Prohibition in Charleston
Mapping Prohibition in Charleston
The Volstead Act, also known as “prohibition”, was turned into the Eighteenth Amendment on January 16, 1920. Because it was no longer legal to produce or sell alcohol, establishments that once had economic stability due to the consumption of liquor had to find other means to make a profit. The Charleston city square is one example of how laws change the layout of businesses in a foot-traffic heavy area. Individuals would be able to go shopping, enjoy a meal and get a drink in the span of a few hours. Once prohibition was in effect, taverns closed and a café or lunchroom usually opened in that building. While there is little evidence to know if a business complied fully with the law, or if some former tavern owners continued to produce and sell alcohol out of a private room, it is not unlikely that at least one place in Charleston was breaking the law. After the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed, however, taverns could once again serve alcohol. The maps below show where taverns, cafes and restaurants, casinos, and billiard halls were located on the square before prohibition, during, after, and today.
Map from 1919: Before prohibition was passed, there was only one recorded tavern on the square—the Red Front Saloon.
Map from 1928: During prohibition, there were no legal taverns. McClellan’s Café, however, is highly suspected to have sold alcohol illegally.
Map from 1937: Four years after the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, there were the same number of taverns and restaurants on the square. While there is no direct correlation between the two, it does show the increase in alcohol distribution.
Map from 2016: Today there are more taverns on the square than there were in the 1920s and 1930s, with some places to purchase food and beverages.
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