Sixteen ca. 1920s photographs of scenes in Charleston, South Carolina, affixed to pages removed from a photograph album, four photos on each side. Includes views of the Charleston waterfront, the Ashley River Bridge, Hampton Park, and aerial views across the Charleston peninsula. Note: Zoom in on the photographs to see the landscapes! The landmark buildings […]
On September 29, 1938, five tornadoes swept through the South Carolina Lowcountry, two of which ravaged parts of downtown Charleston, causing several fatalities and injuries and two million dollars in damages. The tornadoes damaged or destroyed almost everything in its path, particularly on Market Street, Broad Street near Church Street, and State Street. As with […]
In 1967, Historic Charleston Foundation was deeply concerned about the conditions of the downtown area, particularly the commercial blocks of King Street. Because the Foundation believed that the survival of King Street as a thriving retail shopping district was vital, it launched a feasibility study to determine the potential of the area. The study examined […]
This scrapbook features a compilation of original deeds, titles, and other documents related to the transfer, sale, and ownership of 72-74 Tradd Street, known now as the Fotheringham-McNeil Tenements. Documents span the years 1765 to 1961, and likely represent the entire history of the ownership of the double tenement throughout that time period. The scrapbook […]
Souvenir booklet containing photographs of the aftermath of the Charleston Earthquake of 1886, featuring the damage done to buildings. Published by Walker, Evans & Cogswell (Charleston, S.C.), 1886. Photographs by Heliotype Printing Co., Boston, Mass. [24] leaves of plates, 12 x 20 cm.
In the 1950s many houses in Ansonborough were threatened with ”demolition by neglect,” having stood vacant or fallen into severe disrepair. In order to encourage homebuyers to move into the neighborhood to save these formerly unwanted treasures, Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) was the first organization in the country to develop the Revolving Fund as a […]
Since its founding, Historic Charleston Foundation had been nursing its interest in the rehabilitation of an entire neighborhood. However, a formal plan had not been devised until the late 1950s, a time when the historic Ansonborough neighborhood was in a state of decline, with many formerly grand houses in a state of severe disrepair and […]
This collection features publications related to architecture, including Charleston architecture. Additional works may be added in the future. See also the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs Collection.
A twelve-part, mostly pictorial publication about Charleston and the vicinity. Distributed throughout the parts is an essay describing Charleston’s history and development. The photographs feature buildings, residences, churches, street views, river views, historic gardens, cemeteries, railroad structures, phosphate mining activity, and wharves. Published in 1893 by W. H. Parish (Chicago, Illinois).
Directory of local businesses of all sorts. Published by Cooke, Howard & Co. (Baltimore, Md.), ca. 1889. Advertisements interspersed throughout, many of which are illustrated. Business types include bakers and confectioners, barbers, blacksmiths, building materials, butchers, contractors and builders, cigars and tobacco, groceries, furniture, hotels, insurance, house furnishings, painters, plumbers, railroad companies, restaurants, sailmakers, tailors, […]
Photographs of Charleston buildings, streets, and other sites. Includes brief history of Charleston. Presumably published by A. Wittemann (New York); printed by The Albertype Co. (New York). [2] p., [48] leaves of plates. Measures 13 x 19 cm.
The Civic Services Committee (CSC) (1942-1946) was the predecessor body to Historic Charleston Foundation. It was formed by the Carolina Art Association to address the need for architectural preservation and to implement city planning in response to growth. The Committee received grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corporation, which were used to retain Frederick […]
The folio, Examples of Colonial Architecture in Charleston, S.C. and Savannah, Ga., features photographic plates of some of the most important houses and buildings in Charleston and Savannah. Photographs include exterior views of the buildings, gates, and entrances, as well as interior views of fireplaces, mantels, doors, rooms, and ceilings. Compiled and photographed by Edward […]
A photograph album created by William Muckenfuss for Mrs. Frances A. Robb, in the 1940s. Album contains photographs of various Charleston buildings, houses, landmarks, sites, events, battleships, and people as well as other Lowcountry places. Mrs. Robb lived on Wentworth Street and several photographs are of her home and neighborhood.
Souvenir booklet entitled Glimpses of the South Carolina, Interstate and West Indian Exposition Including Some Characteristic Views of the City of Charleston and Scenes at the Pan-American Exposition Recently Held at Buffalo: 126 Half-tone Pictures and a Map of the Grounds. Booklet contains captioned photographs, including some with descriptive text. Measures 13 x 18 cm.
