Charleston Explained

Did you know Memorial Day started here? 🇺🇸

Thank you to all that have given their lives to protect our country!

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turns 109!

Mendel Dumas started M. Dumas & Sons at 220 King Street in 1917, outfitting Charleston’s laborers, naval officers, and workers with a handshake and a reputation he’d stake his name on. 109 years later, through two world wars, the rise of denim, innovation, and renovation, that same family name still hangs above King Street.

They were the first store in South Carolina to carry Levi’s. They put Tommy Bahama on the map before most people knew the name. And tucked inside their flagship is one of the oldest working elevators in Charleston.. a secret Co-Owner & CEO Gary Flynn let us see for ourselves.

Happy 109th anniversary, !

Save this for the next time you walk down King Street, and tag someone who needs to know this story!

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The First Golf Course in America ⛳️

Most people walk right past this… without realizing they’re standing where American golf was born 🏌️‍♂️

In 1743, a shipment arrived in Charleston from Scotland - 432 golf balls. 96 clubs. No courses, no greens, no rules like today. Just open land and someone standing ahead yelling “FORE!”… the original caddie.�
Even the golf balls were different - called “featheries,” stuffed with boiled feathers and stitched leather.

By 1786, the South Carolina Golf Club was formed, one of the first in the country, playing on Harleston Green in what’s now Harleston Village. And then, by 1799, the club disappeared from public record.

Some say trade restrictions. Others say the city grew over it.

But one thing is certain - before Augusta, before Pine Valley, this is where American golf truly began.

And some even believe “green fees” started right here!

Follow for more hidden Charleston history you’ve never heard before!

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The Haunting at 106 Broad Street 💀👻

This story comes from the Charleston Mercury, written by Robert Simons, based on what he personally experienced while living at 106 Broad Street. Known as the Dr. John Lining House, this structure dates back to before 1715 - when Charleston was still a walled settlement. Just beyond that line of protection, along what began as a native trail and later became King Street, this home stood exposed on the edge of the unknown.

In 1715, the Yamasee War tore through the colony, leaving devastation behind. Records show the woman who owned this home survived - but something changed. A deed from that year suggests she was no longer of sound mind, and later, family letters revealed why. She had locked herself inside while her family tried to reach her… only to be killed just outside. The letters claim she could hear everything, unable to help, with safety still visible in the distance. A moment that may have left something behind at 106 Broad Street.

Nearly 300 years later, Robert experienced something he couldn’t explain. Every night at exactly 10 p.m., his bedroom light would shut off - over and over again. It only stopped when he moved his bed away from facing that old trail. He believed the spirit of that woman still lingers on the third floor… but what do you think?

A 1920’s gangster was murdered on Market Street?

During the Prohibition era, Market Street was the center of Charleston’s underworld. Frank J. “Rumpty Rattles” Hogan was a Lowcountry gangster involved in illegal liquor sales and the distribution network to several “blind tigers” around the city. He also had close relationships with many of those in power at that time. One hand washes the other as they say.

Around 1am on October 25th, 1927, Rumpty was murdered in front of 141 Market St by a rival dealer, Leon Dunlap, in what we can only assume was an attempt to take out his competition. Mysteriously, Rumpty’s son-in-law “Country Boy Riggs” was with Leon that night. Both were arrested, however were eventually acquitted of the crime stating they acted in “self defense”. Could Leon Dunlap have taken the top seat with those in power in Charleston? If so, it’s entirely possible the jury was paid off so that Leon was now the new Lowcountry gangster in charge of liquor distribution. The mystery still remains to this day.

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Mass Chaos..

A monkey allegedly caused a full city-wide panic in Charleston in 1788.

Not pirates.�Not war.

A monkey.

Charleston folklore says it escaped, bit someone, and rumors of rabies spread fast.

Within hours, crowds were chasing it through the streets.

What started as curiosity turned into a full out manhunt.

Whether true or simply folklore, it’s one wild story.

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Vampires in Charleston?

Charleston folklore holds stories that vampires were once believed to be buried in cemeteries across the city.

Across the country, cases like this were actually more prominent. Likely caused by diseases like tuberculosis.

But still… It makes for a pretty wild story.

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Secret Tunnels in Charleston? 🤯

Sneak Peek at the underground tunnel system beneath The Tavern at Rainbow Row. Sealed off in the 1970’s, there are 6 access points in total at this location, 4 of which we took a look at. At one point, these were allegedly used to smuggle alcohol during the prohibition by rum runners to different establishments around Charleston!

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There’s a hidden room inside this Charleston hotel.
And it’s hiding behind a bookcase. ♠️

But to understand why it’s there, you have to go back to 1724.

A British naval captain named George Anson sailed into Charleston, and according to local legend, won 64 acres of land in a card game. That land became Ansonborough, Charleston’s first planned suburb.

And right at the edge of it stands The Ansonborough.

In 1920 it was a paint & varnish factory that produced the famous Charleston Green… later a warehouse… then transformed into one of the city’s most unique boutique hotels.

Look closely and you’ll find nautical maps, a portrait of Lord Anson, a skylit three-story lobby - and tucked quietly behind a bookcase…

A speakeasy-style poker parlor honoring the legend that started the neighborhood.

A city built on stories.�Sometimes they’re still hiding in plain sight.

Guests can reserve a seat Fridays and Saturdays at 7 PM or 9 PM (5 seats per session, tickets available via Eventbrite).

📍Ansonborough | Charleston, SC

Would you have known it was there?

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The Oldest Liquor Store in America! 🤯

Slinging booze for over 300 years, the oldest liquor store in America is right here at The Tavern at Rainbow Row! 🏴‍☠️

Established in 1686, this legendary spot allegedly served pirates like Blackbeard, survived the Prohibition disguised as a barbershop, and still holds a trapdoor leading to secret underground tunnels beneath the city!
Some say it’s even haunted...

Swing by to grab a bottle and step into history! 🍻

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