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Mark & Robyn's Travels
I love traveling with my family--it is slightly better than having a frontal lobotomy. Robyn informed me this morning that we would be going to see two historic homes today and if possible a plantation. She wanted to start with the Edmondston-Alston house and then go to the Nathaniel Russell house and if there was time maybe go to a nearby plantation. Oh boy-- this could be a busy day. She also admitted that getting to a plantation was unlikely. We ate at the free continental breakfast provided by the hotel, and t was good to have something light like fruit after all the rich food we had eaten the last two days.
First, let me give a brief history of Charleston--you knew it had to be coming. The city was founded in 1670 and was called Charles Town for the current King of England Charles II. In 1680 it was resettled across the Ashley river where it sits today. Eventually the British built a wall around the city to protect it from attacks by Indians, the Spanish, the French, and Pirates. Blackbeard attacked the city for several days in May of 1718. Eventually the wall was taken down because the city needed to grow, because after all Charles Town was one of the wealthiest cities in the colonies. After the American Revolution the city was renamed Charleston. In the early 1800's a sea wall was built and they filled in a swampy area that was at the far end of the peninsula that Charleston sits on. With the sea wall in place, the wealthy merchants and plantation owners started building stately homes along what is now East Battery and East Bay streets and includes the homes we hope to visit.
Melanie agreed to go see the two houses but made it clear she wanted to have time for shopping. It was also determined we would not be going to any plantations, so I lost the Hunley and Robyn lost the plantations. As we are driving over to the Edmondston-Alston house Melanie looks it up on her phone and it says it does not open until 1 pm, a fact that Robyn had failed to see. So after we parked, it was decided to head over to the Nathaniel Russell house instead since it had already opened. As we were walking Melanie said we should head down Water Street and she saw a light blue painted house that she fell in love with.
The following historic plaque was on the side of the house.
The daughter of the original owner Susan Ann married a doctor Henry Thomas Willis Lubbock, and their oldest son Francis Richard Lubbock was the Governor of Texas from 1861 - 1865 during the Civil War. The city of Lubbock is named after him. Melanie said it was meant for her to walk down this street. At the end of Water Street we came upon the Nathaniel-Russell house.
The house was built in 1808 by a wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell, although he had made money before he married, the real wealth came from his wife's family. The tour was given by a sweet southern woman who talked with a soft accent. The house was built in the federal style, which was popular at the time which means each floor had a square room at the back, an oval room in the middle, and a large rectangular room at the front. The White House is built in the federal style which is why it was so popular. The oval room was considered the most important room on each floor, and on the first floor the oval room was the formal dining room. One of the fascinating items was a original door to the house that still had the original glass. Some of the glass was going through a process called quizzeling (not sure I have spelled it correctly) where the glass is actually starting to crack. The guide said that is just another term for getting old, and Debby turns to me and says she is quizzeling. The tour was interesting but only included two floors and a few rooms. What they don't talk about on the tour was that Nathaniel Russell was a merchant in Slaves, and that was how he made his money before marrying into wealth. Charleston was one of the primary ports that the slave ships came into to deliver the slaves to the rice plantations which was the primary crop grown in South Carolina. There was a plaque on one of the back walls that did describe Nathaniel Russell as a slave trader.
When we finished touring the house Melanie was insisting on getting lunch. We stopped at the Brown Dog Deli and had a good sandwich. Afterwards, we decided it was too late in the afternoon to go to the Edmondston-Alston house since Melanie wanted to go shopping. So back to the hotel we went.
To end the day we went to eat at Magnolia's restaurant, classic low country southern cooking. It was good, it was filling and we ate too much but had a lot of fun. After we had cleared the check, Robyn, Melanie, and Debby head to the bathroom. I am talking to the waiter when a text from Melanie comes across my phone. I ignore it. Robyn comes back to the table and asks if I saw Melanie's text, I look and just start laughing out loud. It was a picture of the toilet with the seat laying on the floor, and Melanie has texted "so this just happened." Apparently as Melanie was standing up the seat stuck to her butt and then fell off on the floor. Of course she and Debby break into hysterical laughter, then Debby picks up the seat with some towels because she still had to go to the bathroom. The other woman in the bathroom apparently did not find any of this amusing. We Johnsons are something special.
