Charleston, South Carolina rates five stars as a destination spot.

by

John Pelley

Charleston, South Carolina rates five stars as a destination spot. Beauty, friendliness, and historical significance make this city a great place to tour.

Fort Sumter is situated three and a half miles from Charleston in the harbor. The fort was erected as one of the coastal defenses after the War of 1812. A history of the Civil Wars beginnings can be found in any book. So we will bypass that information, although very interesting.

After the Union surrendered the fort to the Confederacy, the Union proceeded to make plans to retake the fort. When the fort was finally evacuated in 1865, it was virtually annihilated by the constant shelling. No one lost their life through all of the shelling. The only life lost was of Private Daniel Hough, while loading a cannon to give a hundred gun salute after the retaking of the fort. He lost his arm from a premature explosion and died from exsanguination. He was buried on the parade grounds, but his body was never found. On display is the American flag, which flew over the fort during the original bombardment. The fading of the flag reveal the features of a Union soldier and the initials DH. The story told is that it is the figure of Private Daniel Hough.

Another interesting fact is that Abner Doubleday was stationed at Fort Sumter for a time. The parade grounds are shaped like a baseball field.

Fort Wagner, of the movie “Glory” fame is approximately one mile from Fort Sumter. After the Union finally captured Fort Wagner, their artillery joined Forts Moutrie and Johnson in the constant bombardment of Fort Sumter. The city of Charleston was not adversely affected, except from a few Union shells as a form of target practice.

The trip to and from Fort Sumter takes about two and a quarter hours via boat. Along the way the porpoises put on a show for the tourists. I think that the porpoises get a kick out it as much as the people shipboard do. You can board the boat either from Charleston proper or from across the River at Mt Pleasant. We chose Mt Pleasant with its free parking.

At Patriots Point tours are available for visiting the Yorktown Aircraft Carrier, the Laffey Destroyer, the Ingham Coast Guard Cutter and the Clamagore Submarine. Starting with the claustrophobic submarine, we proceeded to visit the other ships. When we reached the Yorktown, we were amazed by her size. It is almost three football fields in length. It is truly a floating city. We spent more than three hours visiting the ships. We did not see everything.

Other exhibits include a Vietnam Naval Support Base, complete with a 31-foot river patrol boat, ammunition bunker, choppers, weaponry and an observation tower. Patriots Point, where these exhibits are is a step back in time.

Sunday is a great day to visit downtown Charleston. Very few parking spaces are available, because of the narrow streets and the residential only parking restrictions. We did find a space at Battery Park, at the bottom of Meeting Street, one of the primary streets in Charleston. This was something of a surprise, since “Boss” is not noted for her diminutive size.

The layout of the city is based on a V, due to the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Meeting Street is the dividing street from which all other streets radiate. The unique taxation laws of early Colonial Days dictate the way houses are constructed. A single house, a single family dwelling is narrow facing the street with most of the residence looking out on a formal garden. Many houses have metal rods between the floors, due to an 1886 earthquake, which help keep the homes intact.

The old cobblestone streets are so bumpy that when a woman was overdo to give birth, she was given a dose of whiskey and a carriage ride up and down the streets, until contractions occurred. Lucky lady?

Charleston is such a fascinating city. There are so many historical buildings. Here are some tidbits which are not on the grand tours:

1. Catfish Row from “Porgy and Bess” is really Cabbage Row. It is unlike the movie or opera. It is just two buildings separated by a narrow gangway. More than one family lived in the buildings, which displayed vegetables in the windows (ergo, Cabbage Row). The spacious courtyard visualized in the opera is nearby. Dubose Hayward, the author, lived just down the street. He wrote the novel Porgy.

2. Hibernian Hall is one of the oldest Irish buildings in American. The centerpiece is a large dome, which was the model for the dome at the Capital Building in Washington DC both had the same architect). I can envision my great grandfathers jaw dropping when he saw this Irish Building after he disembarked from the boat in Charleston from Ireland during the great famine. For many years the election ballots for the city of Charleston were counted in one of the rooms at the Hall. In the floor of the room, by the fireplace is a hiding place, which contained additional ballots for the proper candidate and where unsatisfactory ballots were stuffed. Nothing has changed throughout the years (think Chicago, Florida, etc)

3. Waterfront Park, on the shore of Cooper River, was the home of the docks and wharves. Looking across the river you see the USS Yorktown. At the entrance of the park is an unique sign, which tells the visitor what is not allowed. The first restriction is No Solo Bathing. Does this mean that you can bathe in the fountains in groups, with or with out clothes? Many young people do frolic in the fountains. About one hundred feet from the primary fountain is a rock. If you stand on it, directly in the center, and speak towards the water, your voice will come back to you, similar to an echo. Few people are aware of this phenomenon. I tried it, but wasnt quite too sure if it worked. Some day I will have to try it again.

4. The Dock Street Theatre, founded in 1736, has been rebuilt frequently, due to fires. At one time, c. 1860, it was the Planters Hotel, the home of the drink Planters Punch. Today the Theater is once again a legitimate theater. The “welcoming arms” staircase of the Planters Hotel still dominates the lobby. Men, donning their dress swords went up one side, while the women in their hoop skirts ascended the other stairwell.

The only way to visit Charleston is by walking. Looking through and over the fences gives a wonderful glimpse at the beautiful gardens and courtyards. Most of the house is off of the main street. By taking your time, you can see more of the city.

Took a side trip to The Citadel. The original buildings were at Marion Square at Calhoun, between King and Meeting. The Citadel is one of the few State operated Military academies, the other one being VMI (Virginia Military Institute). The present day campus is about one mile from the old one. It consists of a large parade grounds surrounded by quadrangle dorms, classrooms, and other administrative buildings. The Citadel has a distinguished history of military service from the Civil War to the present day. During Shermann’s March to the Sea, the faculty was afraid that he would torch Charleston. So they moved all of the school’s records to Columbia, SC. Shermann torched that city instead.

John Pelley is a Geriatric Gypsy. He is retired from the rat race of working. He is a full-time RVer, who ran away from home. He began our travels on the East Coast and, like the migrating birds, seek the warmth of the seasons He has discovered volunteering with the National Park System. Hae has a CD he has recorded of Native American flute music., A Day with Kokopelli. For pictures, links, and more information visit http://www.jmpelley.org.

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Charleston, South Carolina rates five stars as a destination spot.}