The History of Blind Tiger Charleston....
The Blind Tiger Pub has been a Charleston landmark for a number of years. Carrying on in the age-old Charleston tradition of "tippling," the tavern presents itself to drinkers, diners, and revelers in a far more regal manner than its original namesakes.
Looking up from a cocktail, one sees the ornate ceiling that has lasted through many different occupants. Like many of the buildings in Charleston's Old and Historic District, it has led many lives. The building where the pub is located today was erected in 1803 by George Keith, who had purchased an apparent vacant lot bordered by Chalmers Street and the brand new State Bank of South Carolina (1801) to the west. The restaurant is now in the old bank building. Sitting today in the back courtyard of the restaurant, diners can see the walls of Keith's original building. They give it that hidden ambiance only found in the nooks and crannies of Old Charleston.
The structure changed hands several times in the early 19th Century. According to the 1861 Charleston Census, the structure is shown as the property of Edgerton and Richards, who were merchant tailors. They ran their business from the building and also shared it with a few other tenants. This pair of haberdashers had purchased the building from a gentleman named Edward Sebring on April 11, 1853 for $12,000.00. It was during this transaction period that the new owners put a new front entry on the first floor. The ornate facade seen from out on Broad Street was not put up untill 1877, during the dark days of Reconstruction, just before a fanatical storm of intemperance started brewing in the Upstate.
In this era of corruption, South Carolina's governor was an irascible, one eyed farmer from Clemson named Ben Tillman. Nicknamed "Pitchfork Ben," because of this pro-agrarian outlook for the state. This no-nonsense teetatoler considered "The Holy City" to be a combination of Sodom, Gomorra, and Las Vegas rolled up into one evil; booze-soaked burrito. Let the truth be told, Charleston's history is deeply rooted in many vices, one more powerful being drink! Tillman was determined to end the debaucherous carousing that had been going on in this port city since roughly 1680. He established the state Dispensary, which was basically a State Government controlled monopoly on all alcohol sales. Although the Dispensary Act was put in effect in 1893, it would be a cold day in hell before Charlestonians would pay any homage. Despite the effort of raiding parties made up of upstate liquor Gestapo, Charlestonians opened up illegal parlors of consumption, sort of the predecessor of the speakeasy. The parlors were called "Blind Tigers." One legend purports that an admission fee was paid to see this mythical beast, and "complimentary" cocktails were served to the crowd. The Tiger never showed up, of course, and most of the patrons stumbled out blind. Eventually everyone concerned realized this was all a lost cause and the Dispensary Act became a much-maligned piece of history. This blatant disregard for any authority concerning prohibition appeared again during the Federal enforcement of the Vollstead Act. Again, Charlestonians petted the "Blind Tiger."
Today, millions of tourists walk through Charleston's streets and alleys, unaware of the bawdy storied hidden within the walls of these majestic buildings. The Blind Tiger pays appropriate tribute to a colorful part of Charleston's wondrous past.
1 843.577.0088
TheTiger@BlindTigerCharleston.com
Looking up from a cocktail, one sees the ornate ceiling that has lasted through many different occupants. Like many of the buildings in Charleston's Old and Historic District, it has led many lives. The building where the pub is located today was erected in 1803 by George Keith, who had purchased an apparent vacant lot bordered by Chalmers Street and the brand new State Bank of South Carolina (1801) to the west. The restaurant is now in the old bank building. Sitting today in the back courtyard of the restaurant, diners can see the walls of Keith's original building. They give it that hidden ambiance only found in the nooks and crannies of Old Charleston.
The structure changed hands several times in the early 19th Century. According to the 1861 Charleston Census, the structure is shown as the property of Edgerton and Richards, who were merchant tailors. They ran their business from the building and also shared it with a few other tenants. This pair of haberdashers had purchased the building from a gentleman named Edward Sebring on April 11, 1853 for $12,000.00. It was during this transaction period that the new owners put a new front entry on the first floor. The ornate facade seen from out on Broad Street was not put up untill 1877, during the dark days of Reconstruction, just before a fanatical storm of intemperance started brewing in the Upstate.
In this era of corruption, South Carolina's governor was an irascible, one eyed farmer from Clemson named Ben Tillman. Nicknamed "Pitchfork Ben," because of this pro-agrarian outlook for the state. This no-nonsense teetatoler considered "The Holy City" to be a combination of Sodom, Gomorra, and Las Vegas rolled up into one evil; booze-soaked burrito. Let the truth be told, Charleston's history is deeply rooted in many vices, one more powerful being drink! Tillman was determined to end the debaucherous carousing that had been going on in this port city since roughly 1680. He established the state Dispensary, which was basically a State Government controlled monopoly on all alcohol sales. Although the Dispensary Act was put in effect in 1893, it would be a cold day in hell before Charlestonians would pay any homage. Despite the effort of raiding parties made up of upstate liquor Gestapo, Charlestonians opened up illegal parlors of consumption, sort of the predecessor of the speakeasy. The parlors were called "Blind Tigers." One legend purports that an admission fee was paid to see this mythical beast, and "complimentary" cocktails were served to the crowd. The Tiger never showed up, of course, and most of the patrons stumbled out blind. Eventually everyone concerned realized this was all a lost cause and the Dispensary Act became a much-maligned piece of history. This blatant disregard for any authority concerning prohibition appeared again during the Federal enforcement of the Vollstead Act. Again, Charlestonians petted the "Blind Tiger."
Today, millions of tourists walk through Charleston's streets and alleys, unaware of the bawdy storied hidden within the walls of these majestic buildings. The Blind Tiger pays appropriate tribute to a colorful part of Charleston's wondrous past.
1 843.577.0088
TheTiger@BlindTigerCharleston.com
