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Marion Square

January 01, 1970

Marion Square is greenspace in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, spanning six and one half acres.[1][2] The square was established as a parade ground for the state arsenal under construction on the north side of the square. It is best known as the former Citadel Green because The Citadel occupied the arsenal from 1843 until 1922, when the Citadel moved to the city's west side. Marion Square was named in honor of Francis Marion.

Marion Square
Marion Square looking northeast, with the Old Citadel (left) and the L. Mendel Rivers Federal Building (right) in the background
Coordinates32°47′13″N 79°56′9″W / 32.78694°N 79.93583°W / 32.78694; -79.93583
In this 1865 photo of the original Citadel building, a remnant of the city's defensive wall, known as a horn work, is visible in the foreground; the horn work is still in place in 2014 surrounded by a low iron fence.

The square is bounded by Calhoun (south), Meeting (east), Tobacco (a pedestrian only right-of-way that lies between the square and properties to the north) and King (west) Streets. The land is what remains from a 10-acre (40,000 m2) parcel conveyed to the colony of South Carolina in 1758.[1] When Joseph Wragg died, his son, John Wragg, received 79 acres along King Street. In 1758, John Wragg sold 8.75 acres to the provincial government for 1,230 pounds for use in the construction of a defensive wall to keep the city safe from Indians and, later, the British. By 1783, there was no longer a need for the defense works, and the 8.75 acres were transferred to the newly created city government. In 1789, the state reacquired a portion of the land along the northern edge to build a tobacco inspection complex. When John Wragg's estate was being administered, an error was discovered; it seems that when the 8.75 acres was acquired by the city, an extra 1.40 acres was also taken over to compensate for the portion of the 8.75 acres which had become used as roads. A petition was submitted to the South Carolina Senate by John Wragg's heirs, and the matter was taken up by a Senate committee in December 1800. The state opted to pay the heirs for the 1.40 acres that had been mistakenly taken beyond the original 8.75 acres; returning the land was impractical since the tobacco complex had already been built by the time the error was discovered.[3]

The square is jointly owned by the Washington Light Infantry and the Sumter Guards.[4] Their objections prevented city officials from paving the park as a parking lot in the 1940s and in 1956[5][6] and also prevented its development as a shopping center.[7] It is operated as a public park under a lease by the city of Charleston. Under the terms of the lease, the center of the square is kept open as a parade ground.[8] Marion Square is situated directly across from Citadel Square Church and the South Carolina State Arsenal (Old Citadel).

The space is a favorite place for College of Charleston students because of its proximity to campus. In 2003, city council member Wendell Gaillard proposed banning sun-bathing in Marion Square ("This 'Girls-Gone-Wild'-type attitude has caught ahold all across the country. We don't want it to get to that point . . .," Gaillard said),[9] but his proposal was met with little support; Gaillard claimed that exposing churchgoers and families to sunbathing was wrong and that sun-bathing students might attract stalkers to the area.[10]

In this 1892 photograph of Marion Square, the original version of the Calhoun Memorial can be seen.

The square is the home to many monuments, including a Holocaust memorial, an obelisk dedicated to Wade Hampton, and a statue of John C. Calhoun in cast bronze atop a giant pillar.[11] The Calhoun monument is the second such structure in the square. The first one was not liked by the people of Charleston, and the organizers of the installation had problems with the delivery of the pieces. Eventually, in 1894, a new artist, J. Massey Rhind, was commissioned to create a new figure.[12] A new memorial was raised in 1896, and the old one was sold off for scrap value.[13] Controversy again arose in 2017 over Calhoun's views on slavery.[14] In June 2020, the statue of Calhoun was removed by City Council.[15] In January 2021, a time capsule was found while completing the removal of the base of the statue. The time capsule dated to 1858 and was relocated under the monument during its construction later.[16]

In 1944, a bandstand in the Art Moderne style was built according to plans by Augustus Constantine.[17] The structure had originally been planned to house restroom facilities for white servicemen, but a bandstand component was added to the plans. The bandstand became a spot for political rallies, but the restrooms were a constant problem because of vandals.[18] The bandstand was ultimately razed during a refurbishing of the park that began in August 2000[19] and concluded in 2001.[20] The bandstand had been in very poor shape since at least 1961 when city council approved its removal.[21]

