Its HOT! HOT! HOT! THINK COOL THOUGHTS! Christmas in July! A Charleston Walking Tour full of Holiday Spirit!~

The weather outside is frightful, but in here its so delightful. Yes friends, as I write you today from a cool air conditioned room, the Dog Days of Summer are upon us, and it's hot and steamy here in Charleston! For many years in the 1980s and 1990s I was in the Real Estate Industry. My office was a third floor walk up at the corner of Church and Broad Street.In those days, even in the heat of the Summer, no business man would be seen on the sidewalk without a coat and tie. Oddly, many looked fresh and cool. Perhaps it was the seersucker suits. I decided to ask my dad, Bernard Ray, a man who watched television at home wearing a tie,how it was that he and that cadre of Charlestonian men forged on through the Summer as if the heat wasn't an issue.What was it, what was the secret? So,going to the source, the Chairman of the Board at the C&S Bank and a former President of the Hibernian Society, I asked my father to reveal to me the great secret of staying cool in a steamy Lowcountry Summer. His response? "Son, think cool thoughts." And so friends, I proclaim it Christmas in July! Yes, Christmas is just six months away so I want to bring to your attention our hugely popular Christmas in Charleston Walking Tour that we offer starting Thanksgiving Weekend through New Years Eve. For this tour I have researched Christmas as it was celebrated at pivotal years in Charleston's history.

Not to give too much away.... What was the hottest job in town on Christmas Day 1886? (the year of the Great Earthquake?) What was the hot new dance craze at Christmas in 1860? ( South Carolina has recently declared independence) How about 1929, the year of the Stock Market Crash? What was Christmas Pie, sold in every food shop and a staple on every Holiday buffet? What prominent congregation did not celebrate Christmas? These are just a few of the fascinating insights into Charleston culture and society that you will learn as we tour past homes festively decked for the holidays and tour churches preparing for the Birth of the Savior. Make this really fun Walking Tour of old Charleston a yearly tradition, and join a public group in the afternoon or arrange a private tour for your family , visiting friends, or community group.

Ceramics for Slaves: Colonoware

Charleston Old Walled City Tours will offer the Slavery and Freedom Walking Tour Daily at 10:30 AM in the month of February, Black History Month. This two hour event covers less than a mile. Purchase Tickets Here: Book Now!



Colonoware vessel, Georgia ca 1750

Ceramics are often the primary find at archaeological digs. They are important in determining the economic status, food ways and eating habits of those that lived there.  In colonial digs here in Charleston, early porcelain shards from Germany and England are common, reflecting Charleston's status as the major seaport on the  eastern seaboard. Late colonial and antebellum digs reveal the Chinese Export porcelain so cherished and displayed today in the china cabinets of many an Old Charleston family. Occasionally, the alkaline glazed stoneware  produced in the upstate of South Carolina is to be found in post -1820 sites. These ceramics are thoroughly documented.

Mixed among the shards are another ceramic not so well documented , and it is dubbed  Colonoware. Colonoware is a hand coiled and pit fired pottery long produced as an inexpensive trade item by American Indians and sold or bartered in the city.  It is never found stashed in the back of barns, or at estate sales. It is never  found passed down as precious family heirlooms. It is commonly found at dig sites of 18th century pioneer settlements and at 18th and  19th century plantation communities. Normally found as broken shards, intact specimens are recovered from riverbeds. Since trade goods were transported by water, the occasional overturned boat provides intact specimens. The example below was recovered from the Savannah River.(see Figure 1 below). 

As Native Americans dispersed from the southeast, it appears that Colonoware production was taken up by plantation blacks to provide cooking and eating vessels. This is a practice most likely encouraged by plantation owners. It was, after all,  an inexpensive source of cooking and eating  ware that put elderly or substantially disabled individuals back to work. 

Typically, plantation slaves would have prepared food in a common pot. The food would have been transferred from the pot to a large wooden trough for serving and eating where it would be shared by all, or the food would be transferred into small bowls or pots, such as the colonoware bowl  here illustrated.

Figure 1.Colonoware Vessel

Classic cooking bowl form

Eighteenth century digs at plantation sites where the enslaves lived reveals little in the way of serving spoons or cutlery of any sort. Most white frontiersman were eating with wooden spoons, and this was probably the norm for the enslaved as well. Although the archaeological record is silen, we do know that they were not eating with metal implements. As pewter became available, it use was reserved initially for whites. Thus, for the first half of the eighteenth century many plantation slaves would have eaten without utensils, using shells or makeshift items. 

