The Charleston Hotel, Meeting between Hayne and Pinckney, has housed many notable guests, including the Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria.
The Argyle, northwest corner of Meeting and Hasell Streets, was renovated and newly outfitted some years ago. It was formerly the St. Charles.
Villa Margharita, South Battery and Church Street, was the former home of Andrew Simonds, banker.
CABBAGE ROW, Supposed Home of “Porgy”: Everybody coming to Charleston inquires about “Porgy,” the deformed negro of whom DuBose Heyward wrote a best seller, which was translated into a successful play. Cabbage Row, on Church Street, near Tradd, west side, is the supposed Catfish Row. Cabbage Row has been renovated and restored. “Porgy” was a well-known Charleston character whose home was in the former Village of Cool Blow, on upper Meeting Street. His last days were tragedy. It would spoil a reading of “Porgy” to discuss him at length.
WASHINGTON RACE COURSE, August Belmont Moved the Pillars: Memories of the old Washington race course survive, but the Jockey Club has been out of existence these forty years. Decades have elapsed since races were run on the course. The track was on property entered from Rutledge Avenue near present-day Hampton Park. In 1901 the old pillars in the ornate gateway were purchased by August Belmont and reërected at his Belmont Park, near New York City. There are now no traces of the famous race course to which in the season the South Carolina aristocracy went in force and regalia. Notable races were run.
OLD ’BORO BOUNDARIES: Should a visitor stay in Charleston long enough to ramble out of the beaten paths, these boundaries to old divisions may be of interest:
Savage’s Green, west of Logan and Broad Streets.
Harleston’s, bounded by Beaufain, Coming and Calhoun Streets, and the Ashley River.
Mazyck’s Lands, bounded by Archdale, Beaufain, Broad, Smith and Trapman Streets.
Cannonboro’, bounded by Smith, Bull, and Spring Streets and Ashley Avenue.