During the summer the square is also the home to a farmers market on Saturdays[22] and various festivals such as the Food and Wine Festival[23] and the Spoleto Arts Festival. Since 1913 a tree has been placed in Marion Square for the Christmas season.[24]

References edit

 
Marion Square historical marker for the Siege of Charleston. The center of the defensive works was called the hornwork, the inner wall consisting of a two foot thick wall constructed of lime and oyster shells. Two ditches were in front of the wall, and 93 cannon were mounted along the works.[25]
  1. ^ a b "Marion Square". National Park Service.
  2. ^ Charleston County Tax Map Geographical Information System, TMS Number 4601604005
  3. ^ Stockton, Robert (February 5, 1973). "Marion Square Misplaced By City Appropriate Error". News & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. pp. 1–B. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  4. ^ The Joint Board of Officers of the Washington Light Infantry and the Sumter Guards, 287 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC
  5. ^ "Marion Square Conversion To Parking Lot Proposed". News & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. May 13, 1956. pp. 4A. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  6. ^ "Deed Prevents Marion Square Use for Parking". News & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. November 20, 1945. p. 4. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  7. ^ Behre, Robert (November 27, 2003). "Marion Square rises from scruffy past to be seen as city's true center". Post & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. pp. 25A. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  8. ^ Charleston Business Journal, Article on Revitalization of Marion Square, November 9, 1998, Accessed June 30, 2007.
  9. ^ Hardin, Justin (April 25, 2003). "Marion Square sunbathing burns up councilman". Post & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. pp. 1A. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  10. ^ Hardin, Jason (May 3, 2003). "Sunbathing crusade mostly stirs up hot air". Post & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. pp. 1A. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  11. ^ "The John C. Calhoun Monument". Charleston News & Courier. January 31, 1886. p. 8. Retrieved Oct 8, 2012.
  12. ^ "A Good Riddance". Charleston News & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. November 27, 1894. p. 8. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  13. ^ "His Lady Friends". Evening Post. Charleston, South Carolina. August 8, 1896. p. 5.
  14. ^ Waters, Dustin. "Looking back at the origins of Charleston's most controversial monument". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  15. ^ "Crews Begin Removal Of John C. Calhoun Statue In South Carolina". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  16. ^ Bean, Riley. "Crews find potential time capsule in base of Calhoun Statue in Charleston". Charleston, South Carolina. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  17. ^ "Bandstand to Be Erected Soon in Marion Square". Charleston News & Courier. March 26, 1944. p. 12. Retrieved Aug 9, 2013.
  18. ^ Alston, John A. (August 27, 1973). "Bandstand May Regain Prominence". News & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. pp. 1–B. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  19. ^ Hardin, Jason (August 15, 2000). "Ceremony marks start of Marion Square work". Post & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. pp. 3B. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  20. ^ "Rededication Wednesday for 'new' Marion Square". Post & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. December 3, 2001. pp. 3B. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  21. ^ "Council Discusses Razing Bandstand". News & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. July 19, 1961. pp. 3A. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  22. ^ Hardin, Jason (March 7, 2002). "Farm market returning to Marion Square". Post & Courier. Charleston, South Carolina. pp. B1. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  23. ^ Raskin, Hanna (2019-06-28). "If you have $95 to spend on Charleston Wine + Food, these 6 events offer bang for the buck". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  24. ^ "Christmas Tree in Public Park". Charleston Evening Post. Dec 16, 1913.
  25. ^ Buchanan, John (1997). The Road to Guilford Courthouse. New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-471-32716-5.
  • Moore, Margaret H. (1997). Complete Charleston: A Guide to the Architecture, History and Gardens of Charleston. TM Photography, Inc. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-9660144-0-2.
  • Simmons, Jack (2003). . The Charleston City Guardian. Archived from the original on 2004-07-20. Retrieved 2011-02-09.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marion Square.
  • Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary

January 01, 1970
marion, square, greenspace, downtown, charleston, south, carolina, spanning, half, acres, square, established, parade, ground, state, arsenal, under, construction, north, side, square, best, known, former, citadel, green, because, citadel, occupied, arsenal, f. Marion Square is greenspace in downtown Charleston South Carolina spanning six and one half acres 1 2 The square was established as a parade ground for the state arsenal under construction on the north side of the square It is best known as the former Citadel Green because The Citadel occupied the arsenal from 1843 until 1922 when the Citadel moved to the city s west side Marion Square was named in honor of Francis Marion Marion SquareMarion Square looking northeast with the Old Citadel left and the L Mendel Rivers Federal Building right in the backgroundCoordinates32 47 13 N 79 56 9 W 32 78694 N 79 93583 W 32 78694 79 93583 In this 1865 photo of the original Citadel building a remnant of the city s defensive wall known as a horn work is visible in the foreground the horn work is still in place in 2014 surrounded by a low iron fence The square is bounded by Calhoun south Meeting east Tobacco a pedestrian only right of way that lies between the square and properties to the north and King west Streets The land is what remains from a 10 acre 40 000 m2 parcel conveyed to the colony of South Carolina in 1758 1 When Joseph Wragg died his son John Wragg received 79 acres along King Street In 1758 John Wragg sold 8 75 acres to the provincial government for 1 230 pounds for use in the construction of a defensive wall to keep the city safe from Indians and later the British By 1783 there was no longer a need for the defense works and the 8 75 acres were transferred to the newly created city government In 1789 the state reacquired a portion of the land along the northern edge to build a tobacco inspection complex When John Wragg s estate was being administered an error was discovered it seems that when the 8 75 acres was acquired by the city an extra 1 40 acres was also taken over to compensate for the portion of the 8 75 acres which had become used as roads A petition was submitted to the South Carolina Senate by John Wragg s heirs and the matter was taken up by a Senate committee in December 1800 The state opted to pay the heirs for the 1 40 acres that had been mistakenly taken beyond the original 8 75 acres returning the land was impractical since the tobacco complex had already been built by the time the error was discovered 3 The square is jointly owned by the Washington Light Infantry and the Sumter Guards 4 Their objections prevented city officials from paving the park as a parking lot in the 1940s and in 1956 5 6 and also prevented its development as a shopping center 7 It is operated as a public park under a lease by the city of Charleston Under the terms of the lease the center of the square is kept open as a parade ground 8 Marion Square is situated directly across from Citadel Square Church and the South Carolina State Arsenal Old Citadel The space is a favorite place for College of Charleston students because of its proximity to campus In 2003 city council member Wendell Gaillard proposed banning sun bathing in Marion Square This Girls Gone Wild type attitude has caught ahold all across the country We don t want it to get to that point Gaillard said 9 but his proposal was met with little support Gaillard claimed that exposing churchgoers and families to sunbathing was wrong and that sun bathing students might attract stalkers to the area 10 In this 1892 photograph of Marion Square the original version of the Calhoun Memorial can be seen The square is the home to many monuments including a Holocaust memorial an obelisk dedicated to Wade Hampton and a statue of John C Calhoun in cast bronze atop a giant pillar 11 The Calhoun monument is the second such structure in the square The first one was not liked by the people of Charleston and the organizers of the installation had problems with the delivery of the pieces Eventually in 1894 a new artist J Massey Rhind was commissioned to create a new figure 12 A new memorial was raised in 1896 and the old one was sold off for scrap value 13 Controversy again arose in 2017 over Calhoun s views on slavery 14 In June 2020 the statue of Calhoun was removed by City Council 15 In January 2021 a time capsule was found while completing the removal of the base of the statue The time capsule dated to 1858 and was relocated under the monument during its construction later 16 In 1944 a bandstand in the Art Moderne style was built according to plans by Augustus Constantine 