Historic Charleston Foundation
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Why Preserve
Historic Charleston Foundation's mission has always been compelling and clear: to preserve and protect the unique historical, architectural and cultural character of Charleston and the Lowcountry area that surrounds it.

Great cities are like tapestries - their history, character and individuality are the fabric from which they are woven. Charleston's buildings and urban port setting provide a wonderful sense of place; their beauty and scale inspire and connect us to our past while helping to shape our future. Preservation, we believe, ensures that Charleston maintains a balance between its role as one of America's most important architectural resources and a real, living city with a great quality of life for its residents.

The great Charleston Hotel, c. 1838, was a magnificent Greek Revival structure with giant order Corinthian columns probably designed by Prussian-born architect Charles F. Reichardt.

Its demolition in 1960 for a common motor inn (now also demolished) remains one of the city’s most significant architectural losses for many Charleston preservationists.