In light of current events...

I thought I would post some photos of the Charleston Earthquake of 1886. This earthquake, which was a 7.3 on the Richter scale, was one of the largest and most devastating of any in the Southeastern United States. Over 2,000 buildings were damaged causing 6 million dollars worth of damage (almost 150 million in modern terms).

Although the event devastated the city and surrounding areas, the resulting photographs are hauntingly beautiful and surreal.

 

Note the large section missing from the upper portion of the spire of St. Philip's on Church Street. To the left is the old Planter's Hotel, now the Dock Street Theatre, and to the right is the French Huguenot Church... 

 

The effects of the earthquake necessitated many large homes to be demolished, fortunately these two homes still stand on Broad Street. Note the small piece of furniture still in place in the gable room of the home at right...

 

This large antebellum building which stood at the corner of Broad and Meeting Streets was so badly damaged that it was demolished... 

 

Tombstones in the graveyard of the Unitarian Church on Archdale... note how the marble obelisk has moved three or four inches from its original position... the church attached to this graveyard was so damaged that much of the gothic ornamentation was removed. Please see here for my previous post on the Unitarian Church.

 

This is one of my favorite photographs from this series... the elaborate doric column was thrown to the left and has partly planted itself in the ground. The capital lies about two feet farther to the left, and the urn finial is to the right...

 

and finally my favorite photograph: a double exposure of a church and the granite works showing toppled over marble and granite tombstones.