Old Slave Mart

De **Old Slave Mart** be a building wey locate at 6 Chalmers Street insyd Charleston, South Carolina wey na once house an antebellum-period slave-auction gallery. Na dem construct am insyd 1859, dem dey believe de building to be de last extant slave auction facility insyd South Carolina. Insyd 1975, na dem add de Old Slave Mart to de National Register of Historic Places for ein role insyd Charleston ein African American history. Today, de building dey house de Old Slave Mart Museum.

Na de Old Slave Mart originally be part of a slave market dem know as Ryan's Slave Mart, wich cover a large enclosed lot between Chalmers den Queen Streets. Na Charleston City Councilman Thomas Ryan establish de private auction facility insyd 1856 after a citywide ban on public slave auctions. Na dem hold slave auctions at de site til approximately 1863; insyd 1865, na de Union Army occupy Charleston wey na dem close Ryan's Mart. Na de Old Slave Mart Museum operate on den off since 1938.

## Design

De Old Slave Mart be a  by  brick structure plus a stuccoed façade. De front (south side) dey face de cobblestone-paved Chalmers Street. Na de building originally measure  by , buh an extension insyd 1922 give am ein current dimensions. De unique façade of de Old Slave Mart dey consist of  octagonal pillars at each end, plus a central elliptical arch wey dey comprise de entrance.

Na de building initially contain one large room plus a  ceiling. Insyd 1878, na dem add a second floor, wey na dem overhaul de roof. Na de arched entryway initially hold an iron gate; insyd de late 1870s, na dem fill am plus simple doors. Na dem add interior partitions insyd subsequent decades, wey dey divide de first floor into three rooms.  Today, an iron gate san dey insyd de archway.

## History

Thru out de first half of de 19th century, na dem bring enslaved people into Charleston wey na dem sell dem at public auctions dem hold on de north side of de Exchange and Provost building. After na de city prohibit *public* slave auctions insyd 1856, na Charlestonians establish enclosed slave markets along Chalmers, State, den Queen streets. Na one such market be Ryan's Mart, wey be established by city councilman den broker Thomas Ryan den ein business partner James Marsh. Na Ryan's Mart originally consist of a closed lot plus three structures — a four-story barracoon anaa slave jail, a kitchen, den a morgue anaa "dead house."

Insyd 1859, na an auction master dem name Z. B. Oakes purchase Ryan's Mart wey na he build de Old Slave Mart building as an auction gallery. Na de building ein auction table be  high den  long wey na e stand just insyd de arched doorway. In addition to people dem enslave, na de market sell real estate den stock. Na dem dey advertise slave auctions at Ryan's Mart insyd broadsheets thru out de 1850s, sam dey appear as far away as Galveston, Texas.

Wen na U.S. Army forces occupy Charleston dey begin insyd February 1865, na dem free de people wey Ryan's Mart still enslave.

Insyd 1878, na dem convert de Old Slave Mart into a tenement dwelling, plus a second floor dem add. Na dem operate a car dealership den showroom insyd de building insyd de 1920s, wich na de. expand de rear of de building.

## Transition into a museum

Insys 1938, na Miriam B. Wilson purchase de building wey she establish de Old Slave Mart Museum, wich initially display African den African-American art. Na Wilson operate de museum on a shoestring budget til she die insyd 1959. Although na Wilson komot Ohio, na de Old Slave Mart Museum, under ein ownership, embrace local beliefs say na slavery be good give African Americans. Na Wilson bequeath de museum den ein artifacts (mostly crafts wey enslaved African Americans make) to de Charleston Museum, wich na dem decline to take dem. Na Wilson sanso sell Colonial Belle Goodies wey na she attempt make she attract a broader audience to de museum.

Na de museum close insyd 1987 secof budgeting issues. Na de City of Charleston den de South Carolina African American Heritage Commission restore de Old Slave Mart insyd de late 1990s. De museum now dey interpret de history of de city ein slave trade. De area behind de building, wich na once e contain de barracoon den kitchen, now be a parking lot.

Insyd a 2018 auction, na de College of Charleston purchase 47 boxes of documents from de museum ein early years for $5,400 (~$6,455 insyd 2023).

## References


## External links

* Old Slave Mart Museum - official website
* Historic Charleston's Religious and Community Buildings, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
* Museum Grand Opening Press Release, October 2007