Can't wait to see what is in store for tomorrow. I do believe we will be going to the Edmonston-Alston house.
First, let me give a brief history of Charleston--you knew it had to be coming. The city was founded in 1670 and was called Charles Town for the current King of England Charles II. In 1680 it was resettled across the Ashley river where it sits today. Eventually the British built a wall around the city to protect it from attacks by Indians, the Spanish, the French, and Pirates. Blackbeard attacked the city for several days in May of 1718. Eventually the wall was taken down because the city needed to grow, because after all Charles Town was one of the wealthiest cities in the colonies. After the American Revolution the city was renamed Charleston. In the early 1800's a sea wall was built and they filled in a swampy area that was at the far end of the peninsula that Charleston sits on. With the sea wall in place, the wealthy merchants and plantation owners started building stately homes along what is now East Battery and East Bay streets and includes the homes we hope to visit.
Melanie agreed to go see the two houses but made it clear she wanted to have time for shopping. It was also determined we would not be going to any plantations, so I lost the Hunley and Robyn lost the plantations. As we are driving over to the Edmondston-Alston house Melanie looks it up on her phone and it says it does not open until 1 pm, a fact that Robyn had failed to see. So after we parked, it was decided to head over to the Nathaniel Russell house instead since it had already opened. As we were walking Melanie said we should head down Water Street and she saw a light blue painted house that she fell in love with.
The following historic plaque was on the side of the house.
The daughter of the original owner Susan Ann married a doctor Henry Thomas Willis Lubbock, and their oldest son Francis Richard Lubbock was the Governor of Texas from 1861 - 1865 during the Civil War. The city of Lubbock is named after him. Melanie said it was meant for her to walk down this street. At the end of Water Street we came upon the Nathaniel-Russell house.
The house was built in 1808 by a wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell, although he had made money before he married, the real wealth came from his wife's family. The tour was given by a sweet southern woman who talked with a soft accent. The house was built in the federal style, which was popular at the time which means each floor had a square room at the back, an oval room in the middle, and a large rectangular room at the front. The White House is built in the federal style which is why it was so popular. The oval room was considered the most important room on each floor, and on the first floor the oval room was the formal dining room. One of the fascinating items was a original door to the house that still had the original glass. Some of the glass was going through a process called quizzeling (not sure I have spelled it correctly) where the glass is actually starting to crack. The guide said that is just another term for getting old, and Debby turns to me and says she is quizzeling. The tour was interesting but only included two floors and a few rooms. What they don't talk about on the tour was that Nathaniel Russell was a merchant in Slaves, and that was how he made his money before marrying into wealth. Charleston was one of the primary ports that the slave ships came into to deliver the slaves to the rice plantations which was the primary crop grown in South Carolina. There was a plaque on one of the back walls that did describe Nathaniel Russell as a slave trader.
When we finished touring the house Melanie was insisting on getting lunch. We stopped at the Brown Dog Deli and had a good sandwich. Afterwards, we decided it was too late in the afternoon to go to the Edmondston-Alston house since Melanie wanted to go shopping. So back to the hotel we went.
To end the day we went to eat at Magnolia's restaurant, classic low country southern cooking. It was good, it was filling and we ate too much but had a lot of fun. After we had cleared the check, Robyn, Melanie, and Debby head to the bathroom. I am talking to the waiter when a text from Melanie comes across my phone. I ignore it. Robyn comes back to the table and asks if I saw Melanie's text, I look and just start laughing out loud. It was a picture of the toilet with the seat laying on the floor, and Melanie has texted "so this just happened." Apparently as Melanie was standing up the seat stuck to her butt and then fell off on the floor. Of course she and Debby break into hysterical laughter, then Debby picks up the seat with some towels because she still had to go to the bathroom. The other woman in the bathroom apparently did not find any of this amusing. We Johnsons are something special.
Can't wait to see what is in store for tomorrow. I do believe we will be going to the Edmonston-Alston house.
- comments
Liz Oh my goodness!! I can't believe the toilet seat came off!! LOL!!!! Johnson's do have a way to make themselves known .