Mapping Charleston IV

Now that we are more than halfway through Mapping Charleston, our South Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board (SC SHRAB) grant project, we wanted to share our progress and highlight a map with a particularly interesting history attached.

The catalog that we have built on PastPerfect is quickly growing, now with more than 800 entries showing properties and planning decisions across every city ward. Almost all the catalogued maps have been through multiple stages of review to verify their index entry, metadata, and cross-references, and work continues to finish our last two flat file drawers containing plans of Chicora Park. Additionally, we have begun flattening our rolled maps in the Archive Room to begin their initial review and data collection. Unrolling maps has been both exciting and nerve-wracking, as most are brittle and have been rolled up for years, virtually unknown to staff. It will be exciting to see what information we uncover about Charleston and the surrounding region.

Several images from our April CALM meeting exhibition.

We have also had some exciting engagement opportunities with the Charleston Archives, Libraries, & Museums Council (CALM) and the College of Charleston. In April, we hosted a CALM meeting to share our progress on Mapping Charleston, and we prepared a variety of maps from the collection for a small exhibition for the members. We got to show off many of our more unique maps, answer questions, and chat about the collection’s untapped research potential.

Last week, we visited the College of Charleston to speak with Dr. James Newhard and Dr. Douglas Rivet to discuss how we can contribute to their deep mapping project, The Spatial History of Charleston (SHOC). Their project will rely on partnerships with preservation organizations, archives, and repositories across the Charleston region to crowd source historic maps and property information that will be geo-rectified and time-specific to reflect Charleston’s development over space and time. The project will first focus on African-American descendant communities and the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor before expanding to more of the region with time.

Google Street View of Big Bad Breakfast.

C. J. Barbot plat of Tivoli Garden, 1883.

Lastly, I wanted to share a bit about a property at the corner of Meeting and Columbus Street. The lot now houses a familiar Charleston eatery, Big Bad Breakfast, but it was once a preeminent gathering place for Charlestonians from all walks of life known as Tivoli Garden.[1] We came across a plat of Tivoli Garden in our collection, copied from a Robert Q. Pinckney plat from 1847, describing the lot’s boundaries and dimensions and showing a “Bowling Saloon” and “Billiard Room” on the property. Although unassuming at first glance, the name intrigued us, and with a bit of further investigation into City Yearbooks and newspaper records, we discovered that Tivoli Garden seems to have been a private park hosting events, entertainment, meetings, clubs, societies, meals, and tea parties. [2]

Charleston Courier. “Fourth of July at Tivoli Garden.” June 24, 1850.

Charleston Courier. “Oysters!” December 23, 1865.

Charleston Courier. “Tivoli Garden.” December 23, 1825.

According to the 1896 Charleston City Yearbook, Tivoli Garden “was the great resort for recreation, picnics, and bear fights.”[3] Yes, bear fights. Our search into the garden uncovered mentions in newspapers from 1825 to 1902, chronicling years of recreational activities and events on the property. Although the garden was likely segregated, an ad from an 1850 bear fight says, “Admittance 50 cents, colored people 25 cents,” indicating that all were welcomed.[4] Across nearly 50 years as Tivoli Garden, it served not only as a garden but also as a confectionery shop and ice creamery, bar, event hall, restaurant, and venue for everything from gymnastics games and concerts to bear fights.[5] Truly, Tivoli Garden was an eclectic and vibrant staple in what was then Charleston Neck, entertaining and providing respite to its community for decades.

Research provided by Kendall John, Records Specialist.

[1] Charleston News and Courier. “John C. Fremont.” December 6, 1885.

[2] Charleston Courier. “Palmetto Society.” June 23, 1825.; Charleston Courier. “Tivoli Garden.” May 7, 1825.

[3] City of Charleston. “Mayor Smyth’s Annual Review.” In Year Book, City of Charleston, S.C.: 1896, 410. Charleston, S.C.: Lucas & Richardson Co., 1896.

[4] Charleston Courier. “Fourth of July at Tivoli Garden.” June 24, 1850.

[5] Charleston Courier. “Assigned Furniture and Office Desks by McKay & Campbell.” November 10, 1865.; Charleston Courier. “Tivoli Garden.” December 23, 1825.