In this elegant hardbound volume, photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley take you on an intimate tour of some of the finest historic homes, gardens, churches, and plantations of the old city of Charleston and its surrounding Lowcountry. Their luminescent photographs reveal an insider's look at the definitive architecture and landscape of the region, ranging from private gardens hidden behind wrought iron gates to some of America's first landscaped garden vistas. From colonial-era French Quarter homes to Federal and Greek Revival townhouses and antebellum plantation houses, the selection featuring old family, private homes to museum showplaces make this an essential book for visitors, architects, preservationists or armchair travelers. Photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley specialize in photographing interiors and the architecture of the changing American landscape. They are the coauthors of ten previous books on the various styles of American homes and design, including Creole Houses, Old Florida, and most recently Farmhouse Revival and The Creative Cottage. Their work has been published extensively in magazines around the world and is in private collections including the Smithsonian Institution

Cobblestone streets leading to perfectly preserved historic homes. Intricate wrought-iron gates opening to lush, fragrant gardens. A skyline of steeples and a river harbor bustling with schooners and sailboats. Charleston is one of America's most charming cities. In vibrant watercolors and detailed sketches, artist Diana Gessler captures the beauty and riches that make Charleston so unique: White Point Gardens, the Spoleto Festival, Rainbow Row, Waterfront Park, Fort Moultrie, the beaches of Sullivan's Island, sumptuous Lowcountry cuisine, and handmade sweetgrass baskets. Full of fascinating details--on everything from the art of early entertaining, the city's inspired architectural and garden designs, and George Washington's Southern tour to famous Charlestonians and the flags of Sumter--Very Charleston celebrates the city, the Lowcountry, the people, and our history. Hand-lettered and full color throughout, Very Charleston includes maps, an index, and a handy appendix of sites. With her cheerful illustrations and love for discovering little-known facts, Diana Gessler has created both an entertaining guide and an irresistible keepsake for visitors and Charlestonians alike.

2020 George C. Rogers Jr. Award Finalist, best book of South Carolina history A study of Charleston's topographic evolution, its history of flooding, and efforts to keep residents dry and safe The signs are there: our coastal cities are increasingly susceptible to flooding as the climate changes. Charleston, South Carolina, is no exception, and is one of the American cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels. Lowcountry at High Tide is the first book to deal with the topographic evolution of Charleston, its history of flooding from the seventeenth century to the present, and the efforts made to keep its populace high and dry, as well as safe and healthy. For centuries residents have made many attempts, both public and private, to manipulate the landscape of the low-lying peninsula on which Charleston sits, surrounded by wetlands, to maximize drainage, and thus buildable land and to facilitate sanitation. Christina Butler uses three hundred years of archival records to show not only the alterations to the landscape past and present, but also the impact those efforts have had on the residents at various socio-economic levels throughout its history. Wide-ranging and thorough, Lowcountry at High Tide goes beyond the documentation of reclamation and filling and offers a look into the life and the history of Charleston and how its people have been affected by its unique environment, as well as examining the responses of the city over time to the needs of the populace. Butler considers interdisciplinary topics from engineering to public health, infrastructure to class struggle, and urban planning to civic responsibility in a study that is not only invaluable to the people of Charleston, but for any coastal city grappling with environmental change. Illustrated with historical maps, plats, and photographs and organized chronologically and thematically within chapters, Lowcountry at High Tide offers a unique look at how Charleston has kept—and may continue to keep—the ocean at bay.

A guide book will help natives and visitors alike appreciate the history and residents of the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina, one of the South's great cultural destinations, which has endured periods of grandeur, occupation, a devastating earthquake, fires, hurricanes, and the challenges of Reconstruction. Original.

Standing as a proud testament to Charleston's religious tolerance, churches and synagogues scattered throughout the historic port have defined Charleston's landscape since its founding. Built by Anglicans, Huguenots, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Quakers, Baptists, Lutherans, Jews, Catholics, African Methodist Episcopalians, and almost every other denomination found on American shores, Charleston's sacred structures comprise the finest collection of antebellum religious architecture in the country. In one grand photographic tour, The Churches of Charleston and the Lowcountry captures the drama, history, and architectural significance of the buildings that continue to draw architects, historians, architectural enthusiasts, and tourists to the city for study, reflection, and inspiration. From St. Michael's, a Charleston landmark, to such lesser known but equally impressive houses of worship as the Unitarian Church and St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, the sixty structures spotlighted in this volume offer glimpses into the religious, social, and economic development of Charleston and into the architectural fashions of colonial, federal, and antebellum America. The Preservation Society of Charleston, America's oldest community-based preservation organization, documents the city's illustrious religious heritage through congregational histories, architectural descriptions, and stunning interior and exterior photographs. Palladian, neo-Gothic, Georgian, Federal, and neo-Romanesque churches tell the story of a city blessed not only with a variety of religious communities but also with an array of architectural styles. With its compelling blend of architectural, religious, and social history, The Churches of Charleston and the Lowcountry preserves a visual record of the structures that have earned Charleston's celebrated stature as the "Holy City."

Charleston is a city apart; a world unto itself. Seated serenely on the coast, buffered from the Atlantic by wild, sandy barrier islands and held in the cradle of the Carolina Lowcountry, Charleston is regarded as America's most polite city; a cultural capital of Southern hospitality and charm. Graced with beautifully preserved historic buildings and ancient moss-draped trees, Charleston, South Carolina and the Lowcountry: A Photographic Portrait, unveils a whole new view of the many facets of one of the loveliest gems in the American treasury.

A city where history truly does live, Charleston, South Carolina, is home to many of Americas most admired landscapes. This aerial photographic book provides a unique vantage point to view the citys most famous landmarks and surrounding South Carolina lowcountry.