"K2T Wisata"
Charleston, like many other cities in America, has celebrated and suffered through changes both by design or forces beyond its control. Time, the most unrelenting force, moves in only one direction and either you seize the moment and prepare for the next or you end up a "decaying American city", likened to a "poisoned ecosystem", doomed to becoming a ghost town. (No pun intended, Charleston lives off of its ghosts.) Joe Riley, a previous mayor of Charleston, unflatteringly characterized the downtown district by those words, and then, siezed the moment. Charleston Place rose from a huge, sandy lot where a JCPenney once stood. The Holy City celebrated and was reborn.
Charleston has also on various occasions been tried and tested by the uncontrollable forces wielded by nature in form of earth, wind, and fire. An earthquake devastated the city on August 31, 1886. It damaged 2,000 buildings in Charleston. Hurricane Hugo struck the city September, 1989 when three-quarters of the homes in Charleston's historic district sustained damage of varying degree and caused over $2.8 billion in damage. Charleston has registered five major fires throughout its history, which each occurred in 1740, 1778, 1796, 1838, and 1861. Charleston licked its wounds and rebounded fairly quickly to become what it is today, one of the most popular destinations to visit.
City icons have been systematically dismantled and others have risen in their place. In recent years, residents watched as the two old stately bridges traversing the Cooper River gracefully met their planned demise and the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge ascended in their place, the second longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere. It now stands in the Charleston skyline as a shining beacon and in early spring tens of thousands descend upon it for the Cooper River Bridge Run to tread their way into the very heart of Historic Charleston.
Some icons of the past are now only footnotes in history and few Charlestonians are around to even recall where they once stood. They can only be seen in places containing the city archives or photos floating around the internet, and only if you are looking. The Charleston Hotel was one such icon. It proudly graced Meeting Street for over 120 years and was a cornerstone near the Old Market area. I only happened to stumbled upon it while searching through old pictures of Charleston. It carried the distinction of being counted among the first major buildings to be constructed in the Greek revival style in America.
An interesting part of the Charleston Hotel's story is there were two Charleston Hotels. A little known fact because there is no photographic record of the original Charleston Hotel, which was burned in the famous fire of 1838, when a large section of the city’s Ansonborough neighborhood went up in smoke. It stood less than two years.
Charleston has also on various occasions been tried and tested by the uncontrollable forces wielded by nature in form of earth, wind, and fire. An earthquake devastated the city on August 31, 1886. It damaged 2,000 buildings in Charleston. Hurricane Hugo struck the city September, 1989 when three-quarters of the homes in Charleston's historic district sustained damage of varying degree and caused over $2.8 billion in damage. Charleston has registered five major fires throughout its history, which each occurred in 1740, 1778, 1796, 1838, and 1861. Charleston licked its wounds and rebounded fairly quickly to become what it is today, one of the most popular destinations to visit.
City icons have been systematically dismantled and others have risen in their place. In recent years, residents watched as the two old stately bridges traversing the Cooper River gracefully met their planned demise and the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge ascended in their place, the second longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere. It now stands in the Charleston skyline as a shining beacon and in early spring tens of thousands descend upon it for the Cooper River Bridge Run to tread their way into the very heart of Historic Charleston.
Some icons of the past are now only footnotes in history and few Charlestonians are around to even recall where they once stood. They can only be seen in places containing the city archives or photos floating around the internet, and only if you are looking. The Charleston Hotel was one such icon. It proudly graced Meeting Street for over 120 years and was a cornerstone near the Old Market area. I only happened to stumbled upon it while searching through old pictures of Charleston. It carried the distinction of being counted among the first major buildings to be constructed in the Greek revival style in America.
An interesting part of the Charleston Hotel's story is there were two Charleston Hotels. A little known fact because there is no photographic record of the original Charleston Hotel, which was burned in the famous fire of 1838, when a large section of the city’s Ansonborough neighborhood went up in smoke. It stood less than two years.
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| Bank of America |
The second Charleston Hotel was demolished in 1960. Its address was 200 Meeting Street. When you are walking in the area where Hymans Restaurant is now, look across the street. The Bank of America building occupies the sacred ground where the Charleston Hotel once previously stood 52 years ago. The Bank of America building was built in the early 1990's. Some of the iron works that were part of the old hotel's decor is rumored to be displayed at other places in Charleston.
While you are standing at the front of Hymans, close your eyes and do a "Somewhere in Time". Maybe, upon opening your eyes, you will find yourself in 1840, dressed in a hoop skirt or a gentleman's suit of the day, sipping on mint julep. It certainly would help the proccess, the mint julep that is.
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