There are three things you should know about May. First, it is national historic preservation month. Second, Charleston, South Carolina, was the first city in the United States to pass historic preservation ordinances. Third, you can celebrate historic preservation month at Middleton Place!
Charleston City Council adopted the Planning and Zoning Ordinance of 1931, and it is widely recognized as a significant step toward the local and national preservation movement. However, the passion for historic preservation has been active since 1783; Charlestonians have long considered historic perseveration a part of the culture. The Latin motto on our city seal translates, “She guards her cushions, buildings, and laws.”
For Middleton Place and the Edmonston-Alston House, historic preservation has been a part of the Foundation’s mission to connect to the past to inspire a better future. And what better way to do this than physically being in the same spaces where history occurred?
Circa 1870s Ruins of the Main House. Right Flanker Remains and serves as the House Museum Today.
While Middleton Place was built and added on throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the central part of the house museum is the remains of the right flanker building. The House Museum structure today has survived two major wars, countless hurricanes, and a devastating earthquake. It will continue to uphold and protect some of the Foundation’s most important archival collections. The Edmondston-Alston House, while built and completed in the early 19th century, shares similar historical moments, such as surviving the American Civil War, flooding, and countless hurricanes. These houses, grounds, and surrounding interpretive areas are crucial to achieving our mission and telling the American story.
Members of the Middleton Place Foundation repairing historical fencing from the destruction of Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
In celebration of Historic Preservation Month, visitors can receive 20% off an adult general admission ticket by showing a receipt from another historical or cultural site they visited in May! Valid dates, May 1, 2023 – May 31, 2023. This special offer is not available online.
