The Old Charleston Jail tour was an incredibly interesting experience that far exceeded my expectations. It all began when my friend and I arrived at the jail and walked through the front gates and found ourselves surrounded by stonewalls and a steep staircase that screamed “haunted.” Full of excitement, we sat on the front stairs anticipating the start of the tour. After a short while, we realized we had not seen a single person, so to pass the time we made jokes about ghosts after hearing the jail was haunted. Minutes later, a man appeared holding a long chain lock in his hands, which he proceeded to wrap around the front gates of the entrance. Not knowing where or if there was another exit, I was terrified and my friend and I frantically turned each other in fear, both thinking we were being locked inside. We politely asked the gentleman if we were in the right place for the tour and he when he did not reply, my friend and I looked at each other again, this time simultaneously shouting, “ghost!” Well, it turns out the man locking the front gates was not a ghost because he heard us shriek and kindly asked if were okay. With that, we told the man what caused us to panic and we all laughed. It was a great start to the tour!
The Old Jail is currently home to the American College of the Building Arts, though it is was originally built to serve as a prison for the convicts of Charleston during the 1800s. The structure itself is quite remarkable, boasting multiple design elements and details from its initial construction in 1802, such as the side wings and the grand front entrance. Adding to the building’s rich history, the Old Jail’s first alterations took place decades later by distinguished architect Robert Mills, who is best known for his design of the Washington Monument. These alterations of the 1850s resulted in a general expansion, notably the back octagon still seen today. Originally the structure stood four stories high, but as a result of the earthquake of 1886, the top floor crumbled beyond repair, leaving behind the remaining three stories. Inside of the jail, the second floor has small rooms now occupied as offices and a library, but they once served as a home to the jailer’s family to insure their safety and protection from the inmates, who were located on the first floor. The jail cells throughout the building are equipped with old fireplaces and some of the original crate outlines located in the larger rooms can still be seen today. In the Nancy Room on the third floor, many bricks have been visibly covered over with a tall cement reinforcement to prevent the walls from collapsing because they are so insecure and so they say, the prisoners would often “thumb their way to freedom” because the bricks were that easy to remove, even many decades ago! Later on in the 19th century, metal supports and steel vaults were inserted, serving as earthquake protection, however, today the long metal supports are slowly expanding and destroying the building’s foundation. Overall, despite its eventful history, the Old Jail still stands as one of the most historical structures in downtown Charleston.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Old Jail Tour. It was fascinating to see the original bones of a structure that has been standing for hundreds of years, bursting with history and spirits. I loved learning about its past and listening to stories about the architecture and even the inmates. Towards the end, we viewed an office on the very top floor that was small and non-descript, but I noticed two columns, both of which were topped with an echinus and abacus. Though they were recently built, the columns successfully added height and a slight bit of opulence and charm to the room, without seeming too out of place. With that said, the best part about visiting a historic structure is learning about its purpose centuries ago and then seeing that same structure currently serving a different function, while still displaying original design elements and architectural features. Now I cannot wait to go back for the ghost tour!
[The Architecture & Art History club extends gratitude to William Bates for generously opening the building for us and giving a thorough tour of the building’s history as well as the ACBA program (http://buildingartscollege.us)]
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The Old Jail Tour
The Old Charleston Jail tour was an incredibly interesting experience that far exceeded my expectations. It all began when my friend and I arrived at the jail and walked through the front gates and found ourselves surrounded by stonewalls and a steep staircase that screamed “haunted.” Full of excitement, we sat on the front stairs anticipating the start of the tour. After a short while, we realized we had not seen a single person, so to pass the time we made jokes about ghosts after hearing the jail was haunted. Minutes later, a man appeared holding a long chain lock in his hands, which he proceeded to wrap around the front gates of the entrance. Not knowing where or if there was another exit, I was terrified and my friend and I frantically turned each other in fear, both thinking we were being locked inside. We politely asked the gentleman if we were in the right place for the tour and he when he did not reply, my friend and I looked at each other again, this time simultaneously shouting, “ghost!” Well, it turns out the man locking the front gates was not a ghost because he heard us shriek and kindly asked if were okay. With that, we told the man what caused us to panic and we all laughed. It was a great start to the tour!
The Old Jail is currently home to the American College of the Building Arts, though it is was originally built to serve as a prison for the convicts of Charleston during the 1800s. The structure itself is quite remarkable, boasting multiple design elements and details from its initial construction in 1802, such as the side wings and the grand front entrance. Adding to the building’s rich history, the Old Jail’s first alterations took place decades later by distinguished architect Robert Mills, who is best known for his design of the Washington Monument. These alterations of the 1850s resulted in a general expansion, notably the back octagon still seen today. Originally the structure stood four stories high, but as a result of the earthquake of 1886, the top floor crumbled beyond repair, leaving behind the remaining three stories. Inside of the jail, the second floor has small rooms now occupied as offices and a library, but they once served as a home to the jailer’s family to insure their safety and protection from the inmates, who were located on the first floor. The jail cells throughout the building are equipped with old fireplaces and some of the original crate outlines located in the larger rooms can still be seen today. In the Nancy Room on the third floor, many bricks have been visibly covered over with a tall cement reinforcement to prevent the walls from collapsing because they are so insecure and so they say, the prisoners would often “thumb their way to freedom” because the bricks were that easy to remove, even many decades ago! Later on in the 19th century, metal supports and steel vaults were inserted, serving as earthquake protection, however, today the long metal supports are slowly expanding and destroying the building’s foundation. Overall, despite its eventful history, the Old Jail still stands as one of the most historical structures in downtown Charleston.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Old Jail Tour. It was fascinating to see the original bones of a structure that has been standing for hundreds of years, bursting with history and spirits. I loved learning about its past and listening to stories about the architecture and even the inmates. Towards the end, we viewed an office on the very top floor that was small and non-descript, but I noticed two columns, both of which were topped with an echinus and abacus. Though they were recently built, the columns successfully added height and a slight bit of opulence and charm to the room, without seeming too out of place. With that said, the best part about visiting a historic structure is learning about its purpose centuries ago and then seeing that same structure currently serving a different function, while still displaying original design elements and architectural features. Now I cannot wait to go back for the ghost tour!
[The Architecture & Art History club extends gratitude to William Bates for generously opening the building for us and giving a thorough tour of the building’s history as well as the ACBA program (http://buildingartscollege.us)]