Is everyone ready for the social season?

Picture this, it's 1793 and we're headed west down Broad Street to the northeast corner of Broad and Middleton Street (now New Street). The newly built 1200 seat Broad Street Theatre is opening presenting dramas that include dancing and music by "northern actors" and a "number of capital performers" from England. The interior is similar to the London Opera House with three tiers of box seats, ceiling ventilation and lighting. The theatre's thirteen piece orchestra plays for the St. Cecilia Society's concert series held here. Charleston's planter aristocracy is enjoying a busy winter season of theatre, musical concerts and balls. It's all quite fancy!

Fierce Competition

Charleston Theatre | Then & Now

Soon after the opening of the Broad Street Theatre a French refugee, Santo Domingan, opened the French Theatre, or Théâtre Français, on Church Street near St. Michael's Alley. It must have been popular with so many of the French Huguenot residents living in the area. There was fierce competition between the two theaters but in spring of 1796 the Broad Street Theater merged with the French Theatre, or Théâtre Français, and it became known as City Theatre.

In 1800 both theaters were open with the Broad Street venue presenting drama and the Church Street venue presenting music, acrobatics, and ballet. During the 1821 - 1822 season Junius Brutus Booth, the English actor and father of John Wilkes Booth, played Hamlet, Leer, and Richard III, during two Charleston engagements. By 1832 attendance began to wane due to Charleston's weakened economy. Talk of the new tariff and possible nullification had folks all riled up causing them to spend less money on theatre tickets. By this time the Broad Street Theatre had changed it's name again to the Charleston Theatre. Sadly it closed in 1833 and was sold to The Medical College to be used as a teaching facility. It was destroyed in the great fire of 1861.

The Architect

The theater was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban. Hoban was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1755. In the late 1770's he moved to Dublin and studied at the Dublin Society's Drawing School. In 1785 he emigrated to Philadelphia and then moved to Charleston in 1787. President George Washington admired Hoban's work while on his Southern Tour and met with Hoban in Charleston in May of 1791. In June of 1792, Washington summoned the architect to Philadelphia, then the nation's capital to discuss the design of the "President's House". General Washington had chosen the site in Washington and Hoban was to be the architect. The White House was completed in 1800 with John Adams as its first resident.

Hoban designed numerous buildings during his years in Charleston such as the Charleston County Courthouse and St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church. Have a look below!

Charleston County Courthouse, Neoclassical in Design & Completed in 1792

St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, Greek Revival in Design & Completed in 1838

Closed on Broad Street

143 Broad Street, Recently Sold

Lois Lane Properties recently represented the buyer of 143 Broad Street, built around 1880. It is located on the corner across from the site of the Broad Street Theatre and is one of a few houses in the area with a circular porch. Also, it's interesting that it is bordered by three streets Logan Street, Broad Street, and New Street. Congratulations to the buyer!