The Richest Man in Charleston

James Adger the II was born in Ireland in 1777 but then migrated to the United States in 1794.  This was just the beginning of a very successful future in the United States of America.  James Adger the second was once known as the richest man in Charleston South Carolina, and the fourth richest man in all of America.  He obtained his money as a banker and a merchant.  He owned a very successful bank that him and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth Ellison worked in.

James married Sarah Elizabeth Ellison in September of 1806.  Together James and Sarah successfully had nine kids together.  Besides banking James also was involved in the shipping industry.  He had a large fleet of sailing vessels which transported goods along the east coast.

Although James worked as a merchant and with shipping, those were not his main sources of income.  in 1818 he created a Hardware firm called James Adger & Company which made him enough money he didn't even know what to do with it.  Soon after Adger combined companies with James black which greatly increased the value of the company.  By 1850 James Adger was estimated to own $200,000 in real estate and eighteen slaves.

An Article on James Adger's steamship line. 

 James created a steamship line from charleston to new york that was making him even more filthy rich.  He named this steamship line the "Adger Line" which not surprising was just named after himself.  He created this in 1845 and by 1853 the companies estimated worth was already equal to $500,000.  Tons of merchants were lined up waiting to invest in his company.

James Adger was also involved in politics.  He used his wealth and power to try and sway the movements in Charleston.  He represented Charleston within the House of Representatives for a single term in 1826-1828.  He used his political power all for helping himself and his companies flourish.

James's very large headstone at the church

James Adger the second died at 80 years old in 1858.  He died in New York but was returned to Charleston to be buried.  He was Buried at the 2nd presbyterian church next to his wife.  He lived a very long life, and a successful life and his money is still within his family today.

2nd presbyterian church proposal

James Adger the 2nd was born in Ireland in 1777. He was once known as the richest man in Charleston South Carolina and the 4th richest in the United States.  He is buried at the 2n presbyterian church in Charleston South Carolina.  A full detailed report is going to be posted about him soon!!!

Magnolia Cemetery Field Trip!!

The magnolia cemetery was a huge shocker to me after arrival.   I wasn't expecting much from, the cemeteries that I have seen in the past but it was completely different.   Massive layout, elegant sculptures, and very prominent people of Americas past time, which made it that much more exciting.    As said the builders wanted to make it feel as if it was a park, which they succeeded in excellently.

The water added a very peaceful aspect to the cemetery.

The layout of the Cemetery like I said before was designed to seem like a park.  The cemetery is full of grand trees of all different times hanging over the graves.  A very large pond that surrounds the site.  The entire landscape is a whopping total of 150 acres which holds the 35,000 people that are buried there.

This grave belonged to Edward Walter Hughes, and to Virginia Randolph Pinckney.  They were husband and wife.  This was interesting to me because of the elegance and overall size of the sculpture.

This was my favorite gravesite by far belonging to Henry H. Lipinski.  (excuse the person in the picture).  The tomb is made completely of marble with stain glass windows.  Henry is not the only person buried in the tomb but also other deceased family members.  Henry is the original owner, born in 1912 and died in 1983.  

I chose this grave, not because of the architecture but because of the man that is buried here.  The man buried here is named Henry Edward Young.  He was a doctor who graduated from college in berlin Prussia then became a major for the confederate army then on to becoming a judge in Virginia. He is a man who has been around and seen many different things.

Overall my trip to Magnolia cemetery was a very informational experience and would highly recommend visiting to anyone with an interest in American history.  

Mystery Headstone on College of Charleston Campus

Elizabeth Jackson and her husband Andrew Jackson Sr were both immigrants from northern Ireland.  These are our parents of the United States of Americas 7th president Andrew Jackson.  Elizabeth Jackson gave birth to Andrew on the way home from Her husbands funeral in 1767.

The Headstone located by The Robert Scott Small building is not Elizabeths actual burial site.  This headstone is just a cinotaph.  The stone has not always been located on the campus, at first it was located at ther Waxhaw from 1954-1967.  The headstone was moved due to the fact that people presumed that it was the closest place to her actual gravesite.  This was not her only Monument, there is also a monument at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina.

On the headstone reads; "Near this spot is buried Elizabeth Jackson, Mother of President Andrew Jackson.  She gave her life cheerfully for the independence of her country on an unrecorded date on Nov. 1781, and to her son Andy this device.  "Andy never tell a lie nor take what is not your own.  Nor sue for slander, settle those cases for yourself."

Elizabeth died while serving the revolutionary war when she served as a nurse.  Before she died her sons, Andrew and Robert Jackson were being held prisoner in Camden South Carolina.  Elizabeth arranged a deal to get the boys released.  But after release it was not long until Robert and Elizabeth Jackson died from small pox.

