02/01/2025
We celebrate Black History 365 days of the year and understand that there is still so much Black History/ American History to unearth! During the entire month of February, in keeping with previous years, we will celebrate Black History Month by sharing some of the inspirational bits of. Charleston Black history we have learned and unearthed over the years.
Did you know that THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN OWNED LAW FIRM IN AMERICA WAS LOCATED ON BROAD STREET IN THE FRENCH QUARTER SECTION OF HISTORIC DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON, SC? Makes you wonder how many other black owned businesses and residents surrounded their office during that time (I’ll save the answer to that question for another post😃☝🏾) but for now…
Meet Macon B. Allen (phoot #1), America’s first African American Attorney and Judge who served as a partner at America’s first African American owned law firm established in Charleston, SC in 1868. His partners were William J. Whipper (photo #3) and Robert Brown Elliot (photo #5), both highly accomplished in their own right. The law firm was located at 91 Broad St ( photos #2, 4,& 6) on the peninsula of Historic Charleston, SC a few doors down from the historic Broad St post office and the 4 corners of law. There are no historic markers anywhere on the building or on the street indicating this fact but a simple google search brought up droves of historic photos and documents on a number of reputable websites.
Macon and his wife Emma had five children, all of whom served as teachers. Macon B. Allen made his transition on October 10, 1894 after 50 years of legal service. He was memoralized at Saint Mark’s Protestant Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and is buried in the Friendly Union Cemetery. The National Bar Association honored Macon Bolling Allen for 50 years of legal service and the New York Bar Association is named in his honor.
is