North Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Louie Tenement
Near this intersection is the site of Louie Tenement, a housing complex that served residents of North Charleston's Liberty Hill community. Liberty Hill was established in 1871 as a settlement for formerly enslaved African Americans. The tenement near this site was developed c. 1928 by Louis "Louie" Joseph (1876 - 1950), a Syrian immigrant who came to the U.S. from Damascus in 1901. He worked in Charleston as a peddler before moving to Liberty Hill by 1920.
Louie Tenement included around a dozen wood frame shotgun houses situated on roughly one acre of land. It became a a well-known Liberty Hill enclave and a valuable source of housing for local Black residents during segregation. Louis Joseph also operated a local grocery store. His 1950 death certificate listed his father's surname as "Masphy." The complex stood into the early 1970s, when houses began being gradually demolished. None remained by the end of the 1980s.
Erected 2024 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History; sponsored by Liberty Hill Historical and Genealogical Society and S.C. African American Heritage Commission. (Marker Number 10-142.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Immigration
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Location. 32° 52.899′ N, 79° 59.952′ W. Marker is in North Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It is at the intersection of Luella Avenue and Lester Street, on the right when traveling north on Luella Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4842 Luella Ave, North Charleston SC 29405, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Historic Charleston and in the Lowcountry. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Liberty Hill's Vietnam Fighting Men (approx. 0.2 miles away); Liberty Hill (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Peter's A.M.E. Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named St. Peter's A.M.E. Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Charleston Station (approx. half a mile away); Naval Hospital District (approx. 1.8 miles away); Charleston Naval Hospital Historic District (approx. 1.8 miles away); Marine Barracks (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in North Charleston.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Park Circle (was approx. 0.8 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
