Exchange and Provost
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Exchange and Provost | |
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Exchange and Provost in 1977 | |
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| Location | E. Bay and Broad Streets, Charleston, South Carolina |
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| Coordinates | 32°46′31″N 79°55′38″W / 32.77528°N 79.92722°WCoordinates: 32°46′31″N 79°55′38″W / 32.77528°N 79.92722°W |
| Built | 1767 |
| Architect | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Governing body | Private |
| NRHP Reference # | 69000160 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 17, 1969[1] |
| Designated NHL | November 7, 1973[2] |
Exchange and Provost, also known as the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, Custom House and Half-Moon Battery, and The Exchange, is a historic building located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
It was built from 1767-1771 as the Royal Exchange. The first cupola was damaged by a hurricane in the early 1800s, the second deteriorated before the Great Earthquake of 1886, and the third was not placed until 1981 when the building opened as a museum.[3]
According to the National Park Service: "[T]he structure has served as a customhouse, mercantile exchange and military prison and barracks. The building was badly damaged by Union artillery fire during the Civil War and the great earthquake of 1886; it was repaired after each occasion."[2]
In 2012, a study was completed of the building's use as a British prison during the Revolutionary War. Soon after taking control of Charleston in 1780, the British started housing prisoners in the Exchange, but not exclusively in the "dungeon". The investigation was able to document at least 120 prisoners held in the Exchange, but there were many more whose identities could not be discovered. The facility was not exclusively used for Colonial prisoners, and at least some British soldiers were held there too.[4]
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973.[2][5]
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History summary is there.[6]
Old Exchange Building
The Old Exchange Building is owned by the South Carolina Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, who operate guided costumed tours that include all three floors of the building. The Provost Dungeon features animatronic figures that tell stories of pirates and colonial days, but these animatronics are now largely used for school groups while personalized docent tours without the aforementioned media are given to tourist groups.
References
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Exchange and Provost". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-03-06.
- ↑ "A Restoration". Charleston News & Courier. Sep 11, 1884. p. 8. Retrieved Nov 14, 2012.
- ↑ Hicks, Brian (August 20, 2012). "New history of the Provost Dungeon uncovered". Charleston Post & Courier. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ↑ Charles W. Snell (January 9, 1973). National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: The Exchange and Provost / The Exchange PDF (32 KB). National Park Service. and Accompanying two photos, exterior, from 1972 PDF (32 KB)
- ↑ "Exchange and Provost, Charleston County (E. Bay & Broad Sts., Charleston)". National Register Properties in South Carolina listing. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 2008-03-03.
External links
- Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
- Exchange and Provost, Charleston County (E. Bay & Broad Sts., Charleston), including 13 photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
- Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
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