Some scholars suggest that Colonoware was folk craft handed down from Africa. There are certainly precedents. Similar coiled and low fired ware was produced in Africa, as it was in virtually all cultures. Indeed, more sophisticated high fired wares were produced in Africa and all over the world. Whatever its origin, we know that the Catawba Tribe was trading in Colonoware well into the nineteenth century, wares that were used on the plantation by slaves. Colonoware shards from the earliest sites reflect the aboriginal styles of the native Americans, but it was not long before the ware produced for sale took on the look of European vessels such as the one pictured above.

 In the short story “Loves of the Driver”, author William Gilmore Simms notes that during his boyhood in the 1810s that 

It was the custom of the Catawba Indians …to come down, at certain seasons, from their far homes in the interior, to the seaboard, bringing to Charleston a little stock of earthen pots and pans….which they bartered in the city. They did not, however, bring their pots and pans from the Nation, but descending to the Lowcountry empty handed, in groups or families, they squatted down on the rich clay lands of the Edisto and and there established themselves in a temporary abiding place, until their simple potteries had yielded them a sufficient supply of wares with which to throw themselves into the market.”

That colonoware was produced for the slave population can be inferred by the statement of Phillip Porcher, a St Stephens SC resident , recounting that :

“….the Catawba Indians ….traveled down from the upcountry to
Charleston, making clay ware for the negroes along the way. They would camp until a section was supplied and then move until finally Charleston was reached.”

Finally, Charley Watson, a former slave from Winnsboro, SC, in a WPA interview in 1935 recalling plantation days of the 1850s  said:

“De Indians fetch their pots and jars to sell”

Note that by this time , (1850s) exceptional high fired utilitarian stoneware was being produced and sold in the Winnsboro area. The stoneware, with a glassy alkaline glaze, was both durable and easy to clean. It was used for food production but also for serving as well, although fancy ware from Charleston was preferred at the dining table by country housewives who could afford it.  By this time tinsmiths were producing plates and cups in the upcountry and rail was bringing goods inland from the coast. Apparently, the use of these items were reserved for the white population, and colonoware use was reserved for the slave population.

Below are examples of contemporary Catawba Pottery. This is a highly collectible product that is different than the Colonoware produced for trade
.
Figure 2. Contemporary Catawba Ware

Contemporary Catawba Pottery

Because Colonoware was a low fired product it was delicate, not unlike porcelain.  But unlike porcelain, this porous and unglazed product  stained easily and would have retained flavors from previous  use.  It  would not have been uniformly sanitary after cleaning and would have been a breeding ground for microbes. It seems that its major advantage was low cost.  I suspect that, in its own way,it was a  symbol of repression. Colonoware was an inferior product, a fact perhaps not noted by the 18^th century enslaved population , but certainly by nineteenth century enslaved, observing the expansion of ceramic and tin options. As food preparation and serving vessels improved with the introduction of  tin and stoneware, colonoware continued as the Master's choice for the slave street.

This premise is proven by the distribution of Colonoware shards at dig sites all throughout the southeast from Florida to Alabama to Virginia. Shards are commonly found interspersed among other shards in archaeological digs. Present in both eighteenth and nineteenth century digs, it is far more predominant in earlier sites than later. It is interesting to note that it is virtually nonexistent at post civil war sites.

It would seem that freed African Americans in post civil war society left colonoware behind when allowed to choose their own vessels.

January 19 is the birthday of National Unity Leader Robert E. Lee

       Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetary, recently removed

 April 9, 1865 was a sad day for the 28,000 strong  Army of Northern Virginia. It was the day that marked the end of the long struggle by southern states for independence. General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to General Grant at Appomattox. Grant’s terms were generous, allowing the men to go home and carry their personal property. Officers were even allowed to keep their swords. Grant wanted to strike a tone of reconciliation. As the surrender was announced, his men commenced firing a salute of a hundred guns in honor of the victory.

