46 State Street: A Proper Introduction

In the heart of Charleston’s historic French Quarter neighborhood, State Street (named Union Street, before simmering years of pre-Civil War conflict prompted a name change in 1860), had already seen plenty of history before 46 State was built as it stands today. As was the case in every bustling city of the colonial American settlements, Charleston was vulnerable to accidental fire, and blazes were a constant threat in the close quarters of the original city boundaries. Open flame was necessary in cookery, heating, and lighting, and Charleston had seen countless blazes rip through its downtown avenues before the modern era ushered in safer methods of living comfortably. Thus, the entire block of State Street from Cumberland Street to Queen Street, burned twice in the fires of 1740 and 1796. 

In 1805, the block was rebuilt as a single structure, to house a wholesale grocer. The wide arched doorways were designed as part of the warehouse portion of the business, meant to accept large shipments of goods — the pre-modern version of the large roll-up warehouse doors we see at the back of today’s grocery stores. The arched doors are still one of our favorite features of our building – and a constant reminder that our building has been connected to Charleston foodways since the 1800s!