Charleston City Hall — Attraction in Charleston

We just relocated to Charleston about a year ago and at first it seemed great to be in the midst of one of the oldest historic cities in the US while being close to beaches & the coast. However, while the residents with families are wonderful people, the city and surrounding suburbs have serious problems. Anyone who takes a stroll down King street is confronted with drug addict homelessness, sidewalks stink of urine, garbage, and cigarettes, crime & theft are getting worse even in broad daylight, parking is a mess, buildings are dilapidated, every store/shop is infested with mold and stinks so owners use awful perfumes to try to cover the smell (hotels are the worst) and restaurants are infested with cockroaches. Forget buying here unless you have $$$$ and 2-3 years to gut renovate any property and try working with the cities historic restoration manual (420+ pages). Living outside of the city is a traffic nightmare. Be prepared for an hour commute each way (Mt Pleasant, Daniel’s Island, West Ashley, Summerville). The Mayor and government officials sit on their hands and play political games to make themselves richer. There’s no excuse for not cleaning up the streets and neighborhoods. Homeless should be banned. The Mayor (William S. Cogwell Jr.) needs to take responsibility for ridding communities of gun violence, drugs, crime, and homeless! Clean the streets please. Charleston has a treasured all girls schools downtown and it’s not safe for these girls to walk to/from school! Families want safety, community, and healthcare (women’s rights are human rights!). Enough with the patriarchal greed. Our city government should reflect its people and the people don’t want unsafe streets or sidewalks that stink of urine....

After years of visiting St. Simons Island on the Georgia Coast, I decided to give Charleston SC a visit. Once we find a place we like, we visit a couple of times of year, love the coastal cities. Our visit started with a nightmare but ended well. DO NOT STOP AT THE WELCOME CENTER. We stopped at the welcome center, next thing I know, it was like being in a car dealership being sold. While appearing to be given discounts and great information, next thing I know I am being rushed into a 120 minute sales presentation. The man at the counter says. you gotta use the ATM, leave $20 with me, when you show up for your tour (code word for sales pitch) they will give you $20 back. Why? Well so they make sure you show up to get your discounts.....Huh?..... As I am being rushed to my car I read the fine print and realize where I am headed. I return, get my $20 back, tell him to cancel the great rate on the hotel room in which he took my credit card number for. I find the hotel to ensure my room had been canceled (now I am on alert) They apologize and give me the rate anyway. Everyone in the city (except the WELCOME center) was very polite and helpful. I will return next year, but educated...

The building that stands at 80 Broad St. now was built between 1800 and 1804 to serve as a bank. However, the bank failed and by 1818 it had become City Hall. It is a fascinating building and one that most people probably do not think to set foot in for something other than City business. It’s really worth the visit.

The most famous piece of art is a painting by John Trumbull of George Washington during his visit to Charleston in 1791 — and, very significantly, Washington’s horse.

Incidentally, City Hall is part of what Robert Ripley (Yes, folks same Ripley's Believe it or Not! fame) called the "Four Corners of the Law." The four buildings on each corner of Market and Broad represent four different arms of the law- City Hall (local), The Charleston County Courthouse (state), The U.S. Post Office and Federal Courthouse (Federal), and St. Michael's Episcopal Church (ecclesiastical).

Admission is free and...