Elizabeth Jackson

Elizabeth Jacksons headstone on the College Of Charleston campus

Navy Captain Edwin Kiem!

Edwin Kiem was born at the Swedish hospital in Brooklyn New York august 1917.  He weighed 9 pounds when he was born.  his parents, Jane Elizabeth and Christian Andrew were 28 and 41 years old.  he is named after his maternal grandfather.

Ed moved to Irvington NJ in 1920.  He attended school there from 1923 to 1925.  He moved to Millburn, NJ in 1925 and attended Wyoming school until 1929. He then attended and graduated from Millburn high school in 1935, which was located a mile from his house.  In high school, he played baseball as a catcher.

He received scholarships and entered Worcester Polytechnic Institute.  While at the WPI he studied Mechanical Engineering from September 1935 to June 1937.  In 1937 he left WPI to enter naval aviation cadet flight training program in Pensacola Florida served a total of 26 years with the navy as a naval aviator.  He flew a PBY-5 Catalina, VP-11, PB4Y-Liberator, and a VD-11  Retired in 1963 with the rank of Captain USN.  After retirement, He was employed by North American Aviation, in Columbus Ohio.

Among other things not only did Ed pick up a set of wings while he was at Pensacola he picked up a bride.  Edwin met Harriet Tompkins at a dance out at Scenic Terrace in Pensacola.  From then they never left each other marrying very soon after they met.  Harriet sadly passed in 1996  from old age.

Edwin Kiem lived a very long life living to the age of 91.  Ultimately he died from old age, but before he died he was living in an assisted living home due to him slipping and hitting his head.  He is buried at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola Florida.

Edwin Kiem to me was my great-grandfather on my dad's side.  Edwin died when I was 7 years of age, so my memory of him is very faint.  Me, and everyone in my family called him Gigi pa which to this day no one truly knows where the name came from, or what it means.

Edwin Loveday Kiem

This is his headstone located at Barrancas National cemetary in Florida.

Introducing My Ancestor

My ancestor that I am doing a blog post about is my great grandpa, Edwin L. Kiem, but he was known to me as Gigi pa. He was a man of many professions.  A captain in the Navy, Mechanical Engineer, and employed by North American aviation.  I don't remember much about him since he died when I was 11, but his life is something my family is very proud of.

Bethel United Methodist church Symbol hunt!!

Last Monday we made a trip to Bethel United Methodist Church graveyard to find 10 different gravestone symbols!!

This die in socket has roses on it which symbolize love, hope, and beauty.
The grave belongs to Eva Lee.

The symbol on the grave is the oak leaves which symbolize the strength of an oak tree
The grave belongs to Mary Elizabeth.

The drapes on this die in socket symbolize death or mortality.  This also could symbolize passage from one existence to another.
This grave belongs to Rosa Mary.

The crown on the headstone represents victory and faith, while the cross represents sovereignty of christ.
The Grave belongs to Pricilla Sarah Eason.

The Bible symbolizes Christianity or in this case the pastor of the church
William H. Fleming
This Gravestone is a die in socket.

The cross on the ledger symbolizes the memorial of someone of Christian religion.
The ledger belongs to Charles C Seyle.

The dove on this die and socket symbolizes resurrection, innocence, and peace.
The grave belongs to Anna. 

The angel on this ledger represents spirituality.  The open wings on the angel represents flying up to heaven.
This Grave belongs to Elizabeth M.

The weeping willow on this headstone represents the grieving of a loved one.
This grave belongs to James F.M Lord

The Lamb on the ledger represents a child's grave, or innocence and purity
The identity is unknown.

Coming Street Cemetery/ KKBE!!

This past Saturday me and my graveyard studies class met at the coming street cemetery for a tour and a lesson on the history of the area.  This cemetery is associated with the Khal Kadosh Beth Elohim, which is a Jewish synagogue.   Our guides on the tour were none other than the Anita Moise Rosenburg, and Randi Serrins, who were excellent to listen to.

The coming street cemetery was established one hundred and fourteen years ago in 1762.   An impressive fact about the cemetery is that it is the "oldest standing Jewish cemetery in the south."   The cemetery is also different from the other ones we have visited because it has been the only cemetery that isn't connected to the church itself.   This is due to the fact that Jewish faith believes that life and death should not be together.

There are many interesting people buried in the Jewish cemetery which makes it so exhilarating to visit.   Also, "each and everybody in the cemetery is 6 feet underground".   There is a total of 800 bodies buried in the Jewish cemetery.   This includes 8 soldiers from the war of 1812, 12 revolutionary war soldiers, 20 presidents of the congregation, 6 rabbis, and 2 soldiers from the Seminole wars in Florida. So the cemetery is very diverse!

