Guided Walking Tour Of Charleston Explores Entrenchment & Rebuilding Of Architecture
Charleston is the oldest city in South Carolina and one that vibrates with a sense of its own historical significance. The city was founded in 1670 by English colonists and today is a place where United States history comes to life. As the site where the Civil War began and a region that has preserved unique characteristics such as the centuries-old African American language and culture known as Gullah, Charleston boasts a prominent place in America’s foundational years.
Charleston native Brian Simms can trace his family history in the area back to 1707. As the proud owner of Charleston Sole, where he offers walking tours of the city, Brian takes special pride in preserving the distinctive history of Charleston.
During his early career in the hospitality industry, Brian worked as a concierge. When he attended a concierge association function at a restaurant called McCrady’s (specifically in what is called “The Long Room”), the soft lighting and warm atmosphere made him feel that he’d stepped back in time. In May of 1791, the city of Charleston rented the same room for an event hosting President George Washington, where a thirty-course dinner was served. Struck by the immediacy of the history surrounding him, Brian was inspired to share his passion for Charleston’s bygone days.
Charleston Sole was born, and today Brian takes tours of fifteen to twenty people on two-hour walking tours of the city. Coming from the hospitality industry, he has learned that making an authentic connection with visitors is what draws his clientele in and keeps them coming back. He always asks his “guests” where they are from and about their personal interest in history, and adapts his tour presentation as needed.
Brian likes to describe his walking tour as one that takes guests through “living history” because most of the historic buildings in Charleston are still being used for their original purpose. One of the first stops on the tour is McCrady’s, which was a well-known restaurant during Washington’s time and is still serving the public as a restaurant. Today it is under the culinary direction of James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock. Similarly, the Dock Street Theatre has transformed during its lifetime from a theatre to a hotel and is now once again a theatre. Currently, it is the home of Charleston Stage, South Carolina’s largest professional theatre company. In its early days as a theatre, the acting troupe there included John Wilkes Booth’s father, Junius Brutus Booth.
The architecture of these and numerous other buildings across Charleston have been remarkably well-preserved in part due to the Civil War. Charleston itself slowly recovered from the devastation of the war, and because the city could not afford to replace the damaged city buildings, they repaired the existing ones instead. For Brian, this all leads to an excellent walking tour that brings his guests into direct contact with life during Charleston’s earliest days.
The remainder of the Charleston Sole walking tour tells a story about Charleston’s reputation for charming tradition and cultural vibrancy. While passing through George Washington Park, Brian recounts a section from George Washington’s personal journey, an entry made while on his 1791 visit to Charleston. Washington was apparently struck by the many attractive women walking the city streets. He wrote, "There were at least 400 ladies [about]…the number and appearance at which exceeded anything of the kind I had ever seen!"
On the tour, visitors can also see the magnificent gardens of the historic Nathaniel Russell House, which is open to the public for tours. Brian draws his guests’ attention to the courting bench, or joggling board, located in the garden. This long, narrow bench, only a foot deep but sixteen feet long, was used by a courting couple--one person would sit on each end. By “joggling” up and down, the couple would slide closer and closer together until they met in the middle, signifying their intention to move from courtship to engagement.
Another deeply entrenched element of Charleston’s history which is detailed on the tour is the Gullah culture. Hints of Gullah folklore still dot Charleston’s present. Some porch ceilings are painted “haint blue,” said to keep the “haints,” or evil spirits, from coming into the home. Such spirits include the Boo Hag, a mythical creature who saps his victim’s energy by sucking their breath out while they sleep. Folklore says that leaving a broom by the bedside is the best way to thwart the Hag. Legend says it will become distracted by counting the broom straws. Gullah folklore also warms of the Plat Eye, a being with glowing eyes that can assume different shapes as it hunts its victims.
One of the final stops visitors get to see with Brian is Charleston Battery, the exact place where residents stood during the morning of April 12, 1861 and watched the Civil War begin. Fort Sumter lies just three miles off shore from Charleston. It is from here that bystanders watched the first battle of the war take place, safely out of the range of the cannons.
Charleston’s past, including its historic place in America’s birth and growth, its unique and untainted architecture, and its lively atmosphere, have led Brian to dedicate his time and passion to sharing its stories through Charleston Sole. His pride in being from Charleston and preserving its history is evident in his estimation of the city he loves: “Charleston is like a town that time forgot. There’s serenity, and it has a lot of character. I’ve been doing tours for seven years, and every day, I learn something new.”