Hot Town, Summer in a Southern City

Mary, Finn and I are spending a good part of the summer in Charleston, South Carolina. TRAVEL AND LEISURE MAGAZINE has once again named The Holy City the favorite destination in the U.S. from their readers. Some local people think perhaps the business community has purchased a lot of ads in T and L and beyond to get this designation year after year. I don’t know.

But it must be obvious to anyone visiting, this is a one-of-a-kind American city. We’ve all seen HISTORIC DISTRICT signs in town after town throughout the country. Often these districts are little more than a few blocks at best, spotlighting the gentrification of an abandoned sweater factory into condos and a former 50’s gas station which is now a taco bar. Practically all of Charleston is an historic district and an authentic one. These beautifully preserved nineteenth century homes are captivating. Some are graciously simple, others enormous mansions of elegant design with eye-popping grandeur. The south’s gilded age.

From the balcony of one of these fine residences, the Edmondston-Alston House, General P.G.T. Beauregard watched, as under his orders, Citadel cadets fired on Ft. Sumter, the tiny island fortress in the Charleston harbor which federal forces occupied. That began the Civil War during which 620,000 Americans lost their lives. The only other times Americans hated each other with such zealousness was the Red Scare, led by the horrible Senator Joe McCarthy in the 50’s, the civil rights struggles in the 60’s and of course in very recent years, the vicious rancor over whether or not Nickleback really sucks.

You can tour the Edmonton-Alston mansion for $15.00 and get a glass of wine. The ancestors lived on the third floor. I WANT THAT GIG!

Over the summer Mary wanted to dig into her family history which goes back two hundred seventy-five years in Charleston. Her maiden name is Lucas. There is a Jonathan Lucas Street here, her brother’s name. And most interestingly her ancestor Eliza Lucas, brought indigo to the new world which became an industry, producing dyes. George Washington was a pallbearer at her funeral. Her portrait hung in our house for many years. On my side of the family, the reproduction of the Gorton’s Fisherman with the little girl in the rowboat was a family treasure.

Although Citadel cadets still can be seen, they have been outnumbered by roving bands of twenty something bridesmaids in flowing cotton eyelet dresses with determined faces following their gps to the hot or famous restaurants and bars which are booked weeks in advance.

Charleston is a delight to visit despite the heat which is brutal in summer. It is also expensive, again thanks to positive publicity and cruise ships which thankfully will be banned next year. Most good hotel rooms start at four hundred a night. Mary wrangled us a great deal for the house we are renting.

Sadly, because of global warming much of the city will be flooded by 2050. That’s not some left-wing propaganda, those are the words of the city’s website.

It’s heartbreaking. One local real estate agent I met downplayed this by saying “Oh, no one really knows.” Yes, we do. But if you are so enamored with the place as so many folks are, and you see a fantastic house with a wraparound two-story porch, a magical garden and a walk to great restaurants and bars and shopping, then say “HELL, I’LL BE GONE!”. Just bring a check to closing for around four million, put aside seven hundred fifty thousand for repairs, and don’t forget flood insurance which is around fifty thousand a year.

If only we knew twenty years ago. But we did.

Bob Lacey