Ashley Hall Graduation

In keeping with the grandeur of all Charleston celebrations, high school Commencement Exercises are also "over the top," a spectacle to behold. This past weekend marked the graduation ceremonies of the Class of 2017 at both Porter-Gaud and Ashley Hall, two of Charleston's most prestigious and pricey college-preparatory schools. AH graduates wear long white gowns and carry long-stem red roses. The backdrop for the ceremony is the beautiful McBee House, ca 1816, at heart of the downtown campus. On Porter-Gaud school grounds, just West of the Ashley River, boys sport crisp seersucker suits and a bow-tie, the girls in short white dresses. A short history, at one time both schools were single-sex institutions, PG all boys, AH all girls. Ashley Hall girls were cheerleaders for the PG sports teams, there was much school-coordinated social interaction between the two institutions until PG started admitting girls in 1972. #exploreCharleston#Charleston #CharlestonSC #Ashleyhall #Portergaud