MYSTERY: Lovely spring streetscape

Here’s a photo of a Charleston street, but what street is it?  Send your guess to feedback@statehousereport.com. And don’t forget to include your name and the town in which you live.

Our previous Mystery Photo

Our March 11 mystery, “What a grand Lowcountry home,” showed the Reconstruction residence on Prince Street in Beaufort commonly known as the Robert Smalls house.  Smalls, born a slave in 1839, rose to prominence in the Civil War by piloting The Planter from Charleston harbor and turning it over to federal forces.  Later, he became a U.S. congressman and portmaster for the Port of Port Royal.

Congratulations to readers who correctly identified the photo sent in by Bud Ferillo of Columbia:  George Graf of Palmyra, Va.; Marnie Huger of Richmond, Va.; and Amelia Clark of James Island.

Huger added:  “Robert Smalls is believed to have been born on the property in 1839.  His mother, Lydia Polite, was a slave in the home owned by John McKee.  Smalls was later sent to work in Charleston and famously captained a commandeered Confederate ship through Charleston Harbor and into Union hands, freeing the black crew members and his family. After serving the Union during the Civil War, Smalls returned to Beaufort, bought McKee’s former house in a tax sale and was elected to Congress.”

Graf noted, “His bravery was made a key argument in favor of the Union Army’s enlistment of African-American soldiers.”

Cromer noted the photo showed “the Henry McKee House (built 1834), or as it is probably better known, the Robert Smalls house on Prince Street in Beaufort.  Smalls was born a slave in 1839 in one of the cabins located in the rear of the property. As everyone knows, he rose to prominence with the piloting of The Planter out of Charleston harbor to federal forces. With the prize money he received from the sale of The Planter ,he bought the McKee house at a tax sale in 1863 and the house remained in the Smalls family until 1940.”

Greene added, “He traveled to Washington to meet President Lincoln and advocate for blacks soldiers in the  U.S. Army.  He was a state representative, U.S. congressman and portmaster for the Port of Port Royal. Beaufort’s favorite son!”

• Send us a mystery:  If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!)   Send it along to  editor@charlestoncurrents.com.