Charlestown, the fourth largest, most beautiful, and wealthiest city in colonial America, earned its wealth in the shipping trade. Rice, indigo, and slaves created the powerful economy on which Charlestown was built. The most important building in the colonial city was the “Old Exchange,” originally known as “The Royal Exchange.” Built in 1772, it was here that import-export trade business was conducted. Assemblies met here as well. President George Washington visited the city in 1791, after it was renamed as Charleston. He made a speech from the building upon his arrival, and dances and concerts were held in his honor within the Exchange. From 1815 to 1896, it was Charleston’s post office. Only two notable colonial American buildings are older than the Old Exchange -- Philadelphia’s Independence Hall and Boston’s Faneuil Hall.

Yet darker stories are also told about this place. Both pirates and patriots in chains were imprisoned in the Provost Dungeons, which are in the basement of the building. For generations, slaves were sold next to the very balcony from which the Declaration of Independence was read. Gutted during the Civil War bombardment of Charleston, the building was rebuilt, only to be badly damaged once again by an earthquake in 1886. It now has been fully restored, and operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution as a museum.

My image of the Old Exchange is a reflection of its turbulent past. I photographed it from behind, trapped within a puddle. The abrasive cement street offers a rough and abstracting texture, symbolizing the turbulent swirl of history that has surrounded this building over the centuries.