On the other side of the harbor, Brian McCreight brushes off his Colonial-era costume and strokes his moustache while he leads a guided tour through the Old Exchange Building and Dungeon on East Bay Street.
“In the 18th century, Charleston had become the cultural and economic center of the South, and this building played a large role in the nation’s history,” said McCreight, who earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and linguistics in 1987 and a master’s degree in library science in 1993.
“Built in 1771, the exchange is considered to be one of the three most historically significant Colonial buildings in the United States. In 1776, South Carolina declared its independence from England in this building; in 1788, South Carolinians voted to ratify the Constitution in its Great Hall; and in 1791, George Washington came here and walked on the very stones we are now standing on.”
Most days, McCreight can be found leading a pirate tour, pub walk, Civil War tour, or ghost tour for Charleston Walks, the city’s oldest walking tour company.
“When tour participants ask questions, I recognize all kinds of accents: British Isles, Asia, Africa, Latin America,” said McCreight, who grew up in a Navy family that moved around the world. “Charleston has always had a reputation for being an international city. I see that every day with the visitors I talk to.”
<PREVIOUS PAGE / NEXT PAGE > |
