Charleston

[kealbo54]

As many of you know,I reenact,and loosely portray special artist Frank Vizetelly of the Illustrated London News.I am going to Charleston SC in November and have a question.
I have already successfully looked into boats to Morris Island,and gotten lots of help witth Hunley sites.When Mr.Vizetelly stayed in Charleston he stayed at the Charleston Hotel on Meeting st.It would be a great hoot to stop at this place if it still exists.Help is appreciated. thnx.

 

[AndyHall]

There are several old hotels on Meeting Street. Do you know the address of Vizetelly's?

 

[kealbo54]

not as of now. all i know is it was the Charleston Hotel.

 

[AndyHall]

Regardless, I don't think you're getting a room at $3/night. Rates have gone up, dude.

 

[kealbo54]

Andy you are incredible! I dont think its there anymore,is it?

 

[AndyHall]

I'm looking.

 

[kealbo54]

maybe if I am in my period garments and pay in Confederate scrip?

 

[kealbo54]

Vizetelly writes a neat story about the first bombarding from Swamp Angel,and how he and a friend were betting on where the next shot would land.He did at least one sketch of Charleston streets while the shellings were on.

 

[AndyHall]

Folks may recall that the official ceremonies restoring Fort Sumter to Union control took place on Friday, Aptil 14, 1865, a few hours before Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theater in Washington. Boston Daily Advertiser, April 20, 1865:

 

[AndyHall]

maybe if I am in my period garments and pay in Confederate scrip?

I would totally take that.

 

[AndyHall]

Charleston House seems to have been such a well-known fixture in Charleston that adverts for it didn't need to give the address, and small businesses listed their location relative to the hotel. For example, a wholesale agent firm, Dowie & Moise, ran ads with their address given as "151 Meeting Street, opposite Charleston Hotel."

Based on that, I believe the hotel was located at the intersection of Meeting and Cumberland Streets, and three of the four buildings at that intersection today are too new to have been the Charleston Hotel from that time. There is a smaller building on the NW corner that seems old, but it's definitely not the same.

Maybe someone from Charleston can speak with more authority on this, but I think it's gone.

 

[kealbo54]

According to what i have googled,Meeting st is and was hotel/ motel mecca for Charleston.One large grand place,The Mills House? is still operating and looks much the same as it did.I was pretty amazed at how much in ruins downtown was,post war.Lots from a fire more than war-fare.

 

[kealbo54]

Charleston House seems to have been such a well-known fixture in Charleston that adverts for it didn't need to give the address, and small businesses listed their location relative to the hotel. For example, a wholesale agent firm, Dowie & Moise, ran ads with their address given as "151 Meeting Street, opposite Charleston Hotel."

Based on that, I believe the hotel was located at the intersection of Meeting and Cumberland Streets, and three of the four buildings at that intersection today are too new to have been the Charleston Hotel from that time. There is a smaller building on the NW corner that seems old, but it's definitely not the same.

Maybe someone from Charleston can speak with more authority on this, but I think it's gone.

That is some great detective work,Andy!You definatly have helped in making my Charleston excursion that much more neato fun.You helped on the Hunley stuff as well.The reenactment at Boone Hall is actually in Mt Pleasant,and I believe thtas where the Hunley crew was quartered.I figured the actual hotel wasnt thwere anymore,but its cool to have an address to work wit!

 

[AndyHall]

Expired Image Removed

 

[kealbo54]

I would almost bet that the
National Bank of SC is where the place stood.

 

[kealbo54]

Expired Image Removed

Yup,thats Vizetelly..Thanks for saving me the trouble of posting it.He also did a rather gruesome sketch of Battery Wagner,that I will have to locate.

 

[AndyHall]

One large grand place, the Mills House? is still operating and looks much the same as it did.

I think you should go into the lobby of the Mills House, in character, and ask for directions to the Charleston Hotel. When they say it no longer exists or they don't know, you could make a big, histrionic scene about how it obviously does, and they're refusing to give directions to a competitor, etc., etc.

 

[AndyHall]

Illustrated London News here.

 

[kealbo54]

That sounds fun,and I might just do it.I hope to have a good time,however short it might be.Fortunately most of what I want to see is pretty close together

 

[kealbo54]

Lots more published Vizetellys than I thought.Lots of surving originals were destroyed in the London Blitz in WW2.There was a cash bounty on all his captured work offered by the war dept.
My research also uncovered a hand-written note by him with a rare Brady CDV for the price of 1900 bucks.Might have to start playing Lotto.,hehe.That pair would be quite a nifty thing to put in my haversack.