Church St. Home Tour in Charleston, SC

I have a winner of my giveaway and it is Traci of http://thetracichronicles.blogspot.com/
Congrats, Traci! I already emailed you the gift certificate and instructions
on how to redeem it.

It's Saturday so we get to go on a signtseeing tour today. I am also linking with Beverly's Pink Saturday at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/pink-saturday/
and the Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Whenever we go to an old town, John and I like to tour old houses. Our trip to Charleston, SC was no diferrent, especially after walking around and seeing the charming houses close to downtown. We decided to take the Church St. Home Tour, where most of the antebellum houses are. I took pictures along the way as we were walking from the hotel and passed by this Powder Magazine building. I thought the cannons in the front are very interesting. We did not want to miss our tour so we did not step in the building.

I love window planters filled with pink flowers

and topiaries framing front doors. Beautiful pink and yellow flowers!

The houses lining Church St. on both sides are so quaint and just so charming!

There were horse carriages all over. We wanted to take a tour while in a horse carriage too because I thought it was very reasonable at $22/person but we did not have enough time. We were only there for 3 days and John was in meetings every monring and there was so much to explore and admire.

The descendant of the builder of this home, which used to be a tavern, was the one who introduced poinsettas to the US. Again, I am loving the window planter.

I fell in love with the hanging baskets on the porch, so right after we landed in Baton Rouge airport, we went to a plant nursery nearby to buy some. I stuck a variety of plants and I can't wait for them to fill in. The top photo in the mosaic is a house in Charleston and the 2 bottom ones shows my copy of thier hanging baskets. Just like I said, the plants still need to grow to fill the baskets.


I thought this stone alley was very interesting.

The first house that we toured was Catfish Row. Actually, they did not even tour us inside the house but took us in the backyard with all the pretty fountains. Originally, it was called Cabbage Row. It was where the book titled "Catfish Row" by DuBose Heyward was based, a descendant of one of the signors of the US Declaration of Independence, Thomas Heyward, Jr. The name was changed to Catfish Row from Cabbage Row because of the book.

Love this cobblestone paved street.

The tour was well organized. There were a lot of people touring but to make it less crowded in each house, we were allowed to choose where to go as long as it is in the list. Tour guides were assigned in every home. This white flag indicates that the house is open for touring.

This house was not included in the tour but I took a picture because I love how it looks. I like the gasolier in front of the gate and the triple lion head fountain in front of the house.

Most of the houses that we toured had a lovely garden too. Unfortunately, we really weren't allowed to take pictures inside the houses and gardens. I was able to sneak a few shots before I found out we weren't allowed. I thought at first that photography inside the house was the only one prohibited.

I stood in the middle of Church St. just so you could get a feel of its charm.

I like the brick pavement at the end of the street.

We don't have a lot of pictures together because we don't have a third person to take it and I do not like to disturb and stop other tourists to take it for us, but I found a broken stone post where I could lay the camera and set it on a timer.

This Verree House was purchased in 1754 by one of the signors of the US Declaration of Independence, Thomas Heyward. Too bad we weren't allowed to take a picture of the garden in the backyard but it was so beautiful.

If you are in the market for a historical home, this one's for sale I think for about 3 million dollars.

This is the residence of the Sanders. Mr. Sanders is the President of the College of Charleston and his wife Zoe wrote a cookbook and I bought one. Here she is signing it. Don't you just like how the antique car matches the house?

This is the oldest street of Charleston. How do you like that pink house? I do! I like the Italian cypress too.

I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour. I have more pictures of Charleston to show you next week so I hope you will come back.

Thank you so much for joining me and to our hostesses, your efforts are always appreciated!