Category Archives: Building

Fan-vaulted Ceiling

December 24, 2019 Ellen Jennings 5 Comments

No, I didn’t know what it was either. Per Wikipedia:

A fan vault is a form of vault used in the Gothic style, in which the ribs are all of the same curve and spaced equidistantly, in a manner resembling a fan.

This example is at The Unitarian Church of Charleston where I recently stepped in during their open hours.

It was too crowded to get a symmetrical image, but I rather liked this one, showing off the complexity of the design.

The Charleston Earthquake of 1886 destroyed most of the original ceiling along with the church’s tower. Restoration soon returned the ceiling to the 1852 design. Prudently the restoration architect chose a more modest tower which subsequently survived Hurricane Hugo, which in 1989 destroyed many of Charleston’s landmarks.

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Magnolia Plantation, the House

November 2, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

I spotted the metal cupola and wind vane through the branches of one of the huge Live Oaks that line the entrance to the Magnolia Plantation property.

I backed up and found a spot that framed the house with the tree, which is many hundreds of years old.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, SC

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Old Sheldon Church Ruins

October 4, 2019 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

South Carolina is dotted with ruins of churches and other historical buildings. Fire, at the hands of an enemy during war or by accident, was a common culprit. Sometimes they were ravaged to use building materials elsewhere.

Old Sheldon Church Ruins

The Old Sheldon Church in Beaufort County was originally built around 1750.

The owners of the property have recently added a fence to keep visitors out of the ruin for safety purposes and hopefully from taking souvenirs. Oddly, to me, this has become a popular spot for wedding and other portrait photographs.

The giant Live Oaks surrounding the property lend to the feeling of times gone by.

Building, South Carolina

Cross Keys Plantation

September 21, 2019 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

The Cross Keys Plantation wasn’t on our list of potential stops on our recent mid-state driving tour. However, we made a quick u-turn to check out this unexpected sight.

The property is owned by the Union County Museum but wasn’t open so I only took images from the road. The white plaque at the gable peak has the build date of 1812 along with two crossed skeleton keys.

The other end of the house has just one chimney, partly hidden by a tree.

The intricate brick work is fascinating, especially in the chimney.

The bricks varied in colors and the top several rows on the front of the house appear to be of a different era.

Click on any image for a larger view.

Cross Keys, Union, SC

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Joseph Manigault House: Chandelier

August 12, 2019 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

I’m attracted to gaudy chandeliers, not that I would want one, but the bling does draw my eye.

Joseph Manigault House Chandelier in Front Stairwell

The light from the huge Palladian window (three-sections where the center section is arched and larger than the two side sections) makes images a challenge.

The cantilevered staircase (fixed to the wall with no other support) provides an elegant setting intended to impress Charleston society.

This home has had a number of uses since it was built in 1803 for the Manigault family’s city residence and was nearly torn down for a gas station in 1920. It is now owned by The Charleston Museum which operates daily interpretive tours.

Joseph Manigault House, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC

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Charleston Churches on a Stormy Afternoon

July 11, 2019 Ellen Jennings 7 Comments

Charleston, SC, is known for its abundance of churches and is sometimes referred to as the “Holy City.” The spires of this trio can be seen from a bird’s eye perspective from one of the parking garage rooftops.

Three Church Spires, Charleston: Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Saint John’s Lutheran Church, Unitarian Church

The Unitarian Church is topped by a rooster weather vane, which had a summer storm to observe the afternoon I was there.

Black and White, Building

Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist: Rear, B&W

July 10, 2019 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

Many of the large churches in historic Charleston, SC, are difficult to photograph in their entirety due to the closeness of their neighbors. Turns out that the tops of parking garages provide some neat views that get around this dilemma.

This image is the rear of Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist that I featured last fall in my post Charleston Cathedral with Connecticut Connection.

Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Charleston, SC

The dramatic clouds were provided by an approaching summer thunder storm.

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The Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston

June 24, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Built in 1905, The Gibbes Museum of Art refers to the dome that crowns the Rotunda Gallery as “Tiffany Era.” It seems the sought after Tiffany markings are not to be found based on the museum’s news articles about a recent renovation that included cleaning the dome.

The Dome, The Gibbes Museum of Art, Rotunda Gallery

I took the image above standing on the big fleur-de-lis in this next image and looking up. I wanted to lay on the floor but thought it might be frowned on.

The floor is tile, that was (gasp!) covered in brown linoleum along with the beautiful woodwork being painted white sometime in the 1950s or early 1960.

This view out the huge windows in the front shows a hint of the neighboring Circular Church, another architectural beauty in Charleston.

View Out Second Floor, The Gibbes Museum of Art

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Cypress Methodist Campground

September 28, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

I visited another of South Carolina’s Methodist campgrounds last week. It turns out there are quite a few still operating around the area.

It is immediately obvious that Cypress Methodist Campground is different from Indian Fields Methodist Campground as the “tents” are in a rectangle rather than a circular arrangement and it feels less unified.

This section in the first corner is dominated by a giant Live Oak tree dripping with Spanish Moss.

Some other differences that became apparent as I wandered the grounds were the newer metal roofs on many of the camps, locks on the doors as the result of vandalism, and the lack of front porches on most of the cabins.

Another difference is that the associated church building and a small grave yard are on the same property.

Cypress Methodist Church, Ridgeville, SC

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Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist: Inside

September 18, 2018 Ellen Jennings 2 Comments

The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist was open the day I discovered it and as I stepped inside I was somewhat overcome by the size. Many of Charleston’s churches welcome visitors to view their interiors, often with knowledgeable guides on hand, as well as for spiritual reasons.

I saw no one here, and saw no welcome sign, either. The interior is an amazing work of art and craftsmanship. I took a few images and went on my way.