The architecture of Charleston, the largest city in the US state of South Carolina, has English and Barbadian influences.[1]
|
Main article: Charleston single house |
The Charleston single house is the city's most famous architectural style. The house is built with the longer side perpendicular to the street, and normally has a piazza on the south or west side to take advantage of the prevailing winds.[2]
|
See also: List of tallest buildings in Charleston, South Carolina |
The zoning requirements of Charleston discourage tall buildings, and folklore states that no building can be taller than the tallest church steeple, which is that of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church.[3][4] Therefore, Charleston has no skyscrapers by the modern definition, although the first building described as such was the eight-story People's Office Building, completed in 1911.[5]
| Rank | Name | Image | Height | Year | Floors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
|
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church | .jpg) |
255 ft
(78 m) |
1872 | [6] | |
2
|
Citadel Square Baptist Church |  |
224 ft
(68 m) |
1856 | [7] | |
3
|
Dockside Condominiums |  |
204 ft
(62 m) |
1978 | 18 | |
4
|
St. Philip's Church |  |
200 ft
(61 m) |
1838
(Steeple completed 1850) |
[8] | |
5
|
St. Michael's Episcopal Church | .jpg) |
186 ft
(57 m) |
1761 | [9] | |
6
|
Ashley River Tower | 185 ft
(56 m) |
2008 | 9 | [10] | |
7
|
Morrison Yard Offices | 180 ft
(55 m) |
2022 | 12 | [11] | |
8
|
Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview |  |
170 ft
(52 m) |
1971 | 14 | |
9
|
Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist |  |
167 ft
(51 m) |
1907
(Spire added 2010) |
[12] | |
10
|
Francis Marion Hotel |  |
165 ft
(50 m) |
1924 | 12 | [13] |
11
|
The Canterbury House | 158 ft
(48 m) |
1972 | 13 |
Charleston has many bridges over the Ashley, Cooper, Stono, and Wando rivers due to the city's peninsular geography. Particularly noteworthy is the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, which at the time of its construction was the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere.[14]
The Board of Architectural Review is a part of the Charleston city government that was created in 1931 to oversee the preservation of buildings in the Charleston Historic District.[15] The city architect oversees the Board. The current city architect is Tory Parish.[16]
