The Legacy of George Washington Returns to McCrady's
For Immediate Release, May 2007
The Society of the Cincinnati Revisits Their 1791 Dinner for the President
Two hundred eighteen years after they first dined there, the Society of the Cincinnati has returned to McCrady’s. It was the Society of the Cincinnati that hosted President George Washington at an elaborate and famous dinner at McCrady’s during his Southern Tour in 1791. Earlier this month, while hosting fifty visiting delegates from the Society’s French chapter, McCrady’s was once again their choice.
The Society of the Cincinnati dinner capped a four-day visit to Charleston by the French Society. Held in McCrady’s historic Long Room, the same room in which President Washington dined, the dinner featured a presentation about Washington’s 1791 visit by Dr. Walter Edgar, George Washington Professor of History at the University of South Carolina.
In keeping with the theme of the evening, toasts were offered to President Washington, French-born General Lafayette, and General William Moultrie. The meal was served on linens that had been used at a French Society of the Cincinnati event at the Palace of Versailles in 2001.
The Society of the Cincinnati was founded in 1783 by officers of the Continental Army and Navy, with chapters based in each of the thirteen colonies and George Washington as its first President-General. Recognizing the contribution of the French Army and Navy to the American Revolution, a Society was also formed in France. Original membership was limited to officers who served in the Revolutionary War, and all present-day members are their descendants.
The Society of the Cincinnati is named after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, who left his farm in 460 B.C. to accept a term as Roman Consul and then served at Magister Populi for a short time, thereby assuming near-dictatorial control of Rome to meet a war emergency. When the battle was won, he returned power to the Senate and went back to plowing his fields, thus setting the ideal example of selfless service.
McCrady’s Restaurant
Built on romantic little Unity Alley in 1788, McCrady’s was the favored gathering place for Charleston’s early leaders and even hosted a dinner for President George Washington. The warmth and elegance of its 218-year-old exposed brick walls and fireplaces are accented with soaring skylights, dramatic chandeliers, bluestone tiles and a striking two-story wine bar. In this spectacular setting, McCrady’s features the classic flavors and fresh presentations of Progressive American cuisine, an award-winning wine cellar and impeccable AAA Four-Diamond service.
McCrady’s is open for dinner seven days a week, and hosts private events in the historic Long Room upstairs. Call McCrady’s at 843.577.0025 or visit www.mccradysrestaurant.com. McCrady’s is just steps off East Bay Street, at 2 Unity Alley, in Charleston, South Carolina.
