Internet still slow. Let's see if a few photos from day one in Charleston can be shared.
City tour shots:
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| Seated and ready to go! |
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| Wragg Square |
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| Political Science of Charleston University. |
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| Building on Citadel Campus. |
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| Boone Hall Brick |
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| 30 S. Battery. Over looks Battery and White Point Garden. Adjacent to Ashley River. |
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| Us at the Battery over looking The Ashley River |
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| Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began |
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| Best friend and my sweet Hubby! |
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| A cannon in Battery Park |
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| Mansions and Battery Park overlooking harbor. |
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| Yes, that is Hubby having a look see beneath the train. |
Yea, the upload speed is better today. Let me see how much I can share. We returned to the Visitor center for additional information and some maps. Helps with the perspective of the area. An exhibit of one of the first trains in South Carolina drew Hubby's attention. A fine elderly gentleman was setting up a table with his wife's
sweetgrass baskets. I could afford only a frame. But I was happy to get that!
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| Bertha's family portrait behind Hubby |
Lunch time at
Bertha's Kitchen. The place is not much to look at if you are accustomed to 5 star dining. But, Honey Chil', mmmmmm home cooking at its finest! Hubby and I both had the fried chicken. It was about the chicken with just a fine coating of flour. Too many places make it about the coating. And turnip greens cooked to perfection! With a dash of pepper sauce which is little hot peppers in vinegar. Yea, it is just another Southern thing. And iced tea. Don't even think about it being unsweetened. Shared bread pudding for dessert and we were off to the next place.
Most folks think of plantations when the word South is spoken. There are still many scattered around Charleston and throughout the entire Southern United States. Hubby was interested in
Boone Hall Plantation. Still a working
farm. With a few of the original "house slave" quarters still standing. House slaves were the ones trusted to work in the house. Here is the view as we approached the plantation.
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| Spanish moss draped 300 + years old live oak trees. |
If you ever saw "Gone With the Wind" this drive has that look. The left side of the drive was lined with brick slave quarters. After finding a parking spot we began walking around the immediate area.
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| Gin House |
First was the Gin House. That is a cotton gin, not the liquor. The place had seen better days. It was currently being held together with boards and supports. Since we did not choose to take the wagon ride, we never heard the full plan for the gin.
The stables were still in good shape with horses in the nearby pasture. A small church building for the residents of the plantation now is the visitor center. And the only public louves.
The early days of the plantation one of the big money makers was the brick factory. The Boone Hall bricks were used widely in early Charleston. Numerous homes having the bricks were pointed out on the morning tour. The slave cabins were built with seconds from the factory. The original plantation home for the owners was ironically wooden.
A brick fence now surrounds the gardens adjacent to the circa 1930's main residence. Even the smoke house used for meat preservationwas constructed of brick.
The Low Country was under a heat advisory so we chose not to stand in line to tour the mansion. We've seen plenty of plantations as we visited the South through the years, anyway. Instead, we skirted the edge of the garden managing to stay in the shade or under our umbrellas.
A guide to the property given out with admission price had a list of times docents would be giving presentations about the slave quarters. It was the perfect time. We took seats on the shaded benches and enjoyed learning about the history of the farm. The 9 remaining slave quarters each were mini museums. One a church, a second had sweet grass basket weaving. Others depicted home life, the effects of Emancipation and other significant events for African Americans in the journey to freedom.
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| Tabbi mortar |
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| worn threshold |
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| Former residents selling their wares of sweet grass items. |
Indigo and cotton were two big crops for the plantation.
There you have photos of some of the insides and outsides of the cabins. Some of the displays and example of sweetgrass work. The docent pointed out one brick in particular that left me almost in tears. Remember these bricks were seconds, not good enough to sell. The brick makers were slaves. The docent suggested that since they were considered skilled craftsmen the fingerprint in that brick was probably a child at play. But the thumbprint I found was one of the workers. Fingerprints of humans being bought and sold. Considered property like a horse or mule. No, thanks. We do not choose to tour the mansion.
May you go in peace remembering the value of each human.
Yea, the upload speed is better today. Let me see how much I can share. We returned to the Visitor center for additional information and some maps. Helps with the perspective of the area. An exhibit of one of the first trains in South Carolina drew Hubby's attention. A fine elderly gentleman was setting up a table with his wife's sweetgrass baskets. I could afford only a frame. But I was happy to get that!
First was the Gin House. That is a cotton gin, not the liquor. The place had seen better days. It was currently being held together with boards and supports. Since we did not choose to take the wagon ride, we never heard the full plan for the gin.
A brick fence now surrounds the gardens adjacent to the circa 1930's main residence. Even the smoke house used for meat preservationwas constructed of brick.
A guide to the property given out with admission price had a list of times docents would be giving presentations about the slave quarters. It was the perfect time. We took seats on the shaded benches and enjoyed learning about the history of the farm. The 9 remaining slave quarters each were mini museums. One a church, a second had sweet grass basket weaving. Others depicted home life, the effects of Emancipation and other significant events for African Americans in the journey to freedom.
There you have photos of some of the insides and outsides of the cabins. Some of the displays and example of sweetgrass work. The docent pointed out one brick in particular that left me almost in tears. Remember these bricks were seconds, not good enough to sell. The brick makers were slaves. The docent suggested that since they were considered skilled craftsmen the fingerprint in that brick was probably a child at play. But the thumbprint I found was one of the workers. Fingerprints of humans being bought and sold. Considered property like a horse or mule. No, thanks. We do not choose to tour the mansion.
Hari om
ReplyDeleteMy word, Janice, this was a fabulous post!!! The history oozes through. Thank you for bringing us too! YAM xx
Thanks, YAM. It certainly helps to have something to write about besides sitting in my chair looking out the window. Off again in a few hours. Heading to the family reunion. namaste, janice xx
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