National Register of Historic Places

Old Slave Mart

Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
Listed
May 1, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75001694

About this property

The Old Slave Mart is a building located at 6 Chalmers Street in Charleston, South Carolina that once housed an antebellum-period slave-auction gallery. Constructed in 1859, the building is believed to be the last extant slave auction facility in South Carolina. In 1975, the Old Slave Mart was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its role in Charleston's African American history. Today, the building houses the Old Slave Mart Museum. The Old Slave Mart was originally part of a slave market known as Ryan's Slave Mart, which covered a large enclosed lot between Chalmers and Queen Streets. Charleston City Councilman Thomas Ryan established the private auction facility in 1856 after a citywide ban on public slave auctions. Slave auctions were held at the site until approximately 1863; in 1865, the Union Army occupied Charleston and closed Ryan's Mart. The Old Slave Mart Museum has operated on and off since 1938.

Location

6 Chalmers St.
Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
32.77752, -79.92992

Categories

BLACKARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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0 mi
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Hibernian Hall
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Nearby Battles

Siege of Charleston
1780Revolutionary War
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Slave Mart listed on the National Register?

Old Slave Mart was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Old Slave Mart?

Old Slave Mart is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Slave Mart?

The period of significance for Old Slave Mart is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Old Slave Mart?

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