Charleston, SC
May 23, 2012 18:50:41 #
We approach the city over the Cooper River Bridge and drive under a tunnel of Spanish Moss-clad oaks to get to the extensive Visitors Center where we obtain a map of Old Town and inform ourselves of free trolley service.
But first we look at The Citadel, established as the Military College of South Carolina in 1842. It offers the School of Cadets, as well as non-military degree and certification programs in The Citadel Graduate College. The bulldog is its mascot and "Honor, Duty and Respect" is its motto. A robot was being tested on the lawn - the school has a respected engineering program. A memorial to the submarine Seraph stands to remind of secret missions during WWII. It is a conning tower and other instruments of the British sub, decommissioned in 1965; it ended up here because it carried Eisenhower's deputy, Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, to North Africa for secret negotiations with Vichy French officers and Clark later became president of the Citadel.
Charleston city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670. It adopted its present name in 1783. Many Huguenots found their way to Charleston. Indigo was a leading export by 1750. After the Revolutionary War, cotton became the major export. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina voted to secede from the Union. Citadel cadets opened fire on the Union ship "Star of the West" entering Charleston's harbor.
On April 12, 1861, shore batteries under the command of General Beauregard opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter in the harbor. After a 34-hour bombardment, Major Robert Anderson surrendered the fort. In 1865, Union troops took control of the Citadel, not releasing it to the State until 1882. After the defeat of the Confederacy, Federal forces remained in Charleston during the city's reconstruction. The war had shattered the prosperity of the antebellum city. Freed slaves were faced with poverty and discrimination. Industries slowly brought the city and its inhabitants back to a renewed vitality.
On the waterfront of Old Town stands a round fountain. A few blocks inland is the enormous Market, several blocks long. A standout there are the grass and straw articles woven by the Gullah, who are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. They have their own language and customs, especially on the islands.
The Dock Street Theatre with its patina copper filigree balconies was being restored. In Bay Street is a row of houses, featured in many paintings, called Rainbow Row. I found a Huguenot Church.
Back near the Visitor Center there is a park with fountain and a memorial to John C. Calhoun, a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. In this park we spied the first open magnolia blossom, though we had seen a number of buds on our travels south.
We could see the Cooper River Bridge from our hotel window.
But first we look at The Citadel, established as the Military College of South Carolina in 1842. It offers the School of Cadets, as well as non-military degree and certification programs in The Citadel Graduate College. The bulldog is its mascot and "Honor, Duty and Respect" is its motto. A robot was being tested on the lawn - the school has a respected engineering program. A memorial to the submarine Seraph stands to remind of secret missions during WWII. It is a conning tower and other instruments of the British sub, decommissioned in 1965; it ended up here because it carried Eisenhower's deputy, Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, to North Africa for secret negotiations with Vichy French officers and Clark later became president of the Citadel.
Charleston city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670. It adopted its present name in 1783. Many Huguenots found their way to Charleston. Indigo was a leading export by 1750. After the Revolutionary War, cotton became the major export. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina voted to secede from the Union. Citadel cadets opened fire on the Union ship "Star of the West" entering Charleston's harbor.
On April 12, 1861, shore batteries under the command of General Beauregard opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter in the harbor. After a 34-hour bombardment, Major Robert Anderson surrendered the fort. In 1865, Union troops took control of the Citadel, not releasing it to the State until 1882. After the defeat of the Confederacy, Federal forces remained in Charleston during the city's reconstruction. The war had shattered the prosperity of the antebellum city. Freed slaves were faced with poverty and discrimination. Industries slowly brought the city and its inhabitants back to a renewed vitality.
On the waterfront of Old Town stands a round fountain. A few blocks inland is the enormous Market, several blocks long. A standout there are the grass and straw articles woven by the Gullah, who are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. They have their own language and customs, especially on the islands.
The Dock Street Theatre with its patina copper filigree balconies was being restored. In Bay Street is a row of houses, featured in many paintings, called Rainbow Row. I found a Huguenot Church.
Back near the Visitor Center there is a park with fountain and a memorial to John C. Calhoun, a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. In this park we spied the first open magnolia blossom, though we had seen a number of buds on our travels south.
We could see the Cooper River Bridge from our hotel window.
Cooper River Bridge seen from the Citadel area
Citadel Bulldog
The Citadel
on the Cooper River Bridge
Dock Street Theatre
detail
Calhoun
Rainbow Row
May 23, 2012 23:26:38 #
Neat photos. Like the bridge ones, the rainbow row, and the citadel.
May 23, 2012 23:28:47 #
May 24, 2012 01:46:13 #
May 24, 2012 01:48:04 #
PatrickTheCop wrote:
Ahhh my hpme state representing well for a change. :)
Ah, yes, we enjoyed traveling along the SC coast from Myrtle Beach down to Hilton Head and across the State Line to Savannah. All the people with whom we came in contact were very polite.
May 24, 2012 06:15:29 #
Very nice! I am entering the annual Cooper River Bridge run next year and looking forward to some photography. Thanks for sharing.
May 24, 2012 06:49:59 #
May 24, 2012 07:48:34 #
Thanks for letting me see what I missed. I was planning on going earlier in May but had something come up. I've always wanted to go and will try again another time; you made me want to go that much more.
Great captures!!
Great captures!!
May 24, 2012 12:24:49 #
JCook wrote:
Very nice! I am entering the annual Cooper River Bridge run next year and looking forward to some photography. Thanks for sharing.
YIKES! what a mob scene! Wishing you success and some good photo-ops for it. Thank you for commenting on the photos.
May 24, 2012 12:26:20 #
Tooth Maker wrote:
Thanks for letting me see what I missed. I was planning on going earlier in May but had something come up. I've always wanted to go and will try again another time; you made me want to go that much more.
Great captures!!
Great captures!!
Thank you; hope you can make a great excursion out of it. Glad you want to go more. It is a great place.
May 24, 2012 12:27:21 #
Wizz wrote:
Thanks for taking me to Charleston SC! Great shots!
You are welcome; glad you commented.
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