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Posts Tagged ‘Historic Preservation’

March 12th, 2015

Old City Jail, Charleston, South Carolina, Haunted Jail Tour, “Save America’s Treasures”, Historic Preservation, American College of the Building Arts

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I don’t know what possessed me to even talk my poor cousins into this tour.  They live in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is over 500 years old. Lol!!  The thing is they went along with it.  It was at 10:00 p.m.  It was cold in Charleston that evening.

First clue was that our tour guide had been doing these tours for 6 years and had not seen or felt anything. Hmmmm.  The second thing is that even though most of the structures are intact, inside there are too many reproductions.  Hmmmm.

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Our tour guide closes every night by herself with not a care in the world.  Okay.

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The stairs are original and they looked that they were not going anywhere.

The American College of the Building Arts acquired this building so this is also a school doing research and historic preservation.

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The jail was in operation from 1802 until 1939.  Infamous criminals of Charleston called this home.  Federal prisoners during the Civil War were also housed here.  The building has massive walls.  Interesting to imagine being a prisoner in those times.  The tour guide explained that well.

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Some of the more famous inmates were John and Lavinia Fisher, convicted of robbery and murder.  They said that Ghost Adventures crew got something on an EVP of her saying the last 2 words of her message before she was hanged…The Devil.  I really don’t know.  Another was Denmark Vessey who was accused of planning a slave revolt.  High sea pirates were also inmates here.

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I think there is too much commotion for entities to be hanging around.  The Old City Jail is basically a lab.

Charleston has more than 1,400 historically significant buildings within the Charleston Old and Historic District, and this is one of them.

Well, to tell you the truth, it was scarier walking back to our hotel at that time of the night….churches, buildings, little alleys…Yikes, I am going to sleep.

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I just remembered that Carrie, my favorite Concierge in Charleston said she was scared to death.  That she felt something.  Really?

Note:  Bulldog Tours, located at 18 Anson Street.  Tel. 843-722-8687  Website?  http://www.bulldogtours.com

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December 9th, 2013

Discover St. Martin’s Church, Museum, Historic Preservation, Showell, Maryland, The Fall Feast of St. Martin, Historic St. Martin’s Church Foundation, Worcester County

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It was quiet as I passed the other night St. Martin’s Church….not so much so on Friday, November 1st when the celebration of The Fall Feast of St. Martin took place.  St. Martin’s Church is located at 11413 Old Worcester Highway, Showell, MD 21811.

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I was looking forward to mingling with friends and stepping into the past.

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The mood inside the tent was festive.

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The food was delicious, combining the cuisine of the region, from farm to table and from the sea to the raw bar.

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And plenty to choose for dessert.

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Historic St. Martin’s Church is one of the oldest structures in Worcester County.  It was built in 1756, 20 years prior to the signing of The Declaration of Independence.

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This is the key that opens the doors to this historic church, built brick by brick. The importance of historic preservation…”St. Martin’s Church is considered by many historians to be the finest preserved, most significant piece of American history on the Lower Eastern Shore.”

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The President of the Board of Directors is Mrs. Sherrie T. Beckstead.  With her there are many that make possible the fundraising to keep the preservation on-going.

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St. Martin’s Church is a museum.  It is open to the public on a regular basis.  Please visit http://www.historicstmartinschurch.org. Summer and fall bring open houses that are scheduled and staffed by volunteers.  It is also available for private tours.  It is a venue for historic weddings.  Educational events like the Shakespeare performance of Romeo & Juliet are free to the public.

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Take a look inside St. Martin’s.  The pews have a history, as well….many of them were owned by area families.

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A beautiful performance inside St. Martin’s by Vocalist Rachel Allman….the evening ended with the announcement of the raffle…a replica of the Key to St. Martin!!

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Have a great day!!

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