Historic Charleston city market expansion and makeover
The Historic Charleston city market will get a long overdue expansion and makeover with the announcement that Hank Holliday and Steve Varn, principals of City Market Preservation Trust, LLC will take over management of the market on October 1. Immediate plans call for the market to be spruced up immediately and future plans call for an expansion with the construction of a new shed across East Bay towards Charleston Harbor.
Originally private property owned by Charles Pinckney, a signer of The Declaration of Independence, the land was donated to the City of Charleston to be used as a public market in perpetuity. The market began as a marketplace selling food and merchandise to local residents but it has evolved over the years to become more of an arts and crafts emporium featuring cheap trinkets and tacky merchandise. The most local offering has always been the wonderful sweetgrass baskets, woven in the same traditional method handed down for generations from slaves brought to South Carolina from West Africa.
Most local Charlestonians don't bother to go to the market and I hope that one day, the city market will not only be a must visit destination for visitors but for locals as well. More quality products, local produce and fresh food would help accomplish that.
