South Carolina: Gibbes Museum of Art Charleston

This is a small and charming art museum. I am going to suggest that you stop here after you have learned a little about the history of Charleston. One of the things that I found of particular interest was seeing the portraits of some of the characters I had heard about at some of the other landmarks around town. There were portraits of Thomas Middleton, by Benjamin West, and General Charles Pickney, and an amazing portrait of Charleston’s favorite son, John C. Calhoun, by Rembrandt Peale. For a good idea of what Charleston looked like in 1846, look for Henry Jackson’s "A View of Charleston."

There is more to this museum than just local history. They have a very pretty "Angelika Kaufman," a luscious still-life with watermelon by Thomas Wightman and a Gilbert Stuart portrait of General John Fenwick. There is a very lovely pastel on paper by Henriette DeBeaulieu Dering Johnston. She was the first professional female artist in America. There are less than 40 works in the world attributed to her.

The Elizabeth Wallace Miniature Rooms has eight miniature rooms from historic houses in America and four rooms form around the world. These look like the most fantastic dollhouses I have ever seen. They have great detail, from the historic wallpaper to the pictures on the walls.

The museum has some beautiful sculpture - one in particular charmed me. It is the head of a woman with a gauzy covering. I can’t imagine how they can create this out of marble.

In a small room by themselves is the most amazing collection of miniature portraits I have ever seen outside of England. They date from the early 1700s to the 20th century.

The Oriental Gallery houses the collection of early Japanese block prints.

While looking at their collection of architectural prints, I was delighted to find that St. Finbars Cathedral was designed by P. C. Keely. He is the same architect who designed my home parish of St. John in Middletown, CT. Even more amazing, the brownstone from which St Finbars was constructed comes from our quarries in Portland, CT. It really is a small world.

In addition to highlighting their own collection, the museum has regular exhibits on loan from national and international collections. They have an ongoing series of lectures, seminars, and classes on many different aspects of art.

Even the building itself is a beautiful example of Beaux-Arts style. Dedicated to James Shoolbred Gibbes, it has been a Charleston institution for 100 years. Stop by the gift shop on your way out. They have a very nice collection of note cards and jewelry. If you become a museum member, you will receive a 10 percent discount.

South Carolina: Charleston's Manigault House

 Joseph and Gabriel Manigault were fourth-generation South Carolina Huguenots. Their great-grandfather Pierre came to South Carolina in about 1695. Their grandfather Gabriel became one of North America’s wealthiest merchants. He also heavily supported the bid for independence. He donated $200,000 to the government of South Carolina, and at age 75, joined the defenders of Charleston, along with his grandson Joseph. Educated in England, their father Peter was twice the speaker of the South Carolina Commons. The brothers were both wealthy and well connected.

It was originally built as a summerhouse for Joseph A Manigault, a rich rice planter. It was designed by his brother Gabriel, an amateur architect, who is credited with designing Charleston 's City Hall and the South Carolina Society Hall, as well as his own home. Gabriel had spent time in Europe and was influenced by the style of Robert Adams. Completed in 1803, it has one of the most graceful staircases in Charleston and is a prime example of Adams Federal Style. 

Joseph Manigault and his second wife Charlotte Drayton were the parents of eight children. The family lived here from May to October to escape the heat that made life upriver miserable in the summer. The style of the house is perfect for the climate in Charleston. It has high ceilings, lots of windows, and two-story porches. What surprised me about the house was that there were not any guest bedrooms. The docent explained that most of the friends and family of the Manigaults would have had their own houses in Charleston. Be sure to look for the copy of a Gilbert Stuart portrait of Joseph Manigault.

We all need to grateful to the ladies of Charleston who rescued Manigault House from demolition. The Society for the Preservation of Old Dwellings recognized the need to make sure that modern development didn’t destroy all the old historic homes in Charleston. This house has survived some very hard times; it came close to being torn down in 1920. Step in the ladies. To preserve it, they had to sell some of the property and finally turned it into a tenement to pay for it. It was acquired by the Charleston Museum in 1933. 

During World War II, it served as the USO. It first opened to the public in 1949, and in 1974, it became a National Historic Landmark. Today, it is used as a showcase for some of the museum’s fine pieces of English and French furniture. There is only one piece of original furniture in the house - the secretary in the entrance hall. The Manigault House must be visited on a tour.

There are not a lot of grounds to visit, but be sure to check out the gatehouse. It is a beauty.