FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Charmed by Charleston
Quiz about Charmed by Charleston

Charmed by Charleston Trivia Quiz


Marjabelle Young Stewart, the noted business etiquette writer, has, for years, placed this jewel of southern charm at the top of her list of the most polite places in the U.S. Dare to be surprised how much you already know about this historic city!

A multiple-choice quiz by woofi. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Geography Trivia
  6. »
  7. States P-T
  8. »
  9. South Carolina

Author
woofi
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
112,504
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1394
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 69 (8/10), Guest 104 (8/10), Guest 107 (8/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. In spite of earthquakes and fires, Charleston has a smorgasbord of fine antebellum architecture. Born in 1781, Robert Mills, a native son of Charleston, was the first professionally trained architect in the United States. One of his best-known works is this structure in Washington, D.C. Which is it? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Since 1977, the Spoleto festival has been an integral part of the cultural life of Charleston. This arts festival is the companion to the Festival dei Due Mondi, in the town of Spoleto. In which European country would you find Spoleto? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. One of the many "firsts" that can be found in Charleston is the Dock Street Theater, which was the first building in the United States built specifically for theatrical performances. Opening night was February 12, 1736, with the play "The Recruiting Officer". Other notable productions have taken place there, one of which was the play "Porgy and Bess", written by the noted Charlestonian, Dubose Heyward. Who wrote the musical version of "Porgy and Bess"? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Another "first" for Charleston was the first shot fired of "The War Between the States". During the War, the Confederacy managed to hold onto the fort until 1865, but it was reduced to rubble by the end of the war.


Question 5 of 10
5. Speaking of great forts, Ft. Moultrie served the defense of the U.S. coast for 171 years. The fort has been rebuilt three times, the last time in 1809. It was here that the first decisive victory of the American Revolution was won. It was also from here that shots were fired upon Ft. Sumter in 1861. When it was built in 1776 to fight the British, what were the primary construction materials used? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The gardens in Charleston are amongst the finest to be found anywhere. Which of these is NOT a noted Charleston Garden? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Another great "first" was the first planting of which crop in America? Uncle Ben would be so proud! Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Naturally, Charleston has a fine airport to welcome her guests. Charleston is not a stranger to fine transportation, having offered the first scheduled passenger train service in the U.S. The "Best Friend of Charleston", debuted in 1830, on Christmas Day. Sadly, it was destroyed by the carelessness of the fireman on board a few months later. Most of the "Best Friend" was salvaged and made into the aptly named "Phoenix", another train. What do you suppose happened to the leftover scrap? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. St. Philip's Episcopal church, established in 1680, continues to be a house of worship to many Charlestonians, even though its first location was where St. Michael's is today. St. Michael's was built to handle the overflow from St. Philip's. Of course a church operating that long has had quite an opportunity to inter famous people both inside the church as well as in the adjacent cemeteries. Which of these famous South Carolinians is NOT buried on the St. Philip's grounds? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Early Charlestonians were all about creating clubs. In fact, the South Carolina Jockey Club was the first of its kind in the United States. Other interesting early clubs of Charleston included the Ugly Club, the Sons of Erin, the Golf Club, the Hibernian Society, and the Kolf Baan club. Of note was the "Three Paces Club". What do you suppose it was about? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 10 2024 : Guest 69: 8/10
Mar 08 2024 : Guest 104: 8/10
Mar 04 2024 : Guest 107: 8/10
Feb 14 2024 : Guest 24: 8/10
Feb 11 2024 : Cougar2024: 3/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In spite of earthquakes and fires, Charleston has a smorgasbord of fine antebellum architecture. Born in 1781, Robert Mills, a native son of Charleston, was the first professionally trained architect in the United States. One of his best-known works is this structure in Washington, D.C. Which is it?

Answer: The Washington Monument

Mills had previously designed the Washington Monument in Baltimore. The Washington monument in Washington, DC, was built from 1848 to 1885, interrupted by the "Late Unpleasantness" and Mills' death. Additionally, he designed the U.S. Treasury building, the Old Patent Office (both in Washington, DC) as well as a variety of other works including private homes, bridges, hospitals, colleges, and breakwaters.
2. Since 1977, the Spoleto festival has been an integral part of the cultural life of Charleston. This arts festival is the companion to the Festival dei Due Mondi, in the town of Spoleto. In which European country would you find Spoleto?

Answer: Italy

This seventeen-day festival has everything from traditional classics to experimental performing arts. It is held annually in late spring, offering about one hundred different performances during that period.
3. One of the many "firsts" that can be found in Charleston is the Dock Street Theater, which was the first building in the United States built specifically for theatrical performances. Opening night was February 12, 1736, with the play "The Recruiting Officer". Other notable productions have taken place there, one of which was the play "Porgy and Bess", written by the noted Charlestonian, Dubose Heyward. Who wrote the musical version of "Porgy and Bess"?

