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Ashes by Now: 1865

1865. "Charleston, South Carolina, after the Bombardment. Ruins of the Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar." The city after shelling by the Federal Navy and the approach of Sherman's troops. Wet plate glass negative. View full size.

1865. "Charleston, South Carolina, after the Bombardment. Ruins of the Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar." The city after shelling by the Federal Navy and the approach of Sherman's troops. Wet plate glass negative. View full size.

 

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Sherman did not go to Charleston.

Sherman's troops did not go to Charleston!

[No one said he did. However, his overland approach from the north led to the evacuation of the city in February 1865. - Dave]

Then and Now

The Cathedral of St. John is a thriving part of modern-day Charleston. The attached photo shows the current structure, which follows along the same lines of architecture. The church is currently installing a bell tower and undergoing other renovations. Their website tracking the restoration is http://www.stjohnthebaptistcathedralrestoration.com/

Making the rubble bounce

These churches, along with the Circular Church (seen in some of the other Charleston photos here), were being rebuilt after the fire of 1861. Needless to say, work was interrupted by the naval bombardment, and reconstruction had to wait until Reconstruction.

Double Trouble

The Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar, consecrated in 1854, was already in ruins by the time of the Federal bombardment. On December 11, 1861, a fire that began in a factory on Hasell Street destroyed much of Charleston, including the cathedral. The subsequent fundraising campaign for a new cathedral lasted 45 years, and the cornerstone for the present Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was laid in 1890. It is built on the foundation of the 1854 church.

I'm lovin' it

Apparently Charleston had at least one McDonald's restaurant as far back as the mid-19th Century.

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