Historic Downtown Charleston SC Real Estate
Lives Lived in History for Owners of Historic Downtown Charleston Real Estate
To live in and own Charleston real estate is to walk in the footsteps of Revolutionary War heroes, signers of the Declaration of Independence and authors of the Constitution. The buildings bear their names – Pinckney and Heyward and Rhett – and their descendents still live and work here. Locals and owners of Charleston SC real estate are quick to point out that while other “colonial towns” may be replicas, Charleston SC is the real thing, a city whose people and architecture have survived through the ages and prevailed in the best - and the worst - of times.
Wealth and Fortune
From the earliest of Charleston's history, many people have wanted to own Charleston SC real estate and few have wanted to leave. By the year 1700, the port city of Charlestown SC was a thriving trading center, which enticed a variety of people with the promise of freedom of religion to make the move and purchase Charleston SC real estate. Planters, tourists, and traders all came to Charleston for fun and profit, and they bought their Charleston SC real estate and stayed. Wealthy merchants built impressive homes along the city’s narrow streets, many of which still exist in the Charleston SC real estate market. Plantation owners grew the cash crops – rice, indigo, and later cotton – on the backs of slaves, another of the port’s lucrative shipping trades.
By the end of the 18th century, Charleston SC was well on its way to becoming one of the wealthiest cities in the colonies. Many of city’s earliest homes were made of half-timber, tabby (oyster shell and sand) and pink Bermuda stone (coquina shell). With fire and storms threatening the Charleston homes frequently, builders eventually turned to brick and imported stone. Many Charleston homes were two or three stories, with the typical Charleston “single house” only one room wide along the street. Piazzas and intricate ironwork were added and subtracted to various floors as years went by. In some areas of Charleston, the ground floor was likely to house business quarters such as a counting house, storefront or bakery. And in the rear, support buildings, including kitchens, laundries, stables and slave quarters formed a courtyard.
A Proud Re-birth
During the Civil War, Charleston SC endured 567 consecutive days of bombardment, the longest in history. The opulence that once distinguished the most beautiful city in the South was tattered or destroyed, leaving the treasures of Charleston real estate in the ash pit of history. But not for long. Plans for restoration were never far from the minds of residents and owners of Charleston SC real estate. After the turn of the 20th century, many sought to reclaim the former glory of Charleston SC and an arduous process of re-birth began. The result of this passion to reclaim the past resulted in the birth of the “urban resort” that is Charleston today. With more architecturally significant 18th and 19th century buildings than any other city in America, Charleston SC real estate glows in the glory of its collection of gracious houses and imposing civic structures. Fine examples of Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival architecture are carefully maintained and proudly shared.
Historic Downtown Charleston SC Real Estate Today
But downtown Charleston represents the best of many worlds – with the Port of Charleston at the heart of its post-war economy. It is a city alive with culture, fine dining, and worldly residents. Shopping, which is within walking distance of many of the best addresses of downtown Charleston SC real estate, includes browsing the famed King Street Antiques District; discovering the latest new works in one of the many Charleston art galleries; and trying on the latest fashions from New York and Paris. Downtown Charleston SC real estate melds the Southern aristocratic life of yesterday with the convenience of today in a perfect fit for a variety of lifestyles. The two- to three-story mansions with 11-foot ceilings that litter downtown Charleston SC real estate may feature colossal designed-for-entertaining kitchens, secret gardens, and private porches. You will find carriage houses and other outbuildings transformed into mother-in-law suites or stand-alone separate properties.
Downtown Charleston SC real estate also offers a plenitude of other distinguished residents, from charming brick carriages to contemporary condos strung along the sparkling waterfront, some with views of Waterfront Park or Ashley River’s latest private marina. Charleston SC is many things to many people, a place where resort living is synonymous with urban living; where the past and present are alive simultaneously. With its unique urban resort lifestyle, Charleston SC is still the place that many want to come to, and few want to leave.
