Hibernian Hall is a historic meeting hall and social venue at 105 Meeting Street in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Built in 1840, it is Charleston's only architectural work by

Thomas Ustick Walter Thomas Ustick Walter (September 4, 1804 – October 30, 1887) was an American architect of German descent, the dean of American architecture between the 1820 death of Benjamin Latrobe and the emergence of H.H. Richardson in the 1870s. He was ...

, and a fine example of Greek Revival architecture. The wrought iron gates were made by

Christopher Werner Christopher W. Werner (1805–1875) was a nineteenth-century wrought iron manufacturer, artisan, and entrepreneur based in Charleston, South Carolina, US. He was one of three noted German-American ironworkers in Charleston, who created most of ...

, a German-American master ironworker in Charleston. The hall is nationally significant for its use during the 1860 Charleston Convention, in which the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, divided by opinions on slavery, failed to select a presidential nominee, ensuring victory for the anti-slavery Republican Party in the 1860 presidential election. The building was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1973. and The building continues to be used as a function and meeting space today.

Description and history

Hibernian Hall is located at 105 Meeting Street, just north of the intersection of Meeting and Broad Street in central Charleston, an intersection known as the "

Four Corners of Law The Four Corners of Law is a term commonly used to refer to the intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets in Charleston, South Carolina. It was coined in the 1930s by Robert Ripley, creator of ''Ripley's Believe it or Not!'' and refers to the build ...

". The hall was constructed in 1840 to a design by Thomas U. Walter of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

for the Hibernian Society of Charleston, an Irish benevolent society. This group had organized in 1801, made up largely of Irish immigrants. This is the only known work of Walter's in Charleston. It is a two-story brick structure, clad in white-painted stucco, its principal architectural feature a Greek temple front with six Ionic columns, supporting an entablature and pediment. The architect modeled the columns and entablature on those of the Temple of Illisius. Maurie McInnis. ''The Politics of Taste in Antebellum Charleston'' (University of North Carolina Press, 2005), pages 104–108. Master artisan

crafted the iron gates. The classical effect was modified in the late 19th century by the addition of dentils and

modillions A modillion is an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel. They are often seen underneath a Cornice (architecture), cornice which it helps to support. Modillions are more elaborate than dentils (literally translat ...

to the cornice, and the insertion of an arched Italianate window into the tympanum of the pediment. These alterations were made during repairs and restoration after the building was damaged in the

1886 Charleston earthquake The 1886 Charleston earthquake occurred about 9:50 p.m. local time August 31. It caused 60 deaths and $5–6 million ($ million in ) in damage to 2,000 buildings in the Southeastern United States. It is one of the most powerful and da ...

. Hibernian Hall is the only remaining building associated with the

1860 Democratic National Convention The 1860 Democratic National Conventions were a series of presidential nominating conventions held to nominate the Democratic Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1860 election. The first convention, held from April 23 t ...

, one of the most critical political gatherings in United States history. The building served as convention headquarters for the faction of the

supporting presidential candidate

Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...

. The first floor was used as a meeting space, and the second floor as living quarters for the delegates, who slept on hundreds of cots set up for the occasion. None of the candidates could garner sufficient support, and the party's divisiveness contributed its defeat by the Republicans and

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

References

External links

Hibernian Hall, Charleston County (105 Meeting St., Charleston)
with 5 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
{{National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Charleston, South Carolina National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Cultural infrastructure completed in 1840 Greek Revival architecture in South Carolina Irish-American culture in South Carolina Hibernian buildings National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South Carolina Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Catholic Church in South Carolina Historic district contributing properties in South Carolina

Description and history

See also

References

External links