West Ashley in Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Tales of the Tub
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
1. Tales of the Tub Marker
This historic bathtub, probably built in the early 1800s, is the first of its kind that archeologists have identified in Charleston. It is unique because its owner placed it in the plantation house instead of a separate outbuilding.
Although a rough and plain-looking ruin today, it was once a finely finished bathtub. It stands as a tangible reminder that attitudes about bathing have changed throughout the centuries. Once considered risky to a person’s health, bathing became increasingly fashionable in the late 1700s. At that time, however, bathers washed for refreshment rather than to get clean.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Man-Made Features.
Location. 32° 48.274′ N, 79° 59.073′ W. Marker is in Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It is in West Ashley. Marker can be reached from Old Town Plantation Road. Marker is located on the History Trail at Charles Towne Landing. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1500 Old Towne Road, Charleston SC 29407, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Foundations of the Southern Plantation (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Foundations of the Southern Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker); In Need of an Ally
this page online
More about this marker. The bottom right of the marker contains a picture with the caption “This print from the mid-1700s depicts a wooden bathtub. The tub here at Charles Towne Landing was made of brick lined with stucco. Archaeologists excavated it in the 1960s.”
Above this is a picture of a shirt and has a caption of “Instead of bathing, colonial men and women wore long linen undergarments called “shifts” and relied on the fabric’s texture to “dry clean” their skin.”
At the upper right of the marker is a reproduction of an advertisement with the caption “Various outbuildings typically surrounded houses in the 1700s and 1800s. Only more expensive properties included bathing houses, like this one advertised in Charleston
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
2. Tales of the Tub Marker
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
3. Tales of the Tub Marker
The bathtub can be seen in this photo, behind the marker.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
4. Marker at Charles Towne Landing
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, August 6, 2013
5. Ancient Bathtub
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 19, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 461 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 19, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
