The unveiling ceremony for the new Secession Hall Marker was held 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 9 at 134 Meeting St. (opposite Gibbes Museum), the site where Institute Hall once stood in Charleston.

The Democratic Party held its unsuccessful 1860 party convention at Institute Hall.  After the South Carolina Convention of the People voted to secede from the Union, and the Ordinance of Secession was signed in the building's great hall on Dec. 20, 1860, Institute Hall became known as "Secession Hall."  Constructed in 1854 to host fairs, exhibits, concerts and conventions, the building burned in the "Great Fire" of December 1861.

The Ordinance of Secession -- the pivotal act that marked the beginning of the South's secession from the Union and the start of a series of events that led to the Civil War -- is one of the most significant documents in American history.  It is the moment South Carolina officially declared its intent to leave the Union, igniting a chain of events that culminated in the Civil War.  Maintaining the marker at the very site where this decision was made ensures that future generations will understand not only the gravity of this moment but the lasting impact it had on our nation.

The S.C. Historical Marker, "THE UNION IS DISSOLVED!," was erected in 2010 by the Fort Sumter-Fort Moultrie Historical Trust, but knocked down and stolen several years ago.  Fortunately, the Fort Sumter Civil War Round Table (FSCWRT), supported by Professor Kyle Sinisi, raised $3,000 through donations to replace the S.C. Historical Marker. 

The FSCWRT is credited on the new marker for its successful effort.