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in Places & People

Historical Photos Of Old Charleston From Late 19th and Early 20th Century

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Charleston was founded in the 1670s by English colonists and was named Charles Town in honor of King Charles II. The city remained base for trade, merchants, and landowners until the Civil War. The devastation of the Civil War, and the ruin of the Charleston’s hinterland, lost the city its regional dominance. Charleston also suffered from the earthquake in 1886, which caused any deaths and damaged the city’s infrastructure. At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Charleston was over 55,000. The U.S. Naval Station in Charleston was founded in 1901. Starting in World War II, Charleston became a significant naval base. Charleston is known for its many historical landmarks, and it became a leader in the historic preservation movement from the 1920s to 1940s. The city council introduced the nation’s first landmark district zoning laws in 1931.

Here below are some historical photos of Charleston city from 1865 to 1930s.

#1 Old market house (Public Market), Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1906

Old market house (Public Market), Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1906

8 Points

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#2 Negro home near Charleston, December 1938

Negro home near Charleston, December 1938

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#3 Street scene with horse and wagon, Charleston, 1920

Street scene with horse and wagon, Charleston, 1920

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#4 Post Office (old Exchange and Custom House), East Bay Street, Charleston, April 1865

Post Office (old Exchange and Custom House), East Bay Street, Charleston, April 1865

7 Points

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#5 East Broad Street with a view of the Exchange Building & Custom House, Charleston, 1906

East Broad Street with a view of the Exchange Building & Custom House, Charleston, 1906

6 Points

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#6 Old House, Henrietta and Elizabeth streets, Charleston, South Carolina, 1937

Old House, Henrietta and Elizabeth streets, Charleston, South Carolina, 1937

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#7 18 & 20 Wentworth Street, Charleston, 1937

18 & 20 Wentworth Street, Charleston, 1937

6 Points

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#8 Meeting Street and St. Michael’s Church, Charleston, 1910

Meeting Street and St. Michael's Church, Charleston, 1910

5 Points

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#9 Chicora Park, Charleston, South Carolina, 1901

Chicora Park, Charleston, South Carolina, 1901

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#10 East Battery Parade, Charleston, South Carolina circa 1900

East Battery Parade, Charleston, South Carolina circa 1900

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#11 New Charleston Hotel and Meeting Street, Charleston, 1910

New Charleston Hotel and Meeting Street, Charleston, 1910

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#12 Confederate Monument, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, 1900

Confederate Monument, Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, 1900

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#13 Charlotte Street Gas Works, Charleston, South Carolina, 1937

Charlotte Street Gas Works, Charleston, South Carolina, 1937

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#14 Headquarters of Gen. John P. Hatch, South Battery, Charleston, South Carolina, April 1865

Headquarters of Gen. John P. Hatch, South Battery, Charleston, South Carolina, April 1865

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#15 Tavern, Calhoun Street, Charleston, 1937

Tavern, Calhoun Street, Charleston, 1937

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#16 Old Charleston, Church Street, 1906

Old Charleston, Church Street, 1906

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#17 61 Washington Street, Charleston, 1937

61 Washington Street, Charleston, 1937

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#18 Washington Park, Charleston, South Carolina, 1906

Washington Park, Charleston, South Carolina, 1906

4 Points

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#19 Hotel St. John (Mills House), Meeting Street, Demolished in 1968. Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1905

Hotel St. John (Mills House), Meeting Street, Demolished in 1968. Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1905

4 Points

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#20 Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1911

Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1911

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#21 Old Armory, 8 Chalmers Street, Charleston, 1937

Old Armory, 8 Chalmers Street, Charleston, 1937

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#22 St. Philip’s Church and French Huguenot Church, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1910

St. Philip's Church and French Huguenot Church, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1910

4 Points

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#23 Residence on Hasell Street, Charleston, 1937

Residence on Hasell Street, Charleston, 1937

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#24 Charleston Orphan Asylum, 160 Calhoun Street, Charleston, 1865

Charleston Orphan Asylum, 160 Calhoun Street, Charleston, 1865

4 Points

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#25 Meeting Street and St. Michael’s Church, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1910

Meeting Street and St. Michael's Church, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1910

3 Points

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#26 Sergeant Jasper monument, White Point Garden, Charleston, 1900

Sergeant Jasper monument, White Point Garden, Charleston, 1900

3 Points

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#27 Meeting Street and St. Michael’s Church, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1900

Meeting Street and St. Michael's Church, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1900

3 Points

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#28 Huguenot Church, Charleston, 1904

Huguenot Church, Charleston, 1904

3 Points

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#29 Meeting Street from St. Michael’s Church, Charleston, 1911

Meeting Street from St. Michael's Church, Charleston, 1911

3 Points

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#30 King Street, Charleston, 1910

King Street, Charleston, 1910

3 Points

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#31 Beacon on parapet of Fort Sumter, Charleston 1865

Beacon on parapet of Fort Sumter, Charleston 1865

3 Points

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#32 727 Bay Street, Charleston, 1937

727 Bay Street, Charleston, 1937

3 Points

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#33 St. Philip’s Church with ruins of Circular Church and Secession Hall, Charleston, April 1865

St. Philip's Church with ruins of Circular Church and Secession Hall, Charleston, April 1865

3 Points

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#34 35 Legare Street, Charleston, 1910

