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Foundation Matters

The Lost Architecture: September 2021 Edition

Posted: September 28, 2021

The answer is the Idle Hour Restaurant (1067 King Street). Before the John Dart Library was built in 1968, 1067 King Street was the location for this popular restaurant that in 1939. It quickly became one of Charleston’s better-known restaurants. An article in the News & Courier gushingly reported that the provision of good food meant “an important means of promoting speed and efficiency in work. Give a workman a good place to eat and his work will be faster, more accurate and efficient and his outlook on life will be more cheerful.” From 1946 until the mid-1970s, subsequent owners operated the restaurant as a “white-tablecloth” restaurant, a private club called El Casanova, the Beach-Comber’s Barbecue and Drive-In Club, the Merchandise Mart furniture store, a Chinese restaurant called the Fan-Tan Club, the RVA Club, the Moose Lodge, and Charley’s Supper Club. The location was then bought for use as the John Dart Library, which opened in 1968. (Kevin Eberle, 2021.)

One response to “The Lost Architecture: September 2021 Edition”

  1. These are some great pictures from the past. I grew up in Charleston from 1965 to 1984. Between those years I resided at 176 Coming Street, 18 Jasper Street and 8 Athens Court before leaving for the Military. I was surprised to see the location of the Idle Hour Restaurant that once stood in the same location (1067 King Street) where the John L. Dart Library currently sits today. I used to go to that library during my formative years in school to do my homework and book reports. It would be real nice if the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) could find some old pictures of Simonton School that was once located on Jasper Street, the old Morris Street Baptist Church and the Brooks Brothers properties which consisted of a motel a restaurant and a pool hall, all were located on Morris Street on the corner of Morris and Felix Streets. Those pics would be some good memories for me. By the way, I first met Muhammad Ali as he was coming out of the Brooks Motel on Morris Street, I even got to shake his hand. That’s something a 6 year would never forget. Hope the Foundation finds the pics I mentioned….. K.Will, “Over and Out”

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