Historic Charleston Foundation’s Oral History Project began in 2003 as a staff initiative which grew from the realization that Charleston was rapidly losing members of the generation involved with the founding of Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF). At that time, the decision was made to videotape hour-long interviews with former trustees and other pioneers in the […]
One of the first fundraising programs developed by Historic Charleston Foundation after its incorporation in 1947 was its annual spring tours of historic houses, during which trained “hostesses” would guide visitors through several private homes in Charleston’s historic district. In addition to raising revenue to support Historic Charleston Foundation’s preservation efforts, the tours performed an […]
This small map collection features original and facsimiles of historic maps of Charleston. Additional maps may be added in the future.
Thirty-nine ca. 1960 black-and-white photographs of houses and buildings on Alexander, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Meeting Streets within Mazyckborough-Wraggborough.
Clarence E. Chapman, a New York financier and stockbroker, and his wife Adelaide, purchased Mulberry Plantation (a/k/a Mulberry Castle) in 1916 at which time they undertook the restoration of the main house and rehabilitation of the grounds and outbuildings over the next several years. Mulberry Plantation was thus transformed into a site of leisure and […]
A National Historic Landmark, the Nathaniel Russell House Museum was built and completed in 1808 for Charleston slave merchant Nathaniel Russell, becoming an exemplar of neoclassical architecture in the United States. Historic Charleston Foundation acquired the house in 1955 and has restored the site to its original 1808 appearance using forensic analysis and cutting-edge conservation […]
“The proposal to build a hotel and convention center complex in the heart of Charleston ignited a fierce debate in Charleston in the late 1970s and early 1980s that divided public opinion locally and attracted considerable attention nationally.” While Historic Charleston Foundation expressed neither support nor opposition for the development of the block, it played […]
Mulberry Plantation is believed to have received its name because of an early interest in raising silk, as worms that spin silk generally feed on Mulberry leaves. However, the plantation was more successful as a rice plantation. Rice was cultivated at Mulberry Plantation from colonial days until 1918. Rice cultivation was difficult and dangerous work […]
Photographs taken by Sabina Elliott Wells in 1898-1899. Wells was a Charleston artist and designer; she was also a Newcomb potter. Photographs include scenes in Charleston and the Lowcountry, in northwest South Carolina (Table Rock and vicinity), and in western North Carolina (Flat Rock and vicinity). Scans were derived from negatives donated to Historic Charleston […]
This collection from Historic Charleston Foundation consists of B&W photographs of buildings and other properties located in Charleston County that were destroyed, relocated, or otherwise modified because they were in the right-of-way of where roads were being constructed or widened. Building and dwelling types include houses, apartment buildings, freedman’s cottages, mobile homes, commercial and industrial […]
Nineteen ca. 1940s photographs of scenes in Charleston, South Carolina. Sixteen are of various buildings and streets and three feature wooden structures in an unidentified rural setting.
Thirty-five late-19th century photographs of scenes in Charleston, South Carolina; Georgetown, South Carolina; and (likely) Flat Rock, North Carolina, affixed to pages removed from a photograph album, five to six photos on each side. Many depict leisure activities and rice cultivation at what is likely a Georgetown County plantation. The collection also includes river and […]
Photographs of the damage caused by the Charleston Earthquake of 1886. Photos are captioned with details, including the dollar amount of the damage. Introductory text by Alex. M. Cochran. Also includes advertisements for a variety of Charleston businesses, trades, merchants, and professionals. Publisher unknown. 70 p.; 24 cm.
Still images found among the belongings of Henry T. Zacharias, a Charleston builder and contractor in the late 19th- and early-20th century. Zacharias built and/or repaired many notable buildings in Charleston. Includes photographs and one engraving of buildings on which he worked (or likely worked); photographs of battleships in dry dock at the Charleston Navy […]
This collection includes pamphlets, brochures, and souvenir booklets that feature historic buildings, landmarks, historic sites, and other points of interest. Many include Charleston history, narrative descriptions properties, photographs, and other illustrations. The collection spans 1890-1940.
The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs was created under the auspices of the White Pine Bureau to encourage the use of white pine as a building material. The by-monthly series was edited by Russell F. Whitehead, former editor of The Architectural Record and The Brickbuilder, with advertising support from Weyerhaeuser Forest Products, a Minnesota-based […]