With so many bodies buried in just one acre of land, the church has families buried all in one grave which, saves a lot of space!

Fun facts of the Cemetery!!

1.  There is a cenotaph of a confederate soldier Theodore Belitzer.

2. A cenotaph is a grave marker for a person although the body is buried elsewhere.

3. We were told that the Cemetery is haunted by a ghost that our tour guides have images of!

4. In the cemetery we saw alot of pebbles left on graves which symbolizes protection over the grave.  This goes way back to when people buried bodys in rocks to protect the body from animals.

All around the tour was a very educational experience and very interesting to learn the differences of Jewish cemeteries!

A plague of the name and date established of the cemetery.

This was the tour guides picture of what they described as the ghost!

This above is the cenotaph of the confederate soldier,  Theodore Belitzer.

This stone gives an example of the symbol of leaving pebbles on gravestones.

This was is a ledger of Maxine "Mackie" Triest Freudenberg.

The photo above was taken 60 feet up in a tree that is no longer in the cemetery.

Scavenger Hunt!!

Here are 10 different headstones that were found on our visit to the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

Pedastal tomb located at the cathedral church of st. luke
Matthew Sully Reeves

Slanted on a base located at the cathedral church of st. luke
belonged to Charles Lee and Marina Jenkins.

Elevated box tomb located at the cathedral church of st. luke
identity unknown.

box tomb at cathedral church of st. luke
Belongs to Berret Thomas.

Tomb located at the cathedral church of st. luke
identity unknown.

This is an Obelisk located at cathedral st. Lukes
the identity is unknown due to weathering.

Die in socket found at cathedral church of st. Luke
These belonged to Lynwood Cresse Magee, and Marie Cannon Magee.

Ledger found at Cathedral st Lukes
identities: unknown.

slant headstone found at St. Patricks Catholic Church
last name Schacht.

Foot stone located at St. Patricks Catholic Church
This belongs to Lila Barksdale Pickens who died in 1942

Speech From Ruth Miller!!!

The one and only Ruth miller came to my classroom and gave a great speech!  Mrs. Miller gave a very detailed description of colonial charleston.  A very interesting fact was that charleston was the "richest city in Colonial America".  This was due to the fact that Charleston had a very large slave port that was thriving during this time.

Charleston is home to many 18th century graveyards which are from the colonial era.  More 18th century graveyards than all of America." although there was a large slave port here in the current 18th-century graveyards "there are no African Americans buried." this was due to the fact that the slaves were not seen as humans and were not given proper burials especially with white people.

Then Ruth Miller proceeded to talk about property in the family from the 18th century. During this time women had almost no rights. If a man owned property and he suddenly died his wife would not be given any of the land. The land would be given to the firstborn son. Women hardly were able to do anything, they were also not given the right to vote. Women were expected to serve their husbands at the house with cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the kids.

Charleston was the richest colony for many reasons. Charleston had the largest rice production and slave port in all of colonial America. These both made Charleston filthy rich. This is why Charleston was known as the rice bowl of the world.

Interesting Fact: The man who wrote the Christian song amazing grace, John Newton was also a slave trader, which contradicts the song. Although this is true his song still to this day remains to be one of the most popular Christian songs.

Ruth Miller was exceptionally interesting to listen to!

Ruth Miller and Patrick Harwood

200 Year old church In Charleston SC

A Charleston church with over 200 years of history.

In my Beyond the Grave class we did a first impressions of Charleston churches as a group project.

My group choose the Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston. We choose this church because it was closer to campus and the views of the church are very elegant. The church offers something different at every angle.

Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston is located at 342 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29403.

The community of Presbyterians were dissenters from the Church of England who worshiped together in the White Meeting House on Meeting St. The congregation included English, Irish, Scottish, French Huguenots and Independent Presbyterians. Twelve families withdrew from the White Meeting House and established the First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, which was modeled after the Church of Scotland.

The architectural style is Jeffersonian Classicism built by architect brothers, James and John Gordon. The church is brick covered with stucco, on one of the column the brick is exposed and can be seen. The building is rectangular and features two tiers of windows. The original plans included a church steeple, however, it was never completed due to structural issues. The church was topped with a simple square tower with a lantern.

The graveyard wraps around this church. The size of the graveyard flows well with the size of the church and the community.  It is not very big but contains so much history.  The plots are not too close together and there is a variety of grave maker and sizes. There are some makers that are bigger and more elaborate and others are smaller. The graveyard was open when we went to take pictures and a video, however, the church was not open but we were still able to get many good pictures.

view of Graveyard

Front of the church

entrance of graveyard

behind the church

interesting monuments