35 Legare Street, Charleston, 1910

3 Points

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#35 King Street lights at night, Charleston, 1910

King Street lights at night, Charleston, 1910

3 Points

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#36 7-9-11 Beaufain Street, Charleston, 1937

7-9-11 Beaufain Street, Charleston, 1937

3 Points

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#37 Charleston, South Carolina, after the Bombardment. Ruins of the Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar, 1865

Charleston, South Carolina, after the Bombardment. Ruins of the Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar, 1865

3 Points

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#38 Ruins of the Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar, Charleston, 1865

Ruins of the Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar, Charleston, 1865

3 Points

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#39 Peoples National Bank, Charleston, 1906

Peoples National Bank, Charleston, 1906

2 Points

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#40 Tradd Street, Charleston, 1910

Tradd Street, Charleston, 1910

2 Points

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#41 A back-door view of the waterfront, Charleston, 1910

A back-door view of the waterfront, Charleston, 1910

2 Points

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#42 Charleston orphan house, , Charleston, 1900

Charleston orphan house, , Charleston, 1900

2 Points

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#43 King Street looking north, Charleston, 1910

King Street looking north, Charleston, 1910

2 Points

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#44 Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, 1865

Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, 1865

2 Points

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#45 Meeting Street, Charleston, 1865

Meeting Street, Charleston, 1865

2 Points

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#46 Gibbes Memorial Art Gallery at Meeting Street, Charleston, 1905

Gibbes Memorial Art Gallery at Meeting Street, Charleston, 1905

1 Point

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#47 Broad Street, looking east with the ruins of Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar, Charleston 1865

Broad Street, looking east with the ruins of Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar, Charleston 1865

1 Point

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#48 Charleston, S.C., from St. Michael’s Church, 1900

Charleston, S.C., from St. Michael's Church, 1900

1 Point

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#49 Residences on Hasell Street, Charleston, 1902

Residences on Hasell Street, Charleston, 1902

1 Point

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#50 Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1911. “Broad Street looking west.

Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1911. "Broad Street looking west.

1 Point

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#51 View from roof of Orphan Asylum, Charleston, 1865

View from roof of Orphan Asylum, Charleston, 1865

1 Point

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#52 Ruins of Roman Catholic Cathedral, Charleston, 1865

Ruins of Roman Catholic Cathedral, Charleston, 1865

1 Point

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#53 Breach patched with gabions on the north wall of Fort Sumter, Charleston, 1865

Breach patched with gabions on the north wall of Fort Sumter, Charleston, 1865

1 Point

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#54 A closeup of the Vulcan Ironworks sign on Cumberland Street in Charleston, South Carolina, 1865

A closeup of the Vulcan Ironworks sign on Cumberland Street in Charleston, South Carolina, 1865

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#55 Archibald McLeish’s Vulcan Iron Works on Cumberland Street, Charleston, 1865

Archibald McLeish's Vulcan Iron Works on Cumberland Street, Charleston, 1865

1 Point

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#56 St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, 1865

St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, 1865

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#57 Charleston, South Carolina, after bombardment by the Federal Navy, April 1865

Charleston, South Carolina, after bombardment by the Federal Navy, April 1865

1 Point

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#58 Interior view of Fort Johnson on Morris Island, 1865

Interior view of Fort Johnson on Morris Island, 1865

1 Point

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#59 Interior of Fort Sumter, with gabion reinforcements, 1865

Interior of Fort Sumter, with gabion reinforcements, 1865

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#60 Hibernian Hall, Charleston, 1865

Hibernian Hall, Charleston, 1865

1 Point

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#61 A Civil War photograph from 1865 of Fort Johnson on Morris Island near Charleston

A Civil War photograph from 1865 of Fort Johnson on Morris Island near Charleston

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#62 View of ruined buildings through porch of the Circular Church at 150 Meeting Street, Charleston, April 1865

View of ruined buildings through porch of the Circular Church at 150 Meeting Street, Charleston, April 1865

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#63 Meeting Street and St. John Hotel, a.k.a. the Mills House, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1905

Meeting Street and St. John Hotel, a.k.a. the Mills House, Charleston, South Carolina, circa 1905

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#64 Vendue Range looking east from near the corner of East Bay Street, Charleston, 1865

Vendue Range looking east from near the corner of East Bay Street, Charleston, 1865

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#65 Meeting Street, looking south, showing St. Michael’s Church, the Mills house and ruins of the Circular Church, 1865

Meeting Street, looking south, showing St. Michael's Church, the Mills house and ruins of the Circular Church, 1865

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Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

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Theodore Roy says:

September 20, 2023 at 22:48 Copy Link of a Comment

These vintage photos are fascinating. Thank you for sharing them with us.

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Lydia Edison says:

September 20, 2023 at 22:48 Copy Link of a Comment

These images provide a clear picture of the impact of the area’s industry on the environment, with the polluted air resulting in grey skies instead of blue.

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- Dmitriy Egor says:
  
  September 20, 2023 at 22:49 Copy Link of a Comment
  
  The same reason why Monet’s paintings of London appear hazy with cloudy skies – cities were concentrated areas of people and businesses burning dirty fuels.
  
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Polina Volkov says:

September 20, 2023 at 22:49 Copy Link of a Comment

Wow this is so cool!!!!

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Valentina Garin says:

September 20, 2023 at 22:49 Copy Link of a Comment

Great selection, thank you for sharing!

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