About the Lithograph:
Charleston is a beautiful place at night, with the warm glow of the lamps and with the quiet but somewhat sentimental atmosphere of a time gone by. The city by the sea abounds in tales of adventure, loves, and ghosts. Charleston's sites are more than the mere visual, for in many instances you can not only see the beauty but also feel it and the spirits of past times. Lovely memories that linger like the Indian summers and lamplights that warm and illuminate the dark, giving the colorful glow of a romantic evening. On Legare Street are the Sword Gates that according to the best information, were built about 1830. Prior to this date, the gates had been constructed of wood and the adjoining wall was a mere wooden wall. It seems that in 1829 this location was school. A young girl, daughter of a local planter, was enrolled there because she had fallen in love with suitor who happened to be from New York. His "Yankee" background caused her father to take issue with this romantic relationship. As the story goes, the young student climbed over the fence one day and went to St. Michael's church to marry her husband-to-be. After the marriage, she returned to the boarding school and remained there until her new husband pulled up in a carriage and presented his card calling on his new wife. It was through this portal that the couple left together, got into their waiting carriage, and rode off into the new life.