10 Clifford Street: A Property History
10 Clifford Street is historically located within Ward Four and lends itself to the complex surroundings of Charleston's Red Light District
Drie, C.N. Bird's eye view of the city of Charleston, South Carolina 1872
Path between 10 & 12 Clifford
Newspaper Timeline
July 11 1894
“Nancy Goodlet and Ellan Childs, pulled from 10 Clifford Street Monday afternoon for disorderly conduct, forfeited five dollars bail each by non-appearance.” Charleston News and Courier
July 27 1894
“Nan Goodlet was charged with keeping a house of ill fame at 10 Clifford Street. The sentence was fifty dollars or thirty days in jail unless she vacate the premises.” Charleston News and Courier
July 14 1896
“John Chinaman, Coddled by a Charmer, is Assaulted by the Philistines.” “The cry of a Chinaman for the help of a policeman created considerable excitement on Clifford Street at 10:30 o’clock this morning. The Market Street laundryman had been lured into 10 Clifford Street by one of the giddy girls who inhabited the house, and he claims she called in another fellow who broke down the door of the room he was in and that intruder proceeded to knock him out in one round. The Chinaman was badly beaten up, and he told the officer the gang tried to murder and rob him. The conduct of those who infest Clifford Street has of late been worse than disorderly, it has been outrageous. It is the toughest part of the city and the police should either maintain order, peace and quiet in that section or else clear the street of the objectionable characters who rule it.” Evening Post
July 15 1896
“Sam Hard charged with beating Che Moy a Chinaman at 10 Clifford Street, yesterday morning, was dismissed, the prosecutor failing to appear.” Evening Post
August 18 1905
“Sadie Miller, white, living at 10 Clifford Street, was arrested for disorderly conduct. She was dismissed on this charge. There was a graver charge waiting, for she threw an empty beer bottle at a policeman, and then repeated herself, nearly removing the head of the cop from his shoulders. Fortunately neither missile reached its mark. For this offence Sadie got a sentence of $10 or twenty days in jail.” Evening Post
October 17 1905
“Minnie Wilson, white, drunk and disorderly, making a disturbance at No. 10 Clifford Street, received a sentence of $5 or ten days in jail.” Evening Post
March 5 1906
“Mary Simmons, colored, stabbed in the back by her husband, Benjamin Simmons, at No. 10 Clifford Street, was sent to the hospital.” Evening Post
April 30 1906
“Sadie Miller, white, charged with being drunk and disorderly, cursing and swearing at No. 10 Clifford Street, was sentenced $5 or ten days in jail.” Evening Post
May 1 1960
“Sadie Miller, drunk and disorderly, cursing and swearing at No. 10 Clifford Street, five dollars fine or ten days in Jail.” Charleston News and Courier
October 11 1906
“May Moore, charged with being disorderly and cursing at No. 10 Clifford Street, was fined $5 or ten days.” Charleston News and Courier
October 25 1906
“H. Jackson, white, Mattie Thomas and Mat Moore, white, charged with disorderly conduct, making a disturbance at No. 10 Clifford Street yesterday, shortly after noon, were the first to be disposed of. H. Jackson forfeited bail of $5. The two white women were dismissed. They were also turned loose on charge of vagrancy.” Evening Post
December 26 1906
“Mattie Thomas, white, charged with firing five shots at 10 Clifford Street was dismissed.” Evening Post
June 13 1907
“Mattie Thomas, E. Hawkins, T. Cocoran, Ida Gordon, Lena Taylor and Joseph Perker, white charged with fighting and making a disturbance at No. 10 Clifford Street, last evening, were referred to Magistrate O’Shaughenessy, and later returned to the police station to be tried tomorrow morning.” Evening Post
June 9 1909
“Flora Childs, a white woman, arrested for loud and persistent cursing at No. 10 Clifford Street late Monday evening, was convicted and sentenced to a fine of five dollars or to ten days at hard labor in the County Jail.” Charleston News and Courier
February 9 1910
“Larceny Charged- Ida Gordon, charged with the larceny of twenty dollars from J. A. Sharp at No. 10 Clifford Street, last night, was dismissed by Magistrate Rouse today before whom she appeared on charges of grand larceny. There was no testimony offered to prove the case.” Evening Post
Conclusion
It appears that within the reported news, incidents with madams were frequent and the industry was recognized as a genuine occupation. The blue book, a publication listing madams and their addresses were even used as a catalog of sorts for potential clients. With the aid of newspapers, city directories, and the U.S. Census, it is evident that 10 Clifford Street was a significant property that housed many madams in the late 1800s to early 1900s. “Madams in Charleston exercised a relatively large amount of power over their own lives, primarily because the “respectable” community left them alone.” The madam history of 10 Clifford Street lends itself to the surrounding red light district as well as the continuous narrative of the working class neighborhood.
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