 Quoting Grant “. I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped. The Confederates were now our prisoners, and we did not want to exult over their downfall. “

 General Robert E Lee announced the terms of surrender to his vanquished troops. Among his final orders he declared:

 “Let us furl the banner, never to unfurl it again”

 Robert E Lee became a symbol of national reconciliation. The leader of a Confederate army earned respect and admiration both north and south. Because Robert E Lee was such a great man, and because he set the tone for reconciliation after the War, he was lionized, and rightly so, by vanquished southerners. He aimed to set the tone for healing the wounds of a war torn nation. Shortly after the War he became president of Washington College, later Washington and Lee University. The day he was sworn in as college President, he took an oath to “henceforth” support the U.S. Constitution, his recommendation to all former Confederates. 

At his funeral in 1870, no flags of the Confederacy were displayed.. Lee did not want such divisive symbols following him to the grave. Former Confederate soldiers marching did not don their old military uniforms, and neither did the body they buried. The flag was folded up and put away, making occasional appearances at funerals and later, Veteran’s reunions.

As for the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, it has been a symbol of heritage to some, a symbol of  terrorism to others. The young man that killed the nine martyrs at Mother Emanuel AME Church in June 2015 wrapped himself in that flag, and so now the flag has been furled, never to fly again, at least not on Public property..
General Robert E Lee would be pleased.

February is Black History Month : Identifying the ironwork of Peter Simmons

Peter Simmons (1856 - 1957) was a blacksmith and the mentor to Phillip Simmons, the famous African American  blacksmith who was commissioned to forge beautiful ornamental ironwork that graces  the driveways, balconies  and garden entrances in downtown Charleston and throughout the Lowcountry. It is estimated that a full 60% of surving ornamental iron work in Charleston is attributed to him over his 65 year career, But many ofd those attributions are incorrect, as they are the work of his mentor, Peter Simmons, whose commissions, up to now, have been  unhdocumented. .  

I am a believer that when it comes to history, the absence of evidence is not necessarily the evidence of absence. Consider that gentlemen in the Age of Letters oftentimes instructed estate executors to burn their correspondence. The idea that a google search will provide the definitive answer –end of discussion—is a flawed approach. I contend that just because it can be found  on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s the last word, or the only word, on a topic..

To paraphrase Paul Harvey, there’s always the rest of the story.

Such is the story of Peter Simmons. As many of you know, Peter Simmons was mentor for famous Charleston blacksmith Phillip Simmons. The literature tells us that Phillip Simmons trained in his blacksmith shop at 37 Calhoun Street starting at about age 13. One would think from the literature that Peter Simmons was engaged in a utilitarian trade, fixing wagon wheels, spokes etcetera. There is no mention that  he took commissions for ornamental work., yet his apprentice Phillip Simmons is famous for his ornamental work. Ah, the absence of evidence….

The idea that Peter Simmons taught Phillip Simmons the magic of turning iron into artwork is a logical conclusion. After all, was Phillip Simmons so innately talented that he taught himself? Some would have you think so, but now the evidence has emerged confirming speculation that he learned his ornamental skills from his old mentor.

Here we have a gate, photo provided by  Phillip Simmons to the Old Slave Mart Museum, ornamental ironwork directly attributable to Peter Simmons. 

The Old Slave Mart Collection, gathered and curated  by Miriam Wilson in the first part of the 20^th century, included ornamental wrought iron donated by Phillip Simmons in 1967. In the 1980s the collection sold for $12,000 to a black gentleman in Walterboro who sold off a substantial parts of the collection at auction, including Peter Simmon’s ironwork, in 2018.  I went to the auction to document his work, and attached are those photographs. Peter Simmon’s ironwork was purchased by the Smithsonian Museum.

Peter Simmons Ironwork

One design element unique to Peter Simmons is the stamen and frond design as  seen in the second piece to right.This design can be found on a number of properties around town including the garden wall at the Colonel John Stuart House at 106 Tradd Street and the driveway gate at  36 Meeting Street, a gate executed by Phillip Simmons using fine  hanmmered husk work created by his mentor Peter Simmons> Note also the twirled or twisted iron bar design taken up by Peter Simmons.

 

The Six Mile House - A Spooky Story For Halloween!

Its Halloween and its time for Spooky Stories! Charleston Old Walled City Tours has launched our 

Spectral Adventure Charleston Ghost Tour and ytou can purchase it at the website. The public Tour is offered nightly at 8 PM for 28.50 for adults and 11"50 for kids. Buy at the website nad  use the code for a discount. You can also make it a private tour, just you and your homies, for $200 at the website, with aflexible start time. So here's an old chestnut, one of many in my repertoirem and IU hope ypu will come out and join us for spooky fun! And the picture? That is me telling a story with orbs circling my head!

