Hey, history buffs. Submit your unofficial historical locations around town.
Have you ever looked at a local spot and thought, “This place deserves to be commemorated?” Our city is full of legendary locations – many of which are indicated by historical markers. Historical markers reveal significant places, streets, neighborhoods, buildings, businesses, and cultural events from the past or present. Think: the Charleston City Market + Fort Sumter.
But not all significant areas get the attention they deserve. What about the Coburg Cow? Which has become Charleston’s favorite weather forecaster. Or the Folly Beach Boat which is known for being painted regularly. We want to put these places on the map — literally.
Rules + details
Submit your historic place for a chance to be featured nationwide on our historical marker map. Our favorite submissions will then be featured in our newsletter, where we’ll put it to a vote. Who knows? Maybe it will receive an official historical marker.
Submissions are open through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Finalists will be selected by our team and announced in our newsletter. These finalists will then go head-to-head in a vote for our readers’ favorite. The winner will be announced later in December. No promises that it will get an actual historical marker, but it will be one in our hearts.
Want to know more about official historical markers around town? Check out the Historical Marker Database.
The results
The votes are in for the CHStoday historical markers contest. Check out the finalists below, including the contest winner decided by your votes.
We’ve got a tie.
Winner: Poogan’s Porch
This beloved restaurant tied for the winning spot with 37.2% of voters voting for this local gem.
Thanks to reader Cameron O. for nominating this Queen Street restaurant. Did you know? This Victorian-era private home was originally built in 1891 and became a restaurant in 1976.
The last residential owners sold the property, but a local dog named Poogan remained behind. A beloved neighborhood fixture, the pup spent his days on the front porch, greeting neighbors and visitors alike. He continued to be a cherished part of the establishment until he died in 1979.
Since then, Poogan’s Porch has served the community and visitors from around the world, offering traditional Southern cuisine in a historic setting.
Winner: The John Bickley House
Our other winner was nominated by reader Andrea W. nominated this home with three-sided piazzas, which is unusual in Charleston. This feature was constructed so that John Bickley could take advantage of the Coming’s Creek view, as the western end of his property was on the marshes of this creek. Fun fact: John Bickley purchased the land on which the house now sits back in 1824.
The home is also recognized for its detail — the structure is a Charleston single house with a central projecting brick pediment with a dog-toothed cornice and wide elliptical window, a stone staircase that leads to the double-tiered, three-sided piazzas set on an arcaded foundation. Doric columns crowned with acanthus leaf carvings support a flattened arcade on the first tier of the piazza, forming the foundation for the second tier.
The house is of brick, believed to have been manufactured in Charleston, with imported English brownstone. The brick is laid in the highly decorative and atypical flemish bond pattern, where stretchers and headers are laid alternately in a single course.
Runner up: The Charleston Place
The Charleston Place has been around since the late 80s, but just because it’s relatively new doesn’t mean it hasn’t made its mark. The Meeting Street destination is known for its grand spaces, luxe amenities, and welcoming atmosphere for guests and locals alike.
Reader Emma W. calls it an iconic Charleston destination. Pro tip: Whether you’re stopping in for a meal or a spa treatment, make sure you see the space, especially during the holidays.
We got more submissions than these. Just check out our map of unofficial historical locations — both locally and across the nation.
