Preservation Society of Charleston Fall Tours are around the corner!

Hard to believe it now, but the cool air of Fall will soon be here, and that means the return of the Preservation Society of Charleston’s Annual Fall Tours of local Homes and Gardens. I like the new format that they use for tours. For those of you who love seeing  old homes and beautiful gardens, the Saturday tours focus on neighborhoods, and will provide an eclectic choice of homes in targeted neighborhoods. This is also great for those who want to concentrate their time in a limited area.

However, on other days the tours have themes, such as “Charleston’s Cosmopolitan Legacy”.,  Colonial Charles Towne, Homes of the American Revolution, and The Civil War. I love the description for Charleston’s Cosmopolitan Legacy:

“….explore the diverse cultural influences that shaped life in 18th and 19th century Charleston, the rich ethnic traditions, skills and religious ideologies that blended together to establish Charleston as the cosmopolitan hub of life in America.”

Note the uncanny similarity to the description for our Charleston Old Walled City Walk! Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery I always say!  The thematic tours relate to eras in history and provide not only the opportunity to see lovely old homes, but to learn about eras in Charleston’s storied history. The tours commence October 2, so you might want to purchase your tickets now while they are readily available, because they just might sell out if you wait too long! Check out the tour descriptions at  http://www.thefalltours.org/.

If you would like to volunteer as a docent in the houses, you can call the Preservation Society of Charleston at 843-722-4630 or check out the many programs and volunteer opportunities available at http://www.preservationsociety.org/.

Hoppin' John, Collard Greens and Carolina Gold Rice -- Happy New Year!

Hoppin' John, Collard Greens and Carolina Gold Rice! Happy New Year Everyone!

 I made traditional Hoppin' John yesterday using Carolina Gold rice. For those of you not in the know, Carolina Gold was deemed the gold standard in rice for generations and was the strain that created great wealth in Charleston and the Carolina Lowcountry. Boiled rice tends to be gummy, so many folks use a rice steamer. But my stovetop boiled Hoppin' John turned out perfectly using Carolina Gold. Perhaps its short grain allows for less surface area for it to stick together. Unlike short grain rices used for sushi or rice pudding, I suspect it has a lower starch content as well.

Here in Charleston, we use field peas or cowpeas to make traditional Hoppin' John.  Eaten with collard greens, this is the traditional meal for New Years Day eaten in humble cabins and grand mansions. The old saying is that the Hoppin' John is for good luck and the collard greens for cash!
These dishes have deep roots in African American cooking. Despite that claim, the name Hoppin' John is most probably a derivative of the French phrase pois a pigeon, "pigeon peas", which when said quickly sounds like "Hoppin' John. It is theorized that this West African dish was brought to Charleston in the late 18th century  with the French Refugees and their slaves fleeing  Haiti and introduced into the general culture.

If you feel inspired to make your own Hoppin' John, the recipe in Charleston Receipts is classic.
I boil the field peas up with half a small onion finely diced, fried out salt pork or fatback, and salt and pepper. I make the Hoppin' John using the pot likker from the beans and always keep enough beans and pot likker aside to dish some over the Hoppin' John for those who so desire. The peas are quite tasty all by themselves!

For the collard greens, fill a tall pot with water one third  up, a tablespoon each of vinegar and  white sugar, and Lawry's Seasoning to taste and put to boil.. Put in a pound of seasoning meat. I use pork neck bones but smoked turkey is a good alternative. Scrub and rinse the greens, then slice in ribbons horizontally, discarding large stems. Place prepared greens in the boiling water and force them down into the water if it looks like you have too much for the pot. Don't worry, they will wilt and greatly reduce in volume in no time. Cover and simmer for at least two hours.

Enjoy!

Suggested Rules for Tour Guides from your President

As many of you know, I am President of the Charleston Tour Association. Now that the high season is winding down, the timing is off for my timely suggestions , but I will bring them back up in the springtime when it all gets crazy again!

Tour Guides, locals, your comments are encouraged and welcome!

Dear CTA Members and Friends:

 We certainly are busy this season! As one 87 year South of  Broad resident related to me, he has never seen so many people on the streets. Inevitably there is bound to be stress on the residents of the Historic District.

