The history of some this country’s great cities is chronicled in the moss-shrouded graveyards of their churches, in the cool stone of their soaring structure. To really understand a place, you need to find its foundation.
That’s certainly the case in Charleston, S.C. Indeed, the symbol of the city from colonial times through today is St. Philip’s down on Church Street. It’s the1860’s photograph of St. Philip’s, surrounded by the rubble of war that so poignantly paints a picture of the city’s suffering during the Civil War. During that war, the Confederacy melted down her bells to make cannon. It wasn’t until 1976 that bells tolled again form her iconic tower. In her cemetery are buried many of the city’s founders. Charleston’s allure rests on her history, and that history – in no small part – starts at St. Philip’s.
If you’re in search of the Garden of Eden, you – figuratively at least – need venture no farther than Charleston’s Unitarian Church. The meandering graveyard of this National Historic Landmark reflects the Biblical garden. The church is more than a bit reminiscent of the Chapel of Henry V11 in Westminster Abby.
The Civil War ravaged this rebelliously genteel city. The French Protestant Huguenot Church, built by the1840s, was shelled during the war – only to come within a whisker of falling during an earthquake in the 1880s. For all that, it remains a Gothic Revival masterpiece to this day. This is the only independent Huguenot in the United States. You’ll find the soaring white structure at the corner of Church and Queen Streets.
After a visit to these active places of worship (please, don’t snap photos during services), after the spiritual, seek out the succulent. Head to 188 Meeting St. That’s where you’ll find Caviar & Bananas, a gourmet market and café. Ask for take out, find a quiet park bench and sit a while, savoring the history and the sustenance of the day.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: pocketwiley)