17 The structure had originally been planned to house restroom facilities for white servicemen but a bandstand component was added to the plans The bandstand became a spot for political rallies but the restrooms were a constant problem because of vandals 18 The bandstand was ultimately razed during a refurbishing of the park that began in August 2000 19 and concluded in 2001 20 The bandstand had been in very poor shape since at least 1961 when city council approved its removal 21 During the summer the square is also the home to a farmers market on Saturdays 22 and various festivals such as the Food and Wine Festival 23 and the Spoleto Arts Festival Since 1913 a tree has been placed in Marion Square for the Christmas season 24 References edit nbsp Marion Square historical marker for the Siege of Charleston The center of the defensive works was called the hornwork the inner wall consisting of a two foot thick wall constructed of lime and oyster shells Two ditches were in front of the wall and 93 cannon were mounted along the works 25 a b Marion Square National Park Service Charleston County Tax Map Geographical Information System TMS Number 4601604005 Stockton Robert February 5 1973 Marion Square Misplaced By City Appropriate Error News amp Courier Charleston South Carolina pp 1 B Retrieved January 29 2014 The Joint Board of Officers of the Washington Light Infantry and the Sumter Guards 287 Meeting Street Charleston SC Marion Square Conversion To Parking Lot Proposed News amp Courier Charleston South Carolina May 13 1956 pp 4A Retrieved January 29 2014 Deed Prevents Marion Square Use for Parking News amp Courier Charleston South Carolina November 20 1945 p 4 Retrieved January 29 2014 Behre Robert November 27 2003 Marion Square rises from scruffy past to be seen as city s true center Post amp Courier Charleston South Carolina pp 25A Retrieved January 29 2014 Charleston Business Journal Article on Revitalization of Marion Square November 9 1998 Accessed June 30 2007 Hardin Justin April 25 2003 Marion Square sunbathing burns up councilman Post amp Courier Charleston South Carolina pp 1A Retrieved January 29 2014 Hardin Jason May 3 2003 Sunbathing crusade mostly stirs up hot air Post amp Courier Charleston South Carolina pp 1A Retrieved August 30 2020 The John C Calhoun Monument Charleston News amp Courier January 31 1886 p 8 Retrieved Oct 8 2012 A Good Riddance Charleston News amp Courier Charleston South Carolina November 27 1894 p 8 Retrieved February 13 2015 His Lady Friends Evening Post Charleston South Carolina August 8 1896 p 5 Waters Dustin Looking back at the origins of Charleston s most controversial monument Charleston City Paper Retrieved 2019 04 28 Crews Begin Removal Of John C Calhoun Statue In South Carolina NPR org Retrieved 2020 06 24 Bean Riley Crews find potential time capsule in base of Calhoun Statue in Charleston Charleston South Carolina Retrieved January 24 2021 Bandstand to Be Erected Soon in Marion Square Charleston News amp Courier March 26 1944 p 12 Retrieved Aug 9 2013 Alston John A August 27 1973 Bandstand May Regain Prominence News amp Courier Charleston South Carolina pp 1 B Retrieved January 29 2014 Hardin Jason August 15 2000 Ceremony marks start of Marion Square work Post amp Courier Charleston South Carolina pp 3B Retrieved January 29 2014 Rededication Wednesday for new Marion Square Post amp Courier Charleston South Carolina December 3 2001 pp 3B Retrieved January 29 2014 Council Discusses Razing Bandstand News amp Courier Charleston South Carolina July 19 1961 pp 3A Retrieved January 29 2014 Hardin Jason March 7 2002 Farm market returning to Marion Square Post amp Courier Charleston South Carolina pp B1 Retrieved January 29 2014 Raskin Hanna 2019 06 28 If you have 95 to spend on Charleston Wine Food these 6 events offer bang for the buck Post and Courier Retrieved 2020 01 23 Christmas Tree in Public Park Charleston Evening Post Dec 16 1913 Buchanan John 1997 The Road to Guilford Courthouse New York John Wiley amp Sons p 55 ISBN 978 0 471 32716 5 Moore Margaret H 1997 Complete Charleston A Guide to the Architecture History and Gardens of Charleston TM Photography Inc p 91 ISBN 978 0 9660144 0 2 Simmons Jack 2003 The Vision for Marion Square The Charleston City Guardian Archived from the original on 2004 07 20 Retrieved 2011 02 09 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marion Square Historic Charleston s Religious and Community Buildings a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marion Square amp oldid 1207719301, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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