Dock Street Theater

The Dock Street Theater in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, may be the single most photographed spot in the city. It is also one of the most important in America. Why? It was the first building in America designed solely for theatrical performances.

But the theater is not the same one that opened in 1736. In 1740, the building was destroyed by fire. When another building was constructed on the site in 1809, it opened as the Planter's Hotel. When the hotel was remodeled in the 1930s, a stage and auditorium in the style of the 18th century were constructed, and the building reopened in 1937 as the Dock Street Theater.

The building now serves its original purpose, and the city of Charleston has retained an important part of its history.