This Charleston city directory from 1840-41 shows Richard Holloway, carpenter, living at 33 Beaufain Street. Courtesy of The South Carolina Historical Society.
Across from 20 Beaufain Street, Charleston, SC 29401
This vacant triangle of land, the result of the destruction of the neighborhood by extending Market Street in mid 20th century, was very near the home of the Holloways, one of the Charleston’s most distinguished free people of color families. Richard Holloway (ca. 1776 -1845) came to Charleston as a free person of color and married the daughter of James Mitchell (1728 – 1821) one of the founders of the Brown Fellowship Society.
Richard Holloway. Courtesy of Avery Photograph Collection, Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA.
A carpenter who built many other houses in town (see 221 Calhoun, 96 Smith and 72 Pitt), Holloway built his house here and his family lived on the premises for over 100 years, leading their community, and running a school for free people of color behind their house. Daniel Payne, bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, among others, was educated here. The Holloway scrapbook is housed at Avery Research Center and is available in digital format. Visit The Lowcountry Digital Library for access to the digital copy.
