Tom The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon was our first stop in Charleston after dropping by the Charleston Visitor Centre. Thanks to the great folks at Charleston VC, we were able to visit several attractions including the Old Exchange, Old Slave Mart Museum, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum as well as the Plantations (Magnolia and McLeod). In this post, we’ll share about the experience at the Old Exchange as well as the tour through the Provost Dungeon…
About the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
The Old Exchange, as the name suggests was originally built in 1771 as a commercial exchange and custom house. This is also why there was ample space for storage of goods in the underground spaces of the building. It was also a meeting place for exchange of ideas where the Exchange in 1788, hosted South Carolina leaders as they debated and approved the U. S. Constitution. However, along the way, it also became a venue for public slave auctions and during the American Revolution, the British also converted the basement into a military prison. This is also how the Old Exchange got its second name as the Provost Dungeon.
At the first level of the Old Exchange, you’ll find the ticketing office, the souvenir stall as well as the general history of Charleston during its early days…
There are actually a few different groups of people that made up the local population including:
Native People. A very small population of the Catawba people which was reduced to a population of 54 after disease and war in the area.
Slaves. Slaves made up of about 57.50% of the population. They were considered to be the property of their masters and through their hard work, built up the city of Charleston. Most were uneducated and for religion, attended the churches of their master’s church.
Free Blacks. There was a small group of people of African descent (~1.5%) but were not slaves. They had many freedoms unavailable to slaves, lived among whites of the same economic status but were not granted rights available to Whites.
Plain Folk. They made up about 34.5% of the population and were generally farmers who owned some land, artisans or shopkeepers – though there were also poor whites. They often had close contact with the planters – the richest of the population in Charleston.
Planters. The Planters made up a small population of 6.5% in Charleston then but were the most powerful and influential group of people. They would own vast amount of land and have typically 10 or more slaves. Through their plantations, they also produced some of the most profitable crops of Charleston.
There were also other exhibits here that depicted the life in Charleston as well as the crops that the plantations produced. Unbeknownst to us, the most profitable crop in Charleston was actually not cotton (3rd), nor indigo (2nd) but actually rice. In fact, rice became so profitable that it became known as “Carolina Gold” because of its equivalent in weight to price of gold in those days. Rice therefore, made the rice planters really really wealthy…
The Old Exchange Provost Dungeon Tour
As we reached at 1120am, we were just in time for the Provost Dungeon Tour that was to start at 1130am. It takes place hourly and is a very informative tour that is not to be missed!
Charleston was founded in 1670 as Charles Town in honour of King Charles II. It was first built at Albemarle Point on the west bank of the Ashley River – today known as Charles Towne Landing. Another interesting fact that we learnt was that walls were built around Charles Town to defend from the French and Dutch who had laid claim since the 1500s. The location was eventually abandoned because of the diseases as well as the tensions with the locals who originally inhabited the land.
During the tour, we learnt that the Old Exchange is only one of 4 of 13 venues remaining that ratified the original Constitution in 1788. We also learnt that the British actually left Charleston due to a damning defeat but returned again in 1780 and succeeded to capture Charles Towne for another 2.5 years, capturing over 5000 prisoners and handing over one of worst defeat of the US during the American Revolution. Many of the prisoners were held here in the Provost of the Old Exchange. Don’t forget to check out the beautiful “Roman Groin” or Double Barrel Arches during the dungeon tour – definitely an instagrammable spot here at the Old Exchange.
At the second level of the Old Exchange, we also learnt more about Charleston as well as its beautiful architecture. If you were about town in Charleston, you’ll find many instagrammable spots such as
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All in all, we had a wonderful time at the Old Exchange Provost Dungeon, learning about the history of the area and how it intertwines with the history of the United States. If you’re visiting Charleston, the Old Exchange would be a perfect place to start off your trip to this beautiful city!
