SOUTH OF BROAD
REAL ESTATE

The tip of the Charleston peninsula is home to one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the country. Referred to as “South of Broad,” this area includes White Point Gardens, also known as The Battery, as well as Charleston’s famous Rainbow Row, which served as the backdrop to Dubose Hayward’s notorious novel, Porgy, published in 1925.

Of special interest are the meticulously restored antebellum mansions that line the peninsular city overlooking Charleston Harbor with a view of Fort Sumter and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. A peek through an iron gate may offer a glimpse of one of the neighborhood’s European-style landscaped gardens, many of which have been restored along with the house to their original design and splendor. An evening stroll along the promenade traces the tip of this neighborhood and grants all takers a salty sea breeze through their hair and the soothing sound of lapping waves mingling with the distinctive clopping of horse hooves on nearby cobblestone streets.

South of Broad is bordered to the north by Broad Street, the thriving commercial district of historic downtown Charleston. Many of the city’s finest restaurants are also found on or near Broad Street, along with some of the area’s most upscale shops and boutiques. Everything to live the good life is all within walking distance of historic Charleston’s South of Broad neighborhood.
For centuries, historic peninsular Charleston’s most desirable and distinctive address has been South of Broad Street. It was in these grand old homes that George Washington slept, Robert E. Lee dined, and Teddy Roosevelt socialized. From these same magnificent piazzas, Charlestonians watched the firing on Fort Sumter that began the Civil War and today host grand soirees for the internationally-acclaimed Spoleto Arts Festival.

The scale of stunning historic architecture throughout the South of Broad area sets it apart from any city in North America. Regal Georgian gables and paneling, detailed Adamesque staircases and moldings, ornamented Greek Revival columns and parapets, elaborate Italianate arches and cornices, and decorative Victorian turrets and chimneys sweep the South of Broad area with a graceful diversity of classic styles.

Flanked by moss-laden oaks and sculpted gardens, the picturesque street scenes South of Broad display an unmatched timelessness etched into an intricate blend of wrought iron gates, slate sidewalks and cobblestone pavement.

Each block offers a sensory splendor, as bells of colonial church steeples blend with the sounds of horse-drawn carriages and restless Carolina wrens. Spring, summer, fall and winter all boast flowering plants and trees South of Broad, as the air sweetens with jasmine, magnolia, and tea olive, and seasons brighten with banks of camellia, azalea , and rose.

For the prospective homeowner, South of Broad’s value is incomparable as an investment or a prestigious address. Properties here are the rarest of the rare jewel that is historic Charleston, and feature some of America’s most famous houses and gardens and some of the East coast’s most stunning views.