The CTA is a membership of tour professionals. It is our responsibility to conduct our groups down streets and alleyways in a least intrusive fashion which still allows us to effectively share this beautiful city with our visitors. As a long time guide, I would like to share some tips and suggestions that will enhance the tour experience for yourself, visitors and residents alike. Although many of us have been at Broad and Meeting at 11 o’clock in April, I have the added perspective of 8 o’clock two weeks before Halloween and many a summer evening I wager that there are usually as many if not more ghost tours going out any night as go out during the day. Ghost tours are on a tightly controlled route, so frequent “close encounters” are the norm. I will post this on my blog,  I hope that anyone with suggestions not posted here will feel free to post them at my blog at walledcitytours.com. I’ll credit your suggestions or post them from anonymous, whatever works for you.

(1)    Don’t block the sidewalk and don’t run over the natives!

Sometimes the stress of a large group can be overwhelming. The amateur photographers are falling back, the baby is crying and the lady from  Schenectady keeps interrupting. And that other group just took my favorite spot! So you forget about the Composition of your group. On streets with wide sidewalks, instruct them to walk on the street side (ie,  Meeting Street south walking on the outside or to the right.) This keeps doors clear for residences and businesses to maintain stress free ingress and egress.It moves your group efficiently and quickly past crowds waiting at restaurants or entry to other events, i.e, Home and Garden Tours. Ed Grimball has this under control. He stops his groups where he can line them up “execution style” against a wall and begins his talk. This allows locals to pass. Sometimes Ed greets old friends  residents or even the Mayor! Brilliant!

Another strategy for taking charge of an unwieldy crowd is to identify places where three or more topics can be addressed from the same location. “Cluster”  your visitors  like this:

Upon arrival move fifteen feet past where you intend to talk. Stop, and instruct the first guest to stand there .Moving back to the group center, place your visitors. This also allows stragglers to get close before you commence narration. Even with three topics, it is best to move on between 7 – 12 minutes, so keep your narration pithy and succinct when you cluster.

Find spots to talk at the corners where you can talk on the side rather than in front. Stop in front of gates, walls and churches ( no churches during services of course.) Stop in public parks, graveyards or parking lots. Avoid standing in front of restaurants, businesses ‘and residential front doors.

( 2) Keep Your Visitors Safe!                                                                                                                                    Charleston is incredibly beautiful. Newcomers can be overwhelmed---sensory overload is a rule of thumb. Sometimes we   forget how lovely it is in the course of a hectic workday. It’s all new to them. . With a large group, you feel the need to move on. After all, you only have two hours and what you have to say is so important! The group is gawking up, cameras are flashing, but the sidewalks below, well, they can be treacherous! Be sure to warn them about the sidewalks. My favorite line:

“The city motto was adopted in 1783 and translates from the Latin: She guards her buildings, customs and laws”. But not so much her streets and sidewalks. Please be aware of where your feet are. Take my professional advice, you’ll have a much better time standing up than flat on your face.”

This minimizes your liability as well in the case of accidents. Then again, there is the traffic. Between a healthy business district, again, gawking visitors, (this time in cars), carriages and buses, we should always cross at traffic lights and crosswalks if there is any traffic on the streets.

Last year I saw an experienced guide approaching the Dock Street Theater on the east sidewalk.  She had crossed  Chalmers diagonally from the southwest to northeast corner with a group of twenty, all the while narrating for the first five or so! They  were stretched halfway down the block to the Confederate Home! If you can’t get your entire group through an intersection in 45 seconds, you are opening yourself up to potential accident. Gather your group and cross all at once and as Momma would say, look both ways.

(3)  Just Say No! to  playing  Dueling Tour Guide

 I was in St. Michael’s Church the other day, and there were four other guides with groups. St’ Michael’s turned into the Tower of Babel.

During the high season, there are groups and groups and more groups. Each guide has something important to say, so there is a tendency to speak over the next guide---loudly. So the other guide gets louder. Now let’s add in traffic din. The Result: nobody hears anything and everyone loses. In the event you find yourself talking with another group in close proximity, professional courtesy mandates that you gather your group so that your position with the other guide is back to back and  to speak in a lower tone. Ghost tour guides have this figured out, but not all the daytime folks.

I have had walking guides lament that carriage drivers will speak over them at some stops.
In front of the  Calhoun Mansion is one example.

Walking guides, remember that the carriage folks are just doing their job just like you. But unlike walking guides, the carriages are on a prescribed route. Since they have to travel up Meeting Street on the east side of the street, walk your groups on the west sidewalk.

When  speaking in a narrow passage such as an alley stand  with your back to the wall with your group no more than three deep and left and right. That way, if another group comes through, you can gather your group closer to you so that the other group can pass behind them.

Woo Hoo! Charleston is Number 1 Again!

