The French Quarter of Charleston, South Carolina, is a section of downtown Charleston. It is considered to be bounded by the Cooper River on the east, Broad Street on the south, Meeting Street on the west, and Market Street on the north. The French Quarter is basically within the original "walled" city of Charleston. The area began being called the French Quarter in 1973 when preservation efforts began for warehouse buildings on the Lodge Alley block. The name recognizes the high concentration of French merchants in the area's history.