Some may know it as the Holy City, others may call it Chucktown — but at The Brandon Agency, we call Charleston, South Carolina, our HQ.
Charleston, a city full of Southern charm, has recently become home to many creative, young professionals. As you walk down the history-rich cobblestone streets, cup of coffee in hand, take a look around, and you’ll see young talent (from just about everywhere) that is driven and ready to achieve greatness every day.
Due to Charleston’s booming economy and an influx of creative minds and techies alike, The Brandon Agency decided that an upgrade and expansion was in order for our Broad Street office. Located in the heart of downtown, the office is just minutes away from the city’s many historic sites and nationally acclaimed restaurants (just ask — we all have menu favorites and go-to spots for happy hour).
Before we could just tear down the walls and pull up the floorboards, though, we had to take a few extra steps. We weren’t just renovating any building — we were about to renovate a building that is one of the oldest in downtown Charleston.
TBA HQ was originally built as a tenement house, which means a multi-residence apartment building, and started housing tenants in the 1830s. In 1837, Clark Mills, the sculptor credited with creating the marble bust of politician John C. Calhoun, rented the space to use as his residence and studio. In 1848, Mills was commissioned to produce the 1852 statue of Andrew Jackson that now lives in Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. The building became known as the Clark Mills Studio.
The former Clark Mills Studio is located in downtown Charleston, on the south side of Broad Street just west of Church Street. The four-story building has a masonry structure and is built out of stucco brick. Its front facade is now commercial, with storefronts on the ground floor and projecting bay windows on the second and third floors. The interior is also reflective of its modern uses, having been converted into professional offices around the turn of the 20th century.
The expansion of The Brandon Agency’s HQ started in early 2016 after the acquisition of the downstairs building below the current office space. With the addition, The Brandon Agency’s Charleston office can now accommodate 18-20 employees, allowing the company to continue its growth.
In just a few months, the downstairs space had been completely renovated and “Brandonized” (as we like to call it) with new, eclectic carpet, whitewashed brick walls, preserved brick fireplaces, finished original hardwood floors, custom artwork and state-of-the art office equipment — all while maintaining the Charleston charm of the unique space. The new layout boasts five office areas, a remodeled kitchenette, an intern space and even a welcoming reception area where we can make visitors and clients feel part of the TBA family.
The best part about the recent upgrades? The Charleston office is now home to not one, but TWO conference rooms, which allows us to now host more client meetings in the Holy City — a frequent request from our out-of-state clients (if you HAVE to have a meeting, why not make it a day in the “Best City in the World”?). With the additional conference room also comes a new, custom table made from 715-year-old wood from the Eddy Lake Cypress Company, which burned down in 1910 and sunk to the bottom of Eddy Lake. Due to low oxygen levels and dark waters, the wood was perfectly preserved and now lives on to be our muse.
Now, when you walk into 51-53 Broad Street, you feel like you are walking into a historic, yet modernized, downtown Charleston home where you will find hardworking, friendly faces. It’s where our Charleston team comes every day to generate revolutionary business-building ideas that help our clients grow. The Brandon Agency’s Charleston office is more than just an office, it’s where business brains and creative hearts live and flourish.