Curiosity piqued me as I stood before the Facilities Management Building. I wondered about its past. The Facilities Management Building at 133 Calhoun Street whispers tales of a Charleston from a bygone era. This unassuming building, nestled between King and Meeting Streets, wasn’t always home to administrative offices. It once housed the J.M. Connelley Company’s casket factory. Imagine, in 1850, this 22,731 square foot building humming with the activity of craftsmen. They meticulously fashioned caskets for Charleston’s departed. J.M. Connelley was the city’s leading funeral service provider from 1886 until 1979. The casket factory was just one piece of a larger operation on this Calhoun Street – Burns Lane block. The company’s mortuary, coffin-storage facility, greenhouses, and even stables were all located here. Think of the horse-drawn hearses departing from this very spot. They carried Charleston’s residents to their final resting places. The Facilities Management Building stands as a silent witness to the circle of life in Charleston. Today, while the building’s purpose has shifted from the somber business of death to the daily operations of a university, it retains a unique connection to Charleston’s history. If these walls could talk, they would share stories of both sorrow and celebration. They would tell of a city’s growth, resilience, and the enduring legacy of its people. Before you leave the Facilities Management Building, take a moment to reflect on its intriguing past. Remember the lives that were honored within its walls. Appreciate the building’s transformation over time. It serves as a reminder that even in the midst of change, echoes of the past can still resonate.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to