Still Boundary Street: Marion Square as Contested Ground in Charleston, South Carolina

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Archaeology of Urban Dissonance: Violence, Friction, and Change" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The recent removal of a towering statue of John C. Calhoun has brought much attention to the open park known known as Marion Square in Charleston, South Carolina. Historical and archaeological research demonstrates that the removal, and the protests that led to this event are just the latest instances of social tension and contestation that have marked this space for the last 250 years. In this paper, we explore the materiality of this place and its complex history, highlighting some of the physical mediators that translated tensions and contestations through time. These include “Boundary Street,” which marked the edge of urban Charleston, the Revolutionary War-era tabby fortification known as the Hornwork, and the muster ground that was built originally for the State Arsenal (Citadel) following the 1822 Denmark Vesey insurrection, and later served free Black militia units during Reconstruction.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeology of Urban Dissonance: Violence, Friction, and Change   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2021

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology