The Manning Times of March 3, 1886 contained an ad – “Mantoue and Company at 155 East Bay St., manufacturers of cigars, and importers of liquors and wines. Our cigar factory is in N.Y.”
City Directories and History: COATES’ ROW (#120 East Bay Street)
Constructed circa 1808-18o6; additions and alterations 1841
“Thomas Coates apparently purchased or constructed this group of commercial buildings by 1806 to house, among other ventures, Harris’ Tavern, later known as the French Coffee House, at 120 East Bay. This building served as the meeting place of Charleston’s Jacobin Club in the 1790s, a group largely made up of French immigrants who wholeheartedly embraced the spirit of the French Revolution. Coates’s wife Catherine also operated a noted tavern near the foot of Tradd Street, later called the Carolina Coffee House. Exemplary of early vernacular commercial structures in Charleston, the two-story, gable-roofed building at 120 East Bay contains extensive underground wine cellars. Its street doorway and northwest corner were removed to provide the standard Charleston corner store entry, with cast-iron column, in the late-nineteenth century. The three-story structure at 118 East Bay, constructed of stained red brick, features a projecting bracketed two-story bay and roof lantern, probably added in the early- 1840s, nearly contemporary with the construction of the double tenement at 114-116 East Bay Street. After the death of Catherine Coates in 1829, the northern section was sold in 1831 to John Michel, while the middle portion passed to Isaac Barrett. In these transactions the property was styled “Coates’ Row.” The unit at 114 East Bay was in use as a tobacconist’s shop at the time of the war. Throughout their history these buildings have remained in use as commercial structures with some upstairs residences.”
Information from: The Buildings of Charleston – J.H. P
oston for the Historic Charleston Foundation, 1997
In 1882 the Charleston City Directory contained an ad for John E. Schirmer, rice broker at this location.
Other sources of interest: Charleston Tax Payers of Charleston, SC in 1860-61 and the Dwelling Houses of Charleston by Alice R.H. Smith – 1917
Preservation Art at Work: Courtesy of Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art: Rick Rhodes – photographer, Ronald Ramsey artist – preservationist, 2017. (For the last several decades, native Charlestonian Ronald Wayne Ramsey has focused on meticulously documenting historical buildings—particularly those slated for demolition—in his hometown. As old buildings in the historically-minded city become condemned and readied for demolition, he secrets himself inside and liberates various seemingly mundane objects from their impending destruction. Such objects, like hinges, shutter dogs, decorative ironwork, doorknobs, and other ubiquitous building artifacts gain new relevance once they become part of his salvaged collection, which traces architectural styles from Charleston’s rich architectural legacy. Along with these objects, Ramsey creates fastidiously detailed drawings of old building facades in the city. Text from the Ahead of the Wrecking Ball Exhibit – 2017) (See below)
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Ronald W. Ramsey’s Art of Preservation
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