Having already fallen in love with Charleston after a day spent wandering by myself, I was excited to join a professional tour guide and learn the history of this beautiful and unique-looking town. Meeting at The Mills House Hotel on the conveniently named Meeting Street, there were nine of us on the tour which was to be led by the incredibly jovial Ed Grimball, a 12th generation Charlestonian who has been operating sightseeing tours for 25 years.
Staff Review
Ed was clearly incredibly passionate and proud of his hometown, and we instantly felt immersed in that famous Southern hospitality that radiated from Ed as he spoke. As this was a history tour, we started at the beginning in 1680 when the town was founded, and heard about the commendable work the Preservation Society of Charleston was doing to keep the town thriving whilst maintaining her natural charm. That was one of my favorite parts of the tour; how Ed referred to any beautiful building, monument, or park as ‘her’!
| Four Corners of the Law
After strolling through Washington Park and admiring the 150 year old live oak trees, we paused in front of the 1st fire-proof building built in the US (designed by Robert Mills) before arriving at the busiest intersection of Charleston; Broad St and Meeting St. Known as the Four Corners of the Law, an architecturally stunning building stood on each corner of the junction representing a legal jurisdiction. Across the street from us was St. Michael's Episcopal Church (ecclesiastical law), which stood opposite the US Post Office (federal law), then over Broad St was Charleston County Courthouse (state law), and finally Charleston City Hall (representing city law). Right on cue, the Thwaites & Reed bells began to chime!
| Nathanial Russell House
These buildings were highly impressive given that the church is the oldest in the city (built in 1761), and the city hall is the second oldest in the country, built in 1801. On the theme of being impressed, we rounded a corner and stopped to speak with Ed’s friend Deborah Greene, who makes sweetgrass baskets on the sidewalk. These intricate woven baskets are regarded as the city’s most treasured cultural keepsake, and if properly cared for can last up to 200 years - but unfortunately I couldn’t fit one in my backpack.
Next on the tour was the Nathanial Russell House, built in 1808 by the sailing merchant. Ed told us this was his favorite historic site on the tour and it wasn’t difficult to see why, the stunning three-storey facade was intricately designed and featured ornate ironwork within a beautifully landscaped garden. We were told we could take a tour of the inside separately, so I’ll add that to my Charleston to-do list!
| Sabal Palmetto Trees
Leisurely walking down Meeting Street past the enormous mansions and the Sabal Palmetto trees (the state tree don’t you know), we learnt about earthquake bolts, the Charleston single house, and had a go on an original carriage stepping stone, all while listening to Ed’s entertaining and impassioned commentary. There wasn’t a question he didn’t know the answer to, and we asked a lot! This brought us to Water Street (so named because it was once a creek that they filled with land), which ends on East Bay Street overlooking the Cooper River and the distant Fort Sumter.
| Rainbow Row and Provost Dungeon
With only a short time left on the two hour tour, we headed north on E Bay St to the iconic Rainbow Row, a series of houses in varying pastel shades (apparently there are 72 ‘approved’ colors allowed in the city) that were built between 1723 and 1792, marking the original waterfront of Charleston. The sightseeing walk ended at The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, a formidable building built in 1767 and operated as a prisoner of war station during the American War of Independence.
| Thanks for reading!
I can’t recommend this tour enough to Charleston visitors, residents, and anyone who enjoys enthralling historical stories from a thoroughly genial guide. I’ve been on many sightseeing tours in my time but Ed made this experience stand out amongst the rest, and I now share his appreciation and admiration for Charleston as a truly welcoming city.
