introduced them to their masters’ families. From there, the growth of peanuts grew exponentially.

Image Credit: Sciway.net

The Gullah culture is a very large part of Charleston history as well. They called peanuts “nguba” which was later adopted into the well known word for peanuts, “goober.” Peanuts are also not actually nuts! They are part of the bean family and begin as a ground flower rather than growing on trees. The weight of the flower forces it to mature under the soil, giving it the name “groundnut.”

Boiled peanuts are good for you too! They are a great source of vitamins and minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Today, people still celebrate the peanut with annual events like the South Carolina Peanut Party in Pelion. The famous little nut is a big part of our southern history and culture

Want to make your own South Carolina boiled peanuts? Here is an easy recipe:

In a large stock pot, dissolve one cup of salt in two gallons of water
Add the green peanuts and bring to a boil
Cover the pot and maintain a low boil for 45 minutes
Check periodically to ensure that the water is covering the peanuts
Turn the heat off and carefully remove a peanut to sample, allowing it to cool first
If the peanut still crunches, return the pot to a boil
Boiled peanuts should be soft and mushy
Add more salt if desired
When the peanuts reach the desired consistency, turn off the heat and allow them to cool for an hour
When they’re cool enough to handle, drain and serve

News

Charleston’s Last Endangered Landmark Could Soon Turn Into Office Space

Featured Image Credit: Bulldog Tours

Jason Ward, president of Landmark Enterprises, said that his company has developed office, industrial and hotel projects across the Charleston area but has never tackled anything quite like this before.

The Old City Jail is quite possibly the creepiest looking building in all of Charleston, but it might just be the neatest. Not only are there ferns and weeds sprouting from the walls, there are chunks of missing stucco and exposed bricks where the masonry eroded away. It’s so eery, it’s awesome.

The three-story building has seen minimal repairs since it was decommissioned as a jail in 1939. Since then, the building has been used for storage, special events, classrooms and you bet, ghost tours. Bulldog Tours currently leads small groups of ghost-hunting thrill-seekers through the building by appointment.

Last year, Ward purchased the building from a corporation that had acquired it four months earlier from The American College of the Building Arts for $2 million. The college recently moved out of the basement of the old building and nestled into their new location on upper Meeting Street.

Image Credit: Marlene Sloss/ Post & Courier Staff

Next week, Ward will go before a city board to seek permission to move forward with his renovations. He plans to turn the building into modern offices, which will bring in a lot of interest considering the history and the story behind the building.

“I’ve never been here without multiple tourists walking though the yard taking pictures of the building,” Ward told the Post and Courier. “That, to me, proved the building was special.”

With an old building, however, comes its slew of problems and structural issues. After an earthquake damaged the building in 1886, the city repaired the floors with a mix of steel and concrete, which has now rusted and expanded.

When The College of the Building Arts moved in, they removed chunks of those floors and built four interior steel towers and anchored walls to them. While helpful, this work was only a temporary solution – a band-aid of sorts.

Ward said he plans to change the building as little as possible. The character of the building would be kept in-tact, as he says he appreciates it just how it is.

Image Credit: Liollio Architecture/BAR

However, it is impossible to make changes to a historic Charleston landmark without getting people talking. Sean Pike, who grew fond of the building ever since he ran around it as a small child, created the Old City Jail Foundation and sent out a recent statement urging its preservation.

On the other hand you have City Planner Jacob Lindsey who said he has had plenty of good informative conversations about the planned work and is hopeful the project will be a positive one for Charleston.

“They’re taking the right steps to preserve the structure and the site,” he said. “They’re a responsible and serious owner that’s seeking to restore the building in keeping with national preservation standards.”

If his plans are approved, then Ward said he hopes construction would begin early next year and finish in 2019. We will just have to wait and see what the board of architectural review decides.