Copied from the Post and Courier:

Charleston’s No. 1 for 3 years running

•    
• Posted: October 16, 2013

The third accolade is a charm, just like the first and second ones. For three years running, Charleston has been dubbed the No. 1 tourist destination in America by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.

The annual award announced Tuesday is based on a composite score for ambiance, friendliness, lodging, restaurants, culture/sites and shopping.

The magazine said, “With sand, sun, history, good food, and friendly people, Charleston is a consistent hit with the travelers who venture to this gracious and beautiful city. Nearby beaches and impressive architecture draw visitors, but it’s the insanely nice locals who enhance magnificent bed and breakfasts and amazing shopping.”

One magazine reader called it, “A bucket list city.”

Conde Nast Traveler also addressed how a moderate-size city outranked major metropolitan areas, such as New York, Paris and Sydney.

“Because great cities combine exceptional qualities, they do not have to be big to score big,” according to the magazine.

Gov. Nikki Haley called it “another great win for our state.”

Charleston Mayor Joe Riley hailed the honor as “a testament to the power of the attraction of Charleston.”

“It is the message of our history, quality of our built environment, the kindness of our people and the attributes of our restaurants and lodging that make our city an impressive place to visit,” Riley said.

The magazine’s readers bestowed the honor on the Holy City a year after naming it the No. 1 place for tourists to visit on the planet.

Meanwhile, Charleston slipped to No. 5 this year in the world rankings. San Miguel de Allende in Mexico came in at No. 1, followed by Florence, Italy; Budapest, Hungary; and Salzburg, Austria.

“A little point swing can make a difference,” said Helen Hill, executive director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In recognition of the award, the CVB posted an online video featuring American Idol finalist Elise Testone of Mount Pleasant singing while walking along the Battery, over cobblestone streets and beside window boxes filled with flowing flowers.

The video starts, “In 2011, we were flattered. In 2012, we were tickled pink. This year, we are swept off our feet.”

The tourism industry added $3.58 billion to Charleston’s economy in 2012, about $3.6 million more than the previous year, according to the College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis. About 4.83 million tourists visited the city last year, up 17 percent since 2008.

CVB Chairman Frank Fredericks was flattered with the latest news.

“We have been tickled pink and on top of the world,” said Fredericks, managing director of Wild Dunes Resort, of the earlier top-city wins. “Now, Charleston is completely charmed to have received such an honor for the third year in a row.”

Tourists and locals alike sang the praises of the seaside port Tuesday as well.

“This place is just wonderful,” said Bill McGinnis or Fort Wayne, Ind., who was revisiting the city where he and wife Jane were married two years ago. “I like the relaxation of it. You can walk around without worrying about something happening to you. You don’t have rude people here like they do in bigger cities. It’s very casual.”

Debbie Stockburger of Cincinnati called Charleston a “beautiful place” on her first visit.

“It reminds me of Venice in Italy with all the old buildings,” she said.

Greg Hill of Lafayette, La., also was visiting the city for the first time this week.

“It’s not surpising,” he said of the Conde Nast ranking as he walked through the historic City Market. “It’s a great city. This is reminiscent of New Orleans.”

Ralph Lacomba of Columbia and his wife, Melona, drive to Charleston frequently.

“It feels a little bit different every time — in a good way,” he said. “If we ever retire, it will be here without a doubt.”

Dick Hernacki of Chicago originally planned to come to Charleston to see Fort Sumter, but with the partial government shutdown that includes federal parks, he and his wife changed plans and stopped by the city on their way south.

“We want to come back when we have more time,” he said. “It’s very picturesque.”

Jocobra Bennett of Mount Pleasant said the reason Charleston is such a huge tourist draw is because of the people who live in the Lowcountry.

“The hospitality and the Southernness of the city draw people here,” he said.

A record-breaking nearly 80,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers participated in the survey, close to double the number in 2012. Travelers cast 1.3 million votes for more than 16,000 properties around the world.

The survey also included the top 100 highest-scoring hotels in the world.

Tied for No. 75 are The Sanctuary Hotel at Kiawah Island and Wentworth Mansion in downtown Charleston. The John Rutledge House Inn in Charleston came in at No. 99.

On the list of the top 10 islands in the U.S., Kiawah Island ranked No. 3. The Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai came in first and second, respectively.

On the list of the top 20 resorts in the South, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort ranked No. 4, Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms came in at No. 16 and Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina in Mount Pleasant was No. 20.

Abigail Darlington contributed to this report. Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or twitter.com/warrenlancewise.

Happy Rosh Hashana!!!

