Middleton Place Archives - Charleston FYI

February is Black History Month – a remarkable celebration of African American achievements and their history as a whole. Check out these historical sites around Charleston to celebrate and learn more about the contributions African Americans have made to society.

Drayton Hall

Learn about life in the 18th century at Drayton Hall plantation. Located off of Ashley River Road, Drayton Hall is rich with history. Tours of the plantation focus on the vast impact of the plantation – from architectural and landscaping advancements to the inhabitants that fueled its success.

Fort Moultrie and the Bench by the Road

Fort Moultrie played a significant role in the international slave trade during the 18th century. Take a day trip to visit their African Passages exhibit to get a thorough history of the slave trade. While you’re there you can also sit on the Bench by the Road, which is a commemorative bench that looks out onto the waterway where enslaved Africans were brought through.

Mother Emanuel AME Church

The oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in the Southern United States, Mother Emanuel AME is beaming with history and hope. While some may remember the vicious hate crime that took place at the church in 2015, the church was also the location of an important speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Despite the challenges the church and it’s congregation have faced, the church is a beacon of light in the city of Charleston and a great place to visit.

Middleton Place

Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark that was an influential plantation in the history of Charleston and African Americans. It is also home to the nation’s oldest landscaped gardens. They offer a variety of tours and events where you can learn more about the settlement and history of the plantation.

Old Slave Mart Museum

As the first African American slave museum, the Old Slave Mart Museum is a staple of downtown Charleston. While it was once used as an antebellum slave auction gallery, it now houses centuries worth of history. The museum is extending their hours during Black History Month and will also be open on Sundays.

Featured Image Credit: Gullah Tours Facebook

February is Black History Month and there is plenty of that history in Charleston. While not all of it is pleasant, it’s all important to know. If you want to expand your knowledge and get to know more about how Black Americans contributed, and still contribute, to our society and culture, then we’ve found some ways for you to do so. Below you’ll find just a handful of ways to participate in Black History Month.

Frankly Charleston Black History Tours

Image Credit: Frankly Charleston Tours & Sightseeing Facebook

Frankly Charleston Tours & Sightseeing says, “Slavery is not the history of the African American, Slavery interrupted the history of the African American.” They promise to show you the other side of Charleston by visiting important cultural sites. If you want to see past Charleston’s pretty veneer, this tour is for you.

Middleton Place

Image Credit: Middleton Place Facebook

For Black History Month, Middleton Place will be offering the Beyond the Fields Walking tour throughout February. You can also view Eliza’s House, an exhibit that shows the daily life of slaves and their work outside of the fields. Both of these things are included in general admission. The Middleton Place House Museum will also present an exhibit in the Summer Bedroom focusing on the interaction between members of the Middleton Family and the enslaved house servants. This is included in admission to the House Museum.

Gullah Tours

Image Credit: Gullah Tours Facebook

Gullah Tours take you through Charleston on a journey that explores the Gullah language and culture. You’ll learn about the history, places, and stories relevant to the contributions made by Black Charlestonians. Alphonso Brown will be your tour guide and he is fluent in the Gullah language and is also knowledgeable about many of the Gullah customs.

Old Slave Mart Museum

Image Credit: Old Slave Mart Museum Facebook

The Old Slave Mart Museum is housed in Charleston’s Old Slave Mart (as the name suggests). It was bought in 1938 by Miriam B. Wilson who made the site into a museum of African American history, arts and crafts. When you visit you might meet a staff member who can trace their heritage back to Charleston Slaves. There’s a lot of reading involved, so maybe don’t take the kids there.

Boone Hall Plantation

Image Credit: Boone Hall Plantation Facebook

If you want to observe Black History Month by getting to know more about Black Americans and how they played a role in the building of the country, then Boone Hall Plantation’s Black History In America program is one of the things you should do in Charleston. The story is told using nine of the original slave cabins on the property.

Slavery to Freedom Carriage Tour at Classic Carriage

Image Credit: Classic Carriage Works, LLC Facebook

Carriage tours are a great way to see Charleston. Classic Carriage Works offers many different tours including the Slavery to Freedom Tour. The tour lasts about an hour and is fully narrated by a licensed guide. Throughout the tour, you’ll see about 20 to 30 blocks of historic Charleston.

Gullah Geechee Tours

Image Credit: Gullah Geechee Tours Facebook

Gullah Geechee or Gullah Gullah Tours is another company that focuses on the Gullah culture in Charleston. Your guide Godfrey is a dedicated historian of Charleston Gullah culture. Explore the city in the black Mercedes Benz Chariot. The tour is enhanced by HD videos and images. The tour combines “history you may already know with a truth you could never imagine.”