Charleston City Hall’s Council Chamber is the second oldest in the nation to have remained in continuous use. The room is beautiful, with antebellum chandeliers, circa 1896 Thomas Edison light bulbs (that were used until 1983), an ornate cast-iron railing surrounding the gallery and a hand-painted tin ceiling. Its wood-paneled walls are filled with art, including a life-sized portrait of President George Washington painted in 1792 by John Trumbull (1756-1843).
Story continues below Upon closer inspection, the observant viewer quickly realizes the painting offers a distinctly unique perspective: Washington’s horse, whose hind end is prominently displayed with its tail raised, appears as if it is about to drop a big load of manure upon the Charleston city skyline seen beneath its back legs. (Insert audible gasp here.) A painting of President George Washington at the city of Charleston by John Trumbull.
Did the artist mean it as an insult to the city? Some kind of joke? For years tour guides and docents have claimed Trumbull meant it as a snub because a city representative rejected his first painting. Yet research by Dr. Nicholas Butler, historian with the Charleston County Public Library , suggests the story might not be so simple.
Charlestonians were wildly excited about Washington’s 1791 visit to the Holy City, crowding bunting-lined streets, cheering his arrival and staging nightly balls in his honor. Following his visit, S.C.
congressman William Loughton Smith on beha.