Name/Title
114-120 East Bay Street (Coates' Row)Entry/Object ID
EBAY.114-120.1Scope and Content
Constructed ca. 1788-1806; additions and alterations 1841. Thomas Coates apparently purchased or constructed this group of commercial buildings by 1806 to house, among other ventures, Harris' Tavern, later known as the French Coffee House, at 120 East Bay. This building served as the meeting place of Charleston's Jacobin Club in the 1790s, a group largely made up of French immigrants who wholeheartedly embraced the spirit of the French Revolution. Coates's wife Catherine also operated a noted tavern near the foot of Tradd Street, later called the Carolina Coffee House. Exemplary of early vernacular commercial structures in Charleston, the 2-story, gable-roofed building at 120 East Bay contains extensive underground wine cellars. Its street doorway and northwest corner was removed to provide the standard Charleston corner store entry, with cast-iron column, in the late-19th century. The 3-story structure at 118 East Bay, constructed of rubbed or stained red brick, features a projecting 2-story bay and roof lantern, probably added in the early 1840s, nearly contemporary with the construction of the double tenement at 114-116 East Bay Street. After the death of Catherine Coates in 1829, the northern section was sold in 1831 to John Michel, while the middle portion passed to Isaac Barrett. In these transactions the property was styled "Coates Row." The unit at 114 East Bay was in use as a tobacconists' shop at the time of the war. Throughout their history these buildings have remained in use as commercial structures with some upstairs residences.
File contains newspaper articles (1942 and 1969 DYKYC); building history from Information for Guides of Historic Charleston; photocopy of historic plat (undated, unattributed, source not indicated).Collection
Historic Charleston Foundation Property RecordsAcquisition
Accession
EBAY.114-120.Source or Donor
114-120 East Bay Street (Coates' Row)Acquisition Method
Collected by StaffLexicon
LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Taverns (Inns), CoffeehousesSearch Terms
East Bay Street, Corner store, Historic buildings--South Carolina--Charleston, Commercial buildings--South Carolina--Charleston, Vernacular architectureArchive Details
Archive Size/Extent
1 File FolderArchive Notes
Finding Aids: Index to Property Files
Level of Description: FolderLocation
Location
Shelf
Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023Location
Container
PF Box 35Shelf
Prop File Shelves, Property File ShelvesRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentRelationships
Related Entries
Notes
EBAY.114-120.2a-c, EBAY.114-120.3, EBAY.114-120.4, EBAY.114-120.5, EBAY.114-120.6a-bRelated Publications
Notes
Buildings of Charleston (see Abstract), pg. 108Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
November 14, 2007Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023