Faith, Folklore, and Friends

One of the better ways to spend Thanksgiving. . . Sherry Boyd's boots: Best fashion statement all weekend.

You can't go anywhere in historic Charleston without seeing church steeples.  They have so many church buildings, Charleston is sometimes called "the Holy City." A lot of souls have come and gone since Charleston was settled.  There are many graveyards and cemeteries to explore, and most are open all the time.  Unfortunately, time and acid rain has made many of the tombstones illegible. I was told the steeples were built to serve as navigation points for those returning from sea. While we were at Ft. Sumter, it was easy to pick out the steeples in Charleston's skyline. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food  until  you return  to  the ground, since from it you were  taken; for  dust  you are and  to   dust  you will return. ~Genesis 3:19

  In August of 1886, Charleston was struck by a massive earthquake.  The Richter scale had not been invented at that time, but geologists estimate it was a seven or more.  The earthquake was so severe, some residents were convinced that Florida has broken off from the mainland. About 75% of Charleston's grand homes were damaged.  Afterwards, homes already old in 1886 remained standing, but were in poor condition.  Some that could be salvaged were repaired using long iron rods for reinforcement.  These rods were run through the walls of the buildings and anchored with bolts.  They can still be seen on many of the buildings.  No one knows if these earthquake bolts will be effective if another earthquake occurs.  One guide speculated that they would do more harm than good, since there would be no 'give' to the houses. I had never heard of using earthquake bolts before, and I have been in many places that have experi...

Charleston was settled in 1663.  During Colonial times and before the Civil War, it was a major port and grew wealthy exporting cotton and other goods. Over three hundred and fifty years later, one can still see the wealth in buildings in historic downtown Charleston.   The builders showed off their wealth and cultural background by erecting buildings that have endured earthquakes, hurricanes, and war just outside their front doors. Oh, if these old walls could speak. . . .