Ever since my first trip to Charleston, I’ve been enamored with the Holy City’s many unique treasures. From American firsts, like Dock Street Theatre and Charleston Museum to some of the country’s oldest churches, the only tea plantation in North America, she crab soup and the doctor who brought us the beloved poinsettia from Mexico—the list is long and impressive.

The Charleston City Market is recognized as one of the country’s oldest, and offers a unique shopping experience in the heart of historic downtown Charleston.

Charleston vendors have been coming from near and far to sell their wares at the Market for almost 200 years.

Undoubtedly one of America’s first “malls,” it was built on land that Constitution signer Charles Cotesworth Pinckney ceded to the city in the 18th century. The beautiful old brick buildings stretch from East Bay to Meeting Streets and have survived earthquakes, hurricanes, fires and the Union bombardment during the Civil War.

The Beef Market was the colony’s first market. It stood on the lot at Broad and Meeting Streets now occupied by City Hall, and burned in1796. “By 1804 the city had opened a new market on Market Street. It was called the Centre Market and was designed to be the city’s major marketplace for food. In an ordinance passed in 1807, the City Council set aside the land from Meeting Street to the Cooper River, established Commissioners of the Centre Market to operate it, and designated the area generally east of East Bay (then Governor’s Bridge) as a Fish Market. The market was kept clean by buzzards, aka Charleston eagles, ‘so tame that they crept about in the meat market among the feet of the buyers.’ This was the food market of Charleston until well into the 20th century.”1

Today, the Market is a shopper’s paradise for visitors and locals alike. It is one of the best places to shop for many authentic local crafts and specialty items. The renowned “basket ladies” set up shop here early in the day to weave and sell their fragrant sweetgrass baskets. This is the perfect treasure to take home, complete with the weaver’s personal tag and a description of this traditional African-American craft.

Prints by local artists may be found here depicting the many famous homes and historic buildings in and around Charleston, as well as beach vistas and marshy landscapes.

Crockery, bottles and pouches packed with Lowcountry culinary specialties cover the wide tables of the food vendors. Charleston’s famous benne cookies, hot spicy powders, beans and rice, Crab boil seasoning, fancy southern pecans—these are just some of the many gastronomical delights.

It’s all under one, or several, roofs…kiztchy collectibles, colorful throws, woven rugs, hats of straw, one-of-a kind clothing, vintage nick-knacks, and more. The Market is a memorable shopping experience and a Charleston must!

1 Rosen, Robert. A Short History of Charleston.