Ever wonder why so much of old downtown Charleston is preserved?  It’s because the Charleston City Council established the nation’s first historic zoning district on Oct. 13, 1931, when it created the “Old and Historic District” as well as a Board of Architectural Review, which continues to serve as an authority on new projects in an effort to preserve and protect historic neighborhoods. “Today, there are more than 2,000 restored old buildings, many having tiered porches called piazzas lining narrow brick alleys, cobblestone streets and walled courtyard gardens. These architectural treasures dating from the 1600s to the Civil War have been preserved and restored under the leadership of the Preservation Society of Charleston,” according to a 1989 story in The Los Angeles Times.