Customs House - What is the Real Front?

If you walk around to the other side of the Customs House, this is what you see.  It appears to me to look just like the first side.  And I don't know which is the front.  Today the other side fronts on the main street and seems to me it should be the front.  This side fronts on the water so maybe it was the original front.

Custom House

Old But Loved

This rusty old bike is showing it's age with the torn seat and rust but maybe it isn't that old, but has just been out in the elements too much.  Possibly that is my problem....I am not that old, I have just spent too much time in the sun!

Dock Street Theatre

This is not a very good picture of the Dock Street Theatre because I took it from a carriage when we were touring the city which I love to do!

On February 12, 1736 the Dock Street Theatre opened with a performance of The Recruiting Officer. Built on the corner of Church Street and Dock Street (now known as Queen Street), the Historic Dock Street Theatre was the first building in America built exclusively to be used for theatrical performances. Flora, the first opera performance in America, took place at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. Click HERE to read more.

Charleston's Candy Kitchen

Charleston's Candy Kitchen is across the street from the city market and if you are like most people, it is a must on your visit to Charleston.  They offer free samples of the best Pralines ever.  Sometimes there is even someone standing on the steps with samples trying to lure you in - if the offer of public restrooms doesn't do it.  Also notice the black iron anchors on the side of the building - so "Port City".  And the shiny brass letter "A" near the entrance.  You will see brass street numbers on many of the old homes.  You can see a collection of them HERE. This really is a great Charleston building and you can see some of the detail better if you click on the picture.

Have a good day!

Brick

This beautiful old building in downtown Charleston has a very intricate decoration set into the front of the building - something that could easily be missed but I bet that the person responsible for it notices it each day.  Enlarge the picture to see it better.

Cupola

According to Wikipedia this is a CUPOLA.  Charleston architecture is so interesting!  (I wonder if a person can stand up there and view the ships coming in.)


In architecture, a cupola (pronounced /ˈkjuːpələ/) is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building.Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.


The word derives, via Italian, from the lower Latin cupula (classical Latin cupella from the Greek κύπελλον kupellon) small cup (Latin cupa) indicating a vault resembling an upside down cup.



Cupolas often appear as small buildings in their own right. They often serve as a lantern, belfry, or belvedere above a main roof. In other cases they may crown a tower, spire, or turret.The chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure.

The cupola is a development during the Renaissance of the oculus, an ancient device found in Roman architecture, but being weatherproof was superior for the wetter climates of northern Europe.

The Charm of Charleston

I love this city and never tire of walking the streets and snapping photos.  The colors are so wonderful and the attention to detail is unparalled.  Don't you want to stand out on that little balcony and wave to the people passing in the tour carriage?

Brick and Plaster

This old house that has been renovated is really interesting.  You can see the old brick that was used in the early construction.  Back when the house was originally built it was common to construct it of brick and then overlay that with plaster, scoring it to look like stone.  This home shows both the brick and the plaster which is unusual - but fun and interesting!

Round Corners

Charleston Architecture

All the columns on the homes are different but this is one of the best!

Downtown Charleston on a Saturday