For my Jewish friends at Temple Beth Elohim and elsewhere, I found this yesterday in the Charleston Daily News, March 23, 1872.

I hope you like it!

A NEW ORGAN.
Exhibition at the  Hasel Street Synagogue.
An appreciative audience was yesterday afternoon attracted to the Hasel street Synagogue to attend the public exhibition of the
new organ lately built for this congregation to
take the place of the Instrument which, having
been removed to Columbia for supposed safety
during the war, shared the destruction of that
city in 1865 by Sherman's army. Since that
event the members of this congregation have
been endeavoring to obtain another organ,
and one ol the methods adopted to raise funds
was tbe elegant amateur performance about
one year ago, at the Academy of Music, which
attracted one of the largest and most fashionable audiences tbat that building has ever held, and which netted the handsome sum of
$1100. The Jewish citizens of Charleston
have always contributed liberally to all objects of charity, and this was the first time they had ever appealed to the public for
assistance, which makes their notable success
on this occasion the more deserved and gratifying. By this and other means the requisite  funds were obtained, and an organ has now
been placed in the Synagogue, which reflects
much credit on Its builder, Mr. James M.
Mandeville, of New York. It is a two bank instrument, containing twenty-six stops, and all the modern improvements. The case is of
polished black walnut, to harmonize with the
other Interior arrangements of the Synagogue,
and the Iron pipes are richly decorated In
blue and gold. These decorations were added here by Stiles, and are, of course, In the highest styles of art. The organ was thoroughly
tested yesterday, and Its beauties and capacity exhibited by Professor T. P. O'Neale and other prominent musicians ol the city, who, as well
as the audience, unanimously expressed themselves as highly pleased with its beautiful tone, compass and power.

Here’s a link to the original.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026994/1872-03-23/ed-1/seq-3/

Surviving the Holidays, the Smear Campaign of 1800, and wacky ole Uncle Ted

Well, the election is over, and the Holidays are fast approaching. Yes, a time for family gatherings, turkey and all the trimmings, and, of course, wacky ole Uncle Ted. He’s really a pretty great guy, but in an election year he can be hard to take. He’s that fretting partisan terrified of the future of the Republic. He wants his country back. At the worst, he is of the firm opinion that the current President is a Kenyansocialistantichrist . He will declare that the nation has reached a turning point. “Have you gone out and got your gubbamint check yet?” he asks. Don’t get him started on Obamacare. If only, if only, Romney had won!

Take heart. Uncle Ted has been with us a long time.

It all started with the Presidential campaign of 1800. The Federalists were running John Adams for President against the Republican Thomas Jefferson. Adams had been George Washington’s VP and was elected President in 1796. But the non-charismatic and decidedly weak willed President had plummeted in popularity. The Federalist party decided the best strategy was to play upon the fears of the people and demonize Thomas Jefferson to get their man Adams reelected. Jefferson was a friend of France and an admirer of the principles of the French Revolution. Due to his affiliations with France, they suggested that he too would effect the type of bloody reign of terror that had occurred there, eventually rising up to a position of unmitigated power as Napoleon Bonaparte had done in the previous year. Jefferson, along with many of the Founding Fathers, was a Deist and belonged to no particular faith. The Federalist press jumped on Jefferson’s liberal views of religion at once, styling him as an immoral atheist who supported the destruction of society and the rise of anarchy. The mud-throwing in the campaign started early - and it started in the church.

 The New England clergy launched the vilification of Jefferson, denouncing his "disbelief in the Deluge and his opposition to Bible-reading in the schools.” **(true) On July 4, 1798, Timothy Dwight, a congregational minister and president of Yale delivered a ringing condemnation of Jefferson's supposed atheism. In a widely-reprinted sermon, Dwight, whom critics sarcastically called "His Holiness Pope Timothy," prophesied the likely consequence of a Jefferson victory. Dwight delivered a speech urging the voters to defeat the Jeffersonians—“the illuminati, the philosophers, the atheists, and the deists.” Dwight predicted dire consequences if Jefferson and his party were to be elected to office:

 “We may see the Bible cast into a bonfire, the vessels of the sacramental supper borne by an ass in public procession, and our children, either wheedled or terrified, uniting in chanting mockeries against God.”