Answer: George and Ira Gershwin

The Docke Street Theater burnt down four years later, in 1740. The Planter Hotel, built on the same site in 1809, was remodelled in the 1930s, and reopened in 1937 as the Dock Street Theater.

The famous "Catfish Row" actually does exist in Charleston, but the real name is "Cabbage Row". The film version starring Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier is sadly being blocked from further viewing by the Gershwin and the Goldwyn estates because of dissatisfaction with the film.
4. Another "first" for Charleston was the first shot fired of "The War Between the States". During the War, the Confederacy managed to hold onto the fort until 1865, but it was reduced to rubble by the end of the war.

Answer: True

Sitting in Charleston Harbor, Ft. Sumter originally belonged to the Union forces. Ft. Sumter fell to the Confederate forces after 34 hours of fighting on April 12-13, 1861. The fort was rebuilt after the Civil War.
5. Speaking of great forts, Ft. Moultrie served the defense of the U.S. coast for 171 years. The fort has been rebuilt three times, the last time in 1809. It was here that the first decisive victory of the American Revolution was won. It was also from here that shots were fired upon Ft. Sumter in 1861. When it was built in 1776 to fight the British, what were the primary construction materials used?

Answer: Palmetto logs and sandbags

The Palmetto and sandbag combination turned out to be a superior defense, as those building materials were sufficiently soft to absorb the shells hurled on the colonists by the British forces. Perhaps that is one reason that South Carolina is the "Palmetto State".
6. The gardens in Charleston are amongst the finest to be found anywhere. Which of these is NOT a noted Charleston Garden?

Answer: Madison Square Garden

Dating back to the 1680's, the Magnolia Plantation is the oldest major garden in the United States. The Audubon Swamp Garden is a 60-acre blackwater cypress preserve and home to many native flowers, waterfowl, and alligators. Begun in 1741, the Middleton Place gardens are the oldest formal (landscaped) gardens in the United States and took about 100 slaves ten years to complete.

Henry Middleton was once president of the Continental Congress. Madison Square Garden is somewhere else - way up north I think - and from what I hear, doesn't even have a single azalea or camellia!
7. Another great "first" was the first planting of which crop in America? Uncle Ben would be so proud!

Answer: rice

Indigo and cotton were also important crops of the South Carolina "Low Country". In fact, the first cotton export came from Charleston in the form of a shipment of seven bags, worth about $875, shipped to England in 1748.
8. Naturally, Charleston has a fine airport to welcome her guests. Charleston is not a stranger to fine transportation, having offered the first scheduled passenger train service in the U.S. The "Best Friend of Charleston", debuted in 1830, on Christmas Day. Sadly, it was destroyed by the carelessness of the fireman on board a few months later. Most of the "Best Friend" was salvaged and made into the aptly named "Phoenix", another train. What do you suppose happened to the leftover scrap?

Answer: It was melted down and cast into a cannon.

This cannon was the first made by the Confederacy for use in the "War of Northern Aggression". There remains one on display at the Confederate Museum, in Charleston. A replica of the "Best Friend" can also be seen in Charleston.
9. St. Philip's Episcopal church, established in 1680, continues to be a house of worship to many Charlestonians, even though its first location was where St. Michael's is today. St. Michael's was built to handle the overflow from St. Philip's. Of course a church operating that long has had quite an opportunity to inter famous people both inside the church as well as in the adjacent cemeteries. Which of these famous South Carolinians is NOT buried on the St. Philip's grounds?

Answer: Button Gwinnett, signer of the Declaration of Independence

Button Gwinnett was from Georgia and was, in fact, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He is believed to be buried in Savannah, Georgia. St. Philip's is also known as "The Light House Church" because its tower once contained a beacon to aid in guiding ships into Charleston harbor.
10. Early Charlestonians were all about creating clubs. In fact, the South Carolina Jockey Club was the first of its kind in the United States. Other interesting early clubs of Charleston included the Ugly Club, the Sons of Erin, the Golf Club, the Hibernian Society, and the Kolf Baan club. Of note was the "Three Paces Club". What do you suppose it was about?

Answer: A duelling club

Your author wonders how the members handled "hanging chads" in their elections! I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of historical Charleston. When your author lived there, he was told that the war that existed in America in the early 1860's should not be referred to as the "Civil War" since "there was nothing civil about it"! Therefore he has dished up a few alternative phrases that have made their way through the Charlestonian dialect and sprinkled them throughout this quiz.
Source: Author woofi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us