Go here www.walledcitytours.com/

enter code CGT25

See ya on the streets!

                                        The Story of the Six Mile House

The story that I tell today is one of Charleston’s oldest and most colorful legends, a legend used to terrify tiny Charlestonians for generations, Indeed, I was but 6 years old when my father told me the story of  Charleston’s favorite serial killers, John and Lavinia Fisher.  

  But to properly tell the tale, I first need to reference Charleston’s most haunted structure. It sits on a notorious site. First, it was the site a paupers graveyard, but in 1772 they built a gunpowder storage facility, a powder magazine, on the site . Eight years later, in May of 1780, when the Patriots surrendered to the British, terms of parole demanded that they surrender their firearms and gunpowder at the Magazine. It seems that someone dropped their pipe! The magazine went up with a huge explosion that liquidated 29 men and sent body parts flying across town. They claimed that the imprint of a body was left in the steeple at the Unitarian church! 

No, the building I speak of was built in 1803 on that very site. It stands today as a tall, gaunt, crumbling Gothic castle. We know it as the old County Jail on Magazine St. Without a doubt it is Charleston’s most haunted structure. Through its years of service from 1803 to 1937 there were 35,000 registered deaths in that building. No small wonder then that it is claimed as Charleston’s most haunted structure. Fittingly, it also holds Charleston’s most terrifying specter; a floating ghost in white that haunts the long vaulted hallways… But I digress, back to John and Lavinia Fisher.

The Fishers were innkeepers, the name of their inn was the Six Mile House, located some 6 miles up Meeting Street Road. The year was 1819, and 6 miles up Meeting Street was pretty far out of town.  You might say that the Fishers were running a country Inn. Today, when we think of a country inn we think of fresh flowers and mints on the pillows. But in the old days a country inn was called a roadhouse, and a roadhouse typically had 2 rooms. The ladies slept in one room, the gentleman in the other, and the beds---the beds slept 3 each! I guess they had different expectations of privacy back in 1819.

But John and Lavinia Fisher were ahead of their time. You see, on the first floor of the Six Mile House  the Fishers had a private room with a single bed reserved for wealthy guests traveling alone, and traveling alone was the operative term.  Those wealthy guests got the very best the Fishers had to offer… the best food, the best drink... And at bedtime they got a very special nightcap which put them to sleep…a sleep from which they never awoke! A poison draft so to speak..... And the bed, they claim that even the bed was special, that is, if you can believe the old tales, they claim that the bed was really a platform, and the platform had a latch. They would lift the latch and spin it. The bodies would drop to a quick lime pit beneath the house! No muss, no fuss, no evidence!

Over a period of 14 months, a dozen wealthy lonely travelers disappeared from the neighborhood of the Six Mile House and, finally, stolen goods belonging to two of those gentlemen were traced directly back to John and Lavinia Fisher, who, at that point, found themselves with a new address, and that address was the old County jail on Magazine Street.

The good people of Charleston did not want to convict Lavinia Fisher of murder. She was, after all, a married woman. In the social expectations of the time it was assumed that a good wife would never commit murder,  unless, that is, coerced by her husband! But Lavinia Fisher gave them no choice; she showed no sorrow, she showed no remorse for her actions. Lavinia Fisher boasted of her exploits from the witness stand! Indeed, Lavinia Fisher was convicted of murder. Her sentence was to hang by the neck until dead.

To give you an idea just how difficult she made it on the community, one of her requests for her execution date was the she be allowed to wear her wedding dress. Because, to quote Lavinia Fisher,

“I shall be Satan’s favorite new bride in Hell!”

And so, Lavinia Fisher's execution date arrives. The community has an answer to the scandal of executing a married woman. You see, they hang husband John first. That made Lavinia a widow! So now they could proceed with Lavinia Fisher's execution, without stain of scandal! 

The minister leads her to the gallows, he leads her with prayer. As she mounts the platform the minister turns to Lavinia, he pleads,

 “Sister Lavinia, wilt thou repent!?!”

 Her answer to the minister, and to the silenced witnesses?

“If you've got a message for the devil, give it to me now, I'll carry it.”