 Forrest Church wrote: "The religious divide ran largely along sectional lines. 'We want no Southern lights in these parts,' Timothy Dwight's brother Theodore editorialized in the Connecticut Courant. 'We have Northern lights - we have gospel light, and political light, sufficient to exterminate Jacobinism. One New York minister wrote: "Though there is nothing in our constitution to restrict our choice, yet the open and warm preference of a manifest enemy to the religion of Christianity, in a Christian nation, would be an awfull symptom of the degeneracy of that nation, and a rebellion against God." The Rev. William Linn of New York proclaimed that “the election of any man avowing the principles of Mr. Jefferson would…destroy religion, introduce immorality and loosen all the bonds of society.” The Connecticut Courant predicted: “Murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will be openly taught and practiced. (!!) ** (my exclamation points)

 The Gazette of the United States delicately framed the issue as:

THE GRAND QUESTION STATED

At the present solemn moment the only question to be asked by every American,
laying his hand on his heart, is 'Shall I continue in allegiance
TO GOD--AND A RELIGIOUS PRESIDENT;
or impiously declare for
JEFFERSON--AND NO GOD!'

The scurrilous campaign waged by the Federalists and the religious right ultimately failed, and the election of 1800 set a precedent for peaceful transfer of power as the American Way. The American people elected Thomas Jefferson who proved himself to be one of our greatest presidents.

So, as the Holidays approach, don’t think that the phenomenon that is wacky ole Uncle Ted is anything new. He’s just part of a tradition that’s as old as America itself.  So enjoy your Holidays and give Uncle Ted some love!

Charleston Firsts!

I see in the Newspaper that the Best Friend of Charleston has come home from Atlanta! It’s great that this important piece of America’s Industrial Revolution history is back home. It was the first train to offer regularly scheduled train passenger service and originated from Charleston on December 25, 1830. The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company's new steam locomotive, Best Friend of Charleston, "flew" 141 brave souls along six miles of wood and metal rails at speeds of 15-25 miles per hour. Part of the wreckage of that train was later used to cast the first cannon to be built in the Confederate States.

Of course, Charleston was, early on, a progressive city and there are a number of things that happened here first. I had some guests on my walking tour last week who had just retired to Charleston, into a downtown townhouse they purchased some 25 years ago when they last lived here. Their son was fascinated by Charleston ‘firsts‘. That prompted me to brush up on some of those firsts, and so here I share my latest list with you!

 America's first free library was established in Charleston in 1698.

Henrietta Johnston, original name Henrietta Deering (born before 1670, probably Ireland—buried March 7, 1729, Charles Towne, South Carolina , was the first female professional portrait artist in America, paid for her work in Charleston as early as 1708.

The first mutual fire insurance company, Friendly Society for the Mutual Insurance of Houses, was established in 1735.

The first opera in American was performed in Charleston on February 18, 1735.

The Charleston Chamber of Commerce, established in 1773, was the first city Chamber of Commerce and  the longest in continuous operation.

The Charleston Museum, America's first public museum, was organized on January 12, 1773.

The first time a British flag was taken down and replaced by an American flag was in Charleston in 1775.

The first independent government among American colonies was formed in Charleston in March 1776.

The South Carolina Golf Club—now chartered as the Country Club of Charleston—was founded in 1786 and has been recognized by no less an authority than GOLF Magazine as the nation's first golf club.

The first cotton mill was built on James Island in 1789.

The College of Charleston, chartered in 1785, became America’s first municipal college on April 1, 1838.

On the night of February 17, 1864, eight men led by Lt. George Dixon entered an experimental vessel that was to become the first submarine in world history to successfully sink an enemy ship. That night, the H. L. Hunley entered the dark waters off Sullivan's Island and rammed her spar torpedo into the hull of the USS Housatonic

In April 1737, Dr. John Lining recorded the first systemic scientific recording of weather information, taking observations of Charles Towne's weather three times a day from his home on Broad Street. He recorded temperature, rainfall, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind direction, and wind speed.

In 1762, The St Cecilia Society was founded in Charles Towne as the first organization with a mission of supporting music and the arts.

Chartered in 1785, the College of Charleston is the oldest municipal college in America. Additionally, it is the only college in America to have four signers of the Declaration of Independence as founding members. It became America’s first municipal college in 1838.

Construction of the first fireproof building in the United States began in 1823 and was completed four years later. This building, which is located at 100 Meeting Street, was designed by Robert Mills to house state records. Robert Mills, the first trained native born American architect, was himself a Charleston original.

 The First Reform Jewish Congregation, known as the The Reformed Society of Israelites, was founded in Charleston on Nov. 21, 1824 by 47 members of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim after their petition to change the Sephardic Orthodox liturgy was denied.

The first artificial ice was made in Charleston by John Gorrie in 1851.

The nation’s first historic preservation ordinance was passed by Charleston City Council on October 13, 1931.