4 Sights You Need to See on a Charleston Carriage Tour
When you do a search for “evening carriage tour Charleston”, you probably wonder what you might see. Charleston earned the number one spot on Travel and Leisure Magazine’s “World’s Best Cities” list in 2016 due to the variety of unique and historical structures. Here are 4 spots you don’t want to miss seeing when you’re taking an evening carriage tour in Charleston.
Charleston County Courthouse
The Charleston county courthouse was the original capitol building for South Carolina in 1753. This was prior to Columbia becoming the capital in 1786. Once Columbia became the state capital, it was converted into a courthouse. There was a fire in 1788 that destroyed it, but it was eventually rebuilt in 1792. The courthouse is notable for its 18th-century appearance. The building was designed by Irish architect James Hoban. It’s believed that President George Washington may have met Hoban there while in Charleston. Eventually, Hoban would design the White House, which is modeled after the design of the Charleston County Courthouse. This alone would perhaps be worth having searched “evening carriage tour Charleston”.
The Exchange
This historic building is known by several different names. It’s also known as the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, and the Custom House. It’s been the site of many events that were significant to the history of the country. The Exchange was the location where confiscated tea was stored during the American Revolution. At one point the British captured the city of Charleston and the building was used as a barracks. American prisoners of war were also once held in the basement. In addition to these events, the United States Constitution was ratified here in 1788, and the location was used as a post office for the Confederates during the American Civil War.
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
Among all religious structures in Charleston, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church is the oldest surviving one. The South Carolina Assembly ordered it to be built in the 1750s. The structure has survived everything from wars to even a hurricane that damaged it in 1710. It was initially affiliated with the church of England until the American revolution. The church then became affiliated with the Episcopalian church for centuries until it joined the Anglican Church in 2012.
Charleston Single House
A unique structure you’ll see on a horse carriage tour is the Charleston single house. It’s a house with a narrow side that faces the street, and a longer side that is perpendicular to the street. The long side of the house is where the front door is located. Inside the house, rooms are located on each side. Later designs of the house also included piazzas, which are porches on the second or third story of the home. The piazzas are generally located on the side of the house with the front of the door.
These are just a few out of many structures that can be seen when taking a tour of Charleston. So when you’re searching “evening carriage tour Charleston” explore your options to determine which carriage tour will work for you then get out there and see the sights!.