 At that, witnessed by the horrified crowd, Lavinia Fisher , with the rope around her neck, pulls the lever, the trap drops and Lavinia Fisher hangs herself. ..

But here in Charleston, we don't believe that Lavinia Fisher ever met the devil. You see Lavinia Fisher is Charleston’s most terrifying specter. It is she who haunts the long vaulted hallways of the old County Jail where she appears as a floating specter in a white dress. And for those unfortunates who meet Lavinia , she rushes forward at them down the hallways, screeching and pulling her hair. Why, Lavinia Fisher turns her neck sideways, to show the rope burns.

CHARLESTON PRIVATE TOUR GUIDES

 

Engage a Private Tour to suit your schedule and interests with the best  guides in Charleston! Tours can be arranged for the city only, or a “Town and Country” Driving Tour can take you to the Gardens and beyond!  In addition to our general history walks, The Charleston Gardens and Architecture Tour,  The Charleston Ghost Tour, and the Slavery and Freedom Tour  are great theme tours for church and  school groups, family reunions, wedding guests and corporate retreats.  Our seasoned guides can accommodate your Private Tour group of up to 20. We can  also  accommodate larger groups of 200 with the best guides in Charleston! Call for details at (843) 343-4851

Charleston Old Walled City Tours

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 Unveiling  Lowcountry Charm: Embark on a Charleston Private Tour!

Old Walled City Tours invites you to engage a Charleston priivate tour that providing travelers an

 experience withthe authentic southern charm that defines the Carolina Lowcountry. 

Charleston, South Carolina is a charming city that has captured the hearts of tourists from

around the globe, and offers a myriad of experiences for visitors to enjoy. A Charleston

Private tour provides the opportunity to explore and understand the historic, cultural,

and natural beauty of this iconic city with a skilled expert in your topics or  areas of interest. Your

 pivate tour guide will tailor your Charleston experience to your unique interests. Walking the

 cobblestone streets, its hard not to feel transported back in time, surrounded by antebellum mansions

 and centuries-old live oaks draped in Spanish moss. For history enthusiasts wanting to delve deeper

 into Charleston's storied past, a private tlour guide can emphasize  Civil War landmarks,

architectural gems, garden elements and monumental churches to paint a vivid picture of the city's

 historical landscape. Spoleto Festival USA has been bringing international culture hounds to

 Charleston Since 1979. Music, Dance, Theater, and Visual Arts run from 9 AM to 11 PM for two full

 weeks in  May and June. Spoleto USA 2024

Besides the  history, the city's contemporary  vibrant art scene and culinary prowess garner

 worldwide accolades. Your Charleston Private Tour Guide  can offer customized

itineraries highlighting the best of the city's galleries, theaters, and award-winning

restaurants. For foodies, a food-centric tour of Charleston exposes visitors to the creative

fusion of Southern and international flavors, showcasing the ingenuity and passion of the

city's celebrated chefs. 

For nature lovers, the Lowcountry's lush landscape offers unparalleled opportunities for bird-watching,

 fishing, and kayaking. Guided tours of the areas natural gems, such as expansive marshlands or

picturesque coastal views, enable visitors to explore and immerse themselves in the region's

breathtaking wilderness. I recently discovered the Donnelly Wildlife Management Area , about 30 miles

 south of Charleston. Awesome! Donnelly Wildlife Management

A trip to Charleston would not be complete without delving into the unique Gullah culture.

The Gullah people, descended from enslaved Africans brought to the Lowcountry, have

nurtured and preserved their customs, traditions, and language for generations. Private tours can

 provide an intimate glimpse into the Gullah way of life through storytelling,

traditional sweetgrass basket weaving demonstrations, and music performances.

A Charleston private tour experience marries the best of personalized itineraries

and expert knowledge, providing guests with a memorable and fulfilling visit to this

endearing city. As the impacts of global variables, such as technology, political events, and

social movements continue to shape and influence the landscape of the global tourism

industry, Charleston Old Walled City Tours  has adapted to accomodate changing preferences and

the unique requirements of modern-day travelers.

Our cultivation of private tour guides with specialized topic knowledge exemplifies  our commitment to

 creating authentic, immersive experiences for our guests. We hope that when you come to town, 

 you will engage us for your Charleston Private Tour. We will have a chat,  and then engage just the

 right guide for you! Go to www.walledcitytours.com/tours to make your reservations.