Discovering Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina

The city has a number of impressive edifices and well-maintained historic mansions, but it is the simple charm of its streets lined with a mix of architectural styles that stays with you as the lasting impression.

Eye-catching houses sit everywhere in the historically most desirable “South of Broad [Street]” part of the town.

The above were all examples of Queen Anne architectural style which, along with Italianate-style villas, accounts for the most exuberant buildings.

The other prevalent style, Federal, produced primarily flat rectangular façades that were sometimes painted in bright colors.

The ground-level piazza acts as the actual entry to the house, with a “privacy door” connecting it to the street.

The second-floor piazza may not always remain an open-air space, as it was historically designed to be, but it retains its major function as a substitute for a patio or a deck that we use in our northern abodes.

Palmetto trees and pineapple statuary are a common ornamentation of the Charleston landscape, able to make even the most sober Federal-style building look festive.

Intricate ironworks is another magnificent highlight of many a house, such as this beauty on Broad Street. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).