Named after its original owner and operator, Thomas Ryan, Ryan’s Mart opened on July 1, 1856. It came to be after a city ordinance banned slave auctions around the Old Exchange Building, previously Charleston’s busiest slave trading destination. It was later sold to local slave trader Ziba Oakes, at which point it became known as “the Mart.” It operated for seven years, closing in 1863 when Union bombardment forced its evacuation and closure. Slave trading continued in other parts